Welcome to the 2020 FCS Jersey Countdown.
Throughout the May-September months, HERO Sports is going to name the best returning FCS player by jersey number, 99-1. Due to rosters being updated at different times for teams across the country and to keep things consistent, jersey numbers are based on the 2019 season.
*Note: Jersey numbers are based on 2019 rosters.
9: Robert Rochell, DB (Sr.) — Central Arkansas
Rochell blew up this offseason and is getting a ton of NFL Draft love. The cornerback had a tremendous junior year last season where he earned First Team All-Conference honors and multiple All-American honors. Rochell picked off five passes and totaled 13 pass breakups.
And when scouts saw how terrific of an athlete he is, he went from a sleeper pick to a legit Top 100 draft prospect.
Rochell made Bruce Feldman’s 2020 college football Freaks List. In the article, Feldman writes “Get to know this dude. He’s a former track stud from Louisiana who has really blossomed at Central Arkansas. NFL scouts are really intrigued by him. He’s a shade under 6-1 (6-0 7/8) and weighs 197 pounds. His coach Nathan Brown says he’s broad jumped 11-8 (!!) and has vertical jumped 41 inches. His 40 time is 4.38, and his short shuttle is 3.98. His 60-yard shuttle time is 10.98. Those are all big-time numbers.”
Rochell is already looked at as the sixth-best cornerback in the 2021 NFL Draft and a Day 2 draft pick by Draft Scout.
If he can put up those kinds of testing numbers at the NFL Combine, along with having a solid senior season this fall against three FBS opponents and an Oct. 3 game against NDSU where every NFL team will be watching, we could see Rochell move into the first round.
