The National Football League Draft is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 24 and run until noon, Saturday, April 26, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Cornellians can tune in and watch as two players — senior quarterback Jameson Wang and senior defensive lineman Muhammad-Ali Kobo — will wait for their names to be called.
In the history of the draft, 35 players have been drafted to the NFL from Cornell. This week, Wang and Kobo will have the chance to join this elite list. Wang also has the groundbreaking opportunity to become the first Chinese-American quarterback to play for an NFL team.
Ahead of the draft, The Sun has compiled notable statistics about these players and made predictions on possible outcomes of the draft for the Red’s prospects.
Offensive Weapon Jameson Wang
Wang has always been a record breaker — when he was a high school quarterback at Harvard-Westlake School, Wang set five single-season records for completion percentage, yards per completion, longest pass, quarterback rating and passing touchdowns in a single game.
On October 8, 2021, in his first year on the squad, Wang became the first Cornell quarterback to throw and run for a touchdown during the Red’s victory against Colgate University.
In his junior year, he had nine rushing touchdowns, setting the school career record for a quarterback. That same year, Wang ranked eighth in the country in rushing yards averaging 288 yards per game at the quarterback position.
This past season, Wang recorded seven rushing and 24 passing touchdowns. He completed 244 passes across 10 games for 2,533 yards. On November 2, he had a long 82-yard pass against Princeton University, demonstrating the explosive capability that NFL offenses will be searching for.
Throughout his career with the Red, Wang played 37 games and scored 78 touchdowns. With 8,775 yards of offense produced across his four years, Wang left a noticeable mark on the Cornell football program. As well as boasting impressive cumulative statistics, he was accurate with the football — during his junior year, he ranked No. 23 in the country for completion percentage.
Wang has worked hard to get his name out there — he was the second-ever Cornell player to be selected for the Hula Bowl where he “met a bunch of other NFL prospects” and had the opportunity to “play in front of NFL scouts” — the same scouts that will be making decisions on who is selected.
“The whole pre-draft process was such a surreal experience,” Wang said. “This whole process is a once in a lifetime experience, and I'm so grateful that the Lord’s been able to guide me on this journey.”
Wang also stated he had a Pro Day at the University of Buffalo and a “local day” with the Los Angeles Chargers where he met head coach Jim Harbaugh and “threw” in front of the organization’s coaching staff.
With 257 players slated to be selected over three days, Wang will likely fall in the lower rounds. Wang will compete against roughly 80 other declared quarterbacks for a chance to claim a spot in the NFL. On an All Access Football Ranking, Wang was placed at 21 out of the 40 quarterbacks. Wang also ranked 485 out of 600 prospects on ESPN’s Matt Miller’s Top 600 prospects. On Mel Kiper’s ranking, Wang took the 31st spot out of 32.
The highest Wang has been ranked was on the New York Times The Beast 2025 NFL Draft Guide where he placed 30 out of 88 quarterbacks declared for the draft.
All that being said, there is no shortage of teams searching for its franchise QB. The Tennessee Titans have the first pick in the draft and are predicted to take a quarterback, likely University of Miami’s Cam Ward. With the second pick, the Cleveland Browns could continue its quest for a franchise quarterback. The New York Giants, who have the third pick, also may be in the market for a long-term option at the position after signing Russell Wilson to a one-year deal and Jameis Winston to a two-year one. While the Giants could make do with Wilson and Winston for a year, it would be strategic in the long term to take a quarterback for Super Bowl champion Wilson to mentor.
The New Orleans Saints are also in the hunt for a young quarterback to take the reins given Derek Carr’s shoulder injury that reportedly took the Saints coaches by surprise. At the 21st pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be searching for a quarterback, as it still hasn’t found a long-term quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2022.
While those five teams have pressing QB needs and will likely select their future quarterbacks within the first few rounds, that leaves Wang to fall to the fourth round where teams will begin drafting based on athletic talent over the team’s specific needs. Wang certainly checks the talent box as a dual-threat quarterback able to use his powerful throwing arm and fast legs to make big plays.
“I've been spending time with family and friends as the draft approaches and I find out what’s next for me,” Wang said.
Defensive Unit Muhammad-Ali Kobo
At 6-foot-4 and 257 pounds, Kobo has the build of a true defensive lineman. With 29 games played for the Red and 70 tackles made in the two full seasons Kobo played, he will leave Cornell with a lasting defensive legacy.
Between this year and last year’s football season, Kobo jumped from 15 tackles to 38. He’s made six sacks over three seasons and 9.5 of his tackles resulted in 51 yards lost.
The Columbus, Ohio native has been training for the draft with Jackson Hayes, a former Division I player at Ohio State University.
Kobo tried to enter the transfer portal on December 9, 2024, but the National Collegiate Athletics Association denied his request to transfer, stating that he had used up his four years of eligibility at Cornell. He had offers from the University of Connecticut, Kent State and Western Kentucky University, among others.
After failing to secure a transfer option, Kobo made the decision to declare for the draft in February. While the draft class on defense is looking strong this year, with defensive tackles like University of Michigan’s Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant and University of Oregon’s Derrick Harmon known to be popular picks, there may be some chance for Kobo to be picked in the later rounds. Unlike the quarterback positions, football teams are always looking to strengthen their defensive cores.
“I think God has his own timing, whatever trial or situation, he pushes me through,” Kobo said. “I'll be ready whenever it rears its head.”
Kobo has “attend[ed]” the New York City pro day hosted by Columbia University and was able to try out for the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions team.
“Those were two very solid opportunities that will help me build my career as I move forward with my professional path,” Kobo said. “They went well, I was able to post some solid numbers, most notably my 4.80 yard dash and then I also ran a 4.7 [seconds] 5-10-5 [agility test].”
Kobo showed his versatility on the field in high school, where he played quarterback, wide receiver, fullback, defensive end and outside linebacker. If a team selects Kobo, it would be getting an all-around player and could shift his position to fit its needs — a common practice in the NFL.
Roughly 20 NFL teams are in need of defensive linemen. If Kobo is drafted, he is likely to be picked on the last day of the draft.
“I think being from a smaller school name was a great opportunity for me to put myself out there and also put some numbers out there so I'm so thankful for these opportunities,” Kobo said.
If Wang and Kobo are not selected this weekend, they could find their way to an NFL roster as undrafted free agents — players not selected during the draft that are allowed to negotiate terms and contracts with any NFL team. Roughly one-third of NFL players start as undrafted free agents. The signing period for UDFAs starts after the Draft and all undrafted players automatically become eligible to join.
Typically, an NFL team will have a 90-man roster before the regular season, that it must trim down to 53 players. UDFAs attend rookie camps and compete for a spot on this roster. Teams can also be placed on the practice squad — a group of players that practice with the team but do not participate in games unless elevated to the active roster. The practice squad is a way for teams to add depth to their rosters and account for injured players that may need replacements.
“It seems a little surreal when the draft crosses my mind. It was always something that felt like it would come a little further down the line,” Kobo said. “I believe the most important takeaway is that you should always be ready for your opportunity because you never know when the opportunity that could change your life is going to come.” “You must always stay ready for it.”
The 2025 NFL Draft can be streamed on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
Zeinab Faraj is the assistant sports editor on the 143rd editorial board and a member of the class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. You can reach her at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
