Big Cat Country
Zach Durfee may have arrived in Jacksonville as a seventh-round pick, but his path to the NFL is anything but ordinary. From walking away from football to becoming an anonymous ESPN sensation, here are five things you probably didn’t know about one of the Jaguars‘ most intriguing developmental prospects.
Long before NFL scouts were discussing Zach Durfee’s pass-rushing potential, many believed his future lay on the basketball court. Growing up in the tiny town of Tyler, Minnesota, Durfee excelled in multiple sports, but basketball was arguably where he shone brightest. Standing well over six feet tall with impressive athleticism, he averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game during his senior season, earning all-state recognition and attracting genuine collegiate interest.
Football, meanwhile, was almost a side project. He played quarterback, receiver and defensive end for Dawson-Boyd High School, but unlike many future NFL players, he wasn’t immersed in elite camps or travelling across the country for recruiting showcases. Instead, he developed as a well-rounded athlete in a rural community where playing multiple sports was the norm rather than the exception.
That background may have helped shape the player Jacksonville eventually drafted. Basketball develops footwork, balance and lateral quickness—traits that translate remarkably well to rushing the passer. Watch Durfee explode off the edge or change direction in pursuit, and it’s easy to spot the influence of years spent defending guards and attacking the basket.
It’s a reminder that some NFL careers don’t begin with endless football training. Sometimes they start in a small-town gymnasium, chasing rebounds rather than quarterbacks.
Durfee’s journey to the NFL is unusual because, for a while, it looked like there wouldn’t be one at all.
After graduating from high school, he enrolled at North Dakota State—a powerhouse of FCS football that has produced stars including Carson Wentz and Christian Watson. Yet Durfee wasn’t part of that programme. Instead, he attended as a regular student and stepped away from competitive football altogether.
Many players lose interest during that period and never return. Durfee did the opposite.
Eventually transferring to the University of Sioux Falls, he committed himself fully to football and, crucially, to learning defensive end. Unlike many NFL edge rushers who have spent a decade refining pass-rush moves, Durfee was still discovering the nuances of the position well into his college career. Every season became an opportunity to learn hand placement, leverage, counter moves and the technical details that elite prospects often master years earlier.
That makes his rise even more remarkable. Rather than benefiting from years of specialist coaching, he compressed his development into a relatively short period before attracting NFL attention.
It’s one of the reasons scouts remain intrigued by his long-term upside. Jacksonville aren’t simply drafting the player Durfee is today—they’re betting on what he could become after receiving full-time professional coaching.
Momentum and misfortune seemed to arrive hand in hand throughout Durfee’s college career.
After bursting onto the...
