BOONE, N.C. — As standouts from App State's 2020 team pursue professional opportunities, whether they come from being picked in this week's NFL Draft or joining a team as a free agent, cornerback
Shemar Jean-Charles has provided a valuable blueprint.
The opening chapter doesn't necessarily define how your story will unfold.
A reserve defensive back during the first half of his college career, Jean-Charles finished it as a first-team All-American and bona fide NFL prospect. Like offensive lineman
Ryan Neuzil, quarterback
Zac Thomas and center-turned-fullback
Noah Hannon, Jean-Charles recently put on a strong showing in front of NFL scouts who attended App State's Pro Day.
NFL.com's list of top 150 draft prospects from respected analyst Daniel Jeremiah, an App State alum, includes Jean-Charles at No. 142.
"The road that I took, you know, I wasn't a four-year starter or anything like that," Jean-Charles said. "I had to make do with the two years starting that I had, and I just tried to do as much as I could while up here to just give myself the opportunity, given that time coming. I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be here and to be able to compete with Zac, Neuzil and Noah. We all basically came in together."
Jean-Charles, Neuzil and Thomas all redshirted as true freshmen in 2016 before being joined a year later by Hannon, who started all 52 games that App State played from 2017-20. The Mountaineers went 42-10 with four bowl wins and three Sun Belt titles in those four seasons.
Jean-Charles performed well as a third cornerback in nickel situations for two years as part of a deep, talented defensive backfield that included starting corners
Tae Hayes, who is in the NFL, and
Clifton Duck, who played in NFL preseason games with the Chicago Bears. Two safeties from that time period also reached the NFL, as A.J. Howard won a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots and
Josh Thomas played last season as a rookie for the Buffalo Bills.
After moving into an elevated role and sharing the field with another standout starter in fellow cornerback
Shaun Jolly, Jean-Charles led the nation with 27 passes defended from 2019-20 and showed his physicality while adding 82 tackles in that stretch. His 16 PBUs and one interception as a senior contributed to the Walter Camp Football Foundation naming him a first-team All-American.
"All of App Nation is really proud of Shemar and the way he handles himself," App State head coach
Shawn Clark said. "He was only a two-year starter who played behind some very talented corners, and the thing that sticks out to me is how he handles his business, the way he prepares for the game. He's a student of the game who was always in the coaches' offices wanting the schemes to study.
"He has a lot of fast twitch, and to me, he has the 'it' factor. You put on his tape his senior season, we had him in man coverage most of the season, and he was very well-prepared for it."
There are 32 selections in each of the NFL Draft's seven rounds, with Round 1 scheduled for Thursday night, Rounds 2-3 occurring Friday and Rounds 4-7 happening Saturday.
Jean-Charles, Neuzil and Thomas all participated in the virtual NFLPA "U" experience as invitees to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Jean-Charles and Thomas also played in the FBS All Americans Tropical Bowl.
Neuzil, who is capable of playing any of the three interior line positions, started the final 44 games of his college career at left guard after competing with Hannon for the starting center spot in the 2017 preseason. Elite-level athletic testing numbers for an interior lineman pair with a powerful frame, as Neuzil played at 287 pounds as a senior but weighed in at 301 during his impressive Pro Day, where he also snapped for NFL scouts.
"It's just being able to show off my versatility and playing interior line instead of having a specific position," Neuzil said.
CBSSports.com ranks Thomas as the 16th-best quarterback available (or No. 3 among FBS QBs who played in a Group of Five conference).
He went 32-6 as an App State starter, a win total that ranked behind only Clemson's Trevor Lawrence for career victories among FBS quarterbacks playing in 2020. Thomas finished No. 3 in school history with 69 career TD passes, No. 4 with 6,979 passing yards, No. 5 in TD responsibility (88 passing/running, plus one receiving) and No. 5 in total offense with 8,281 yards.
"At the end of the day, we've all got one goal, and my goal was playing in the NFL since I was a little kid," Thomas said. "And I'm trying to fulfill that dream now."
