Going up against one of the best teams in the country, even in a blowout, Quinton Cooley had a moment to shine.
Liberty was facing Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl during the 2023 season, a year in which the Flames won Conference USA and were representing the Group of Five in a New Year’s Six bowl.
The Flames were already down 38-6 early in the third quarter and badly needed a spark on offense as they had the ball at their own 35-yard line. Out of a shotgun formation, Cooley took a handoff and wasn’t going to be stopped easily.
The running back kept his feet moving after a defender attempted to trip him up behind the line of scrimmage and found space in the middle of the field. He outran multiple Oregon opponents until he was finally chased out of bounds near the Ducks’ 25-yard line.
Even in high-pressure situations, Cooley was often capable of making dazzling plays. Is it possible he continues to do so in the NFL?
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Quinton Cooley NFL Draft Projection In 2025
I project Quinton Cooley will be selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft or will be an undrafted free agent.
I don’t think skill or his resume should be an issue for him. The fact that he played at a G5 school in CUSA might make NFL teams think twice about spending draft capital on him – which they shouldn’t.
Quinton Cooley’s Height & Weight
Quinton Cooley was listed at 5-foot-7, 220 pounds during his final year of college.
Quinton Cooley’s Stats & Highlights
Quinton Cooley was a Group of Five All-American and made the All-CUSA first team twice during his career.
Cooley ran for 1,254 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry during 11 games in 2024. He was in the top 20 in the nation for rushing yards and in the top 30 for rushing TDs.
He was arguably even better as a junior, as he ran for 1,401 yards – the second-highest single-season number in school history – and 16 touchdowns during 14 games, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He was in the top 15 in the FBS in terms of total rushing yards, yards per carry, total touchdowns, and rushing yards per game (100.1). He was the only player in CUSA to average more than 100 yards per game and was third in the league with 96 points scored. He was also first in the conference with 103.1 all-purpose yards per contest.
Cooley caught seven passes for 52 yards during his two years with the Flames.
He transferred to Liberty from Wake Forest. He played in 25 games from 2020-22 and ran for 402 yards and four touchdowns on 96 carries while catching four passes for 30 yards during that time. He was a three-star recruit out of Southern Nash High School in Bailey, North Carolina.
Where Is Quinton Cooley From?
Quinton Cooley’s hometown is Bailey, North Carolina. He played football at Southern Nash High School.
Quinton Cooley’s NFL Comparison & 2025 NFL Draft Profile
I believe some elements of Quinton Cooley’s game are comparable to Maurice Jones-Drew. I don’t anticipate Cooley will be one of the best running backs in the NFL, but both backs were difficult to bring down and had excellent vision and anticipation at the line of scrimmage.
Cooley is a patient runner, as he’s willing to let blocks develop. He has a keen instinct for where his offensive line has leverage and how things will develop at the line of scrimmage.
Among running backs with at least 190 carries in 2024, Cooley was 14th in the country in Pro Football Focus’ overall grades and 17th in PFF’s grades for rushing. A year prior, he was fourth and third in those categories, respectively.
Cooley also has the speed to outrun defenders. And while he’s shorter, he’s tough to bring down in the open field. He forced 86 missed tackles over the last two years, and 1,439 of his rushing yards during that span were after contact.
This past season, he was in the top 20 in the country for runs of 10-plus yards (38), runs of 15-plus yards (15), first downs gained (78), and yards after contact per attempt (3.5). In 2023, he tied for fifth in the country with 41 runs of 10-plus yards and tied for seventh with 21 runs of 15-plus yards while ranking ninth with 74 first downs gained.
Cooley clearly has the potential to help an offense at the next level.
