North Carolina has long been a hotbed for NFL football talent, but not every future pro comes out of the FBS pipeline.
Several players who sharpened their skills at North Carolina high schools, then played their college ball at Division II or FCS programs in the Old North State, are making an impact on NFL rosters. In this week’s Big Four Spotlight, we headline four of them:
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Kameron Johnson – WR/KR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
From Rocky Mount’s Northern Nash High School to Barton College, Johnson always played with speed and flair. At Barton, he piled up 151 receptions for 2,316 yards and 19 touchdowns between 2020-23. Despite coming from Division II, he fought his way onto Tampa Bay’s 52-man roster in summer 2024 as an undrafted free agent.
Johnson played in five games as a rookie, mostly on special teams, but his breakout came in the 2025 season opener. His 54-yard punt return against Atlanta on Sunday sparked a go-ahead touchdown drive, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. It was the Bucs’ longest punt return since 2015 and a reminder of why the team loves his speed and route running.
Johnson is still chasing his first NFL reception but has already become a difference-maker in the return game.
Ethan Evans – P, Los Angeles Rams
Mount Airy native Ethan Evans made his name booming punts at 2A North Surry High before heading to Wingate. Over four years at the D2 school, he averaged 43.2 yards per punt with a career long of 72 yards and handled kickoffs and field goals, He earned an array on honors, including D2 All-American.
His versatility and leg strength (he’s known to have squatted 600 pounds in the weight room) turned heads, and the Rams took him in the seventh round of the 2023 draft – a rarity to see a kicker taken at all during the three-day draft process.
Evans rewarded that faith with a strong rookie year, averaging over 49 yards per punt. He added another 46.0 average in 2024 and even picked up an NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award along the way. At 6-3, 250 pounds, Evans is as physical as he is technical — and he’s already one of the NFL’s most intriguing young punters, booming five punts for a 44-yard average in the 2025 opener.
Brandon Codrington – KR/CB, Buffalo Bills
Raleigh’s Broughton High has produced plenty of stellar athletes through the decades, but few with the all-around impact of Brandon Codrington.
He walked on at North Carolina Central in 2019 because of numerous family ties at the school and made an immediate splash with a game-winning kick return TD against Delaware State as a freshman. He eventually became an All-American return man. By the end of his college career, he had three punt return TDs, one kickoff return TD and nearly 100 tackles on defense.
Undrafted in 2024, Codrington caught on with the Jets before being traded to Buffalo last August. His rookie season included 619 return yards and a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team.
In Week 1 of 2025, he was electric again, tallying 139 kick return yards in Buffalo’s comeback win over Kansas City – third-best in the league. At just 5-9, 195 pounds, Codrington plays bigger than his size and looks like a long-term weapon for the Bills’ special teams as they pursue ending their Super Bowl drought.
Joshua Williams – DB, Kansas City Chiefs
Speaking of Super Bowls, Fayetteville’s Joshua Williams knows plenty about that. Drafted by the Chiefs in 2022, the former Jack Britt High football and track star has known nothing but Super Bowls since joining the league. The Chiefs won rings in 2022 and 2023 and lost to the Eagles in the Super Bowl in 2024.
A Williams’ interception against Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow in the 2023 AFC Championship game with the score tied 20-20 helped turn the tide late.
Fayetteville State fans knew him as a shutdown corner, where he notched 24 pass breakups and three interceptions in his final two seasons. NFL scouts saw enough to invite him to the Senior Bowl, one of the few D2 players in attendance.
He has 91 career tackles, a sack and an interception, plus 19 postseason tackles across 10 NFL playoff games. At 6-3 with long arms and fluid movement, Williams continues to prove that “small-school” doesn’t mean small-time when it comes to NFL success.
More NC “Small School” Products in the NFL
More than 100 players with ties to North Carolina college programs began the 2025 season on NFL rosters, either active or practice squad, according to The North Carolina Sports Network. Here are players who started their college careers at non-FBS programs in North Carolina, including four profiled above:
- NC Central (FCS): Brandon Codrington (Bills), Ricky Lee III (Jaguars, Practice Squad), Nick Leverett (Cardinals, Practice Squad), Torricelli Simpkins III (Saints)
- Campbell (FCS): Julian Hill (Dolphins), Tyler McLellan (Buccaneers, Practice Squad)
- Elon (FCS): Chandler Brayboy (Jaguars, Practice Squad), Olisaemeka Udoh (Titans)
- Fayetteville State (D2): Kion Smith (Dolphins), Josh Williams (Chiefs)
- Lenoir-Rhyne (D2): Kyle Dugger (Patriots), Dareke Young (Seahawks)
- North Carolina A&T (FCS): Ricky Lee III (Jaguars, Practice Squad), Bhayshul Tuten (Jaguars)
- Barton (D2): Kameron Johnson (Buccaneers)
- Wingate (D2): Ethan Evans (Rams)
👉 Read more Big Four Spotlight stories »
🏈 The next North Carolina college and NFL stars are playing high school football across the Old North State this season. Check out the latest schedules and high school scores from the 2025 season.
