Becoming a Division I athlete is no easy feat, but that goal becomes significantly more challenging as a short, and often overlooked, prospect. 

For Boston College’s Xavien “Zay” Flowers, that was very well the case, as the 5’10’’ receiver was graded as just a three-star prospect by ESPN and had just nine offers from Power Five schools, with the Eagles, his ultimate choice, being one of them. 

Proving every talent scout that doubted him wrong, Flowers burst onto the collegiate football scene with 892 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore (ESPN.com) and was widely regarded as a top fifteen wideout in the 2022 NFL Draft his junior season.

Flowers chose to finish out his collegiate career by partaking in his senior campaign at Boston College. 

That decision was a phenomenal one.

Flowers’ senior season was one of the best receiving semesters in Eagles’ history and he now holds school records for receiving yards, touchdown receptions and receptions in a career (247sports.com).

As a player, nothing makes Flowers standout more than his electric agility. 

He has absurd straight-line and horizontal speed and is extremely quick with a large toolbox of skill moves that make him an impossible cover. 

Even today, as an arguably first round selection, Flowers still has not heard the praise that he deserves for easily being a top ten, and possibly top five, receiver in all of college football. 

Flowers projects as a very good slot receiver in the NFL that would thrive on a short-throw-based offense, much like that of Matt Canada’s Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Zay Flowers may not have all of the excitement around him like Texas Christian’s Quentin Johnston, for example, but his play in the NFL should confirm that he is the most underrated receiver in football at the moment, and could very well become one of the better slot receivers of the century.