When J.J. Koski was a senior in high school, he wrote down the collegiate goals he wanted to accomplish at Cal Poly. He still has that list in his room and it's mostly complete, with the most recent checkmarks next to "Get a degree" and "Be a First Team All-Big Sky Conference selection."
There's still one more to go: "Get signed by an NFL team."
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That's what the 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver is working toward right now. All signs point to Koski getting that shot, whether it's as a high priority free agent or hearing his name called on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. In the last couple of weeks, Koski told HERO Sports he's had a lot of contact with NFL teams.
Getting to this point was a bit unconventional for Koski. And it all started when he chose to commit and sign with Cal Poly.
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A San Ramon Valley High School (California) product, Koski had offers from most of the Big Sky Conference teams and he also received some interest from Mountain West Conference programs. In the FCS world, the Big Sky is known for its high-scoring offenses, especially back in 2013 and 2014 when Koski was getting recruited.
But there was one team that was zigging when everyone else was zagging: Cal Poly.
The Mustangs ran the triple-option while conference opponents were trying to throw for 400 yards a game. So when Koski decided he wanted to be a college wide receiver at Cal Poly, he admits people questioned the decision. But for starters, he really liked the business school there. And he knew, despite the style of offense, that he’d have a lot of opportunities to make plays.
Koski started all 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2016, catching 18 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns. He led the team with 28 catches for 454 yards and three touchdowns the following season. In 2018, Koski caught 33 passes for 666 yards and four touchdowns en route to Third Team All-Big Sky Conference honors. And as a senior, Koski was named to the All-Conference First Team with 42 receptions for 868 yards and eight touchdowns.
It was after his junior season when Koski realized he had a legitimate shot at playing professional football. Yet he still heard doubts about the system he was playing in.
“Going to Cal Poly, I had so many people asking me 'why’d you pick there?’" Koski told HERO Sports. "And when I was there, it was 'are you going to transfer?’ Throughout my years there, I had a lot of people telling me their opinions and thoughts on what I should have done. After my junior year, I thought about how I was already starting here for three years and going into my senior year I had so much confidence.”
Home to some of the top receivers in the FCS, the Big Sky honored Koski with a nod on the First Team in his final season.
Koski firmly believes playing in the triple-option offense helped him develop into a top WR and an NFL prospect.
“In that system, you get a lot of 1-on-1 matchups," he said. "I was able to start for four years there and get those 1-on-1 matchups. I think that’s what a lot of people see on film, is you can throw me out there and I’m going to have a good shot at winning those 1-on-1s. Being in that offense, you get those hard matchups every week and you aren’t seeing as much zone. I actually think it’s an advantage to me because it shows what I can do every game. It’s not me getting lucky and breaking through busted coverage. A lot of it is winning 1-on-1s. I really do see it as a positive.”
Route-running is a strength for Koski. Unfortunately, he was unable to show that off in front of scouts at his Pro Day because of the coronavirus disrupting the NFL Draft process. He did play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, though.
Koski and his agent put together some film of him running routes to send to NFL teams. Koski is signed with the agency Rep1 Sports, who represents former FCS players like Carson Wentz, Easton Stick, Cooper Kupp and Dallas Goedert.
Contact with teams has increased in recent weeks. Koski said it's been a lot of phone conversations with WR coaches and offensive coordinators getting to know him and testing his knowledge in terms of plays, route concepts and different scenarios on the field.
“It’s been cool for me. My buddies always reach out and ask ‘have you talked to this team or this team?’" Koski said with a laugh. "It’s been fun for me. I’m taking it all in and I really feel like I’m ready to take that next step for whatever team that wants to give me that opportunity.”
Koski had several opportunities out of high school. He could have chosen a college where he'd put up monster numbers. Instead, he chose Cal Poly because of the academics and the comfort he felt with the coaching staff. He wanted a first-class education while getting the chance to play DI football. Koski didn't make his decision based on what will give him the best opportunity to play professional football.
But as evidenced by the checklist he made before heading to college, the NFL was the final goal to accomplish.
“I think [playing in the NFL] was always in the back of my mind," Koski said. "I was just never vocal about it. I know some guys get caught up in the hype. I just wanted to be the guy that achieved all of his goals. If it was academics, I’d put my mind to that. And when it was time to play football, I was going to do that as well. I wouldn’t say I was always set on the idea, but I was always working toward it. And right now is a time where I have some people behind me and people supporting me, so I’m ready to pursue it full-steam ahead."
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