No tight end has more receptions or yards in a college season. Or receptions or yards in a bowl game. Harold Fannin Jr. was a walking record book editor during his 2024 campaign at Bowling Green, leading the entire FBS with 117 receptions and 1,555.
He became the first tight end to lead the FBS in both receptions and receiving yards and became Bowling Green’s first consensus All-American. He racked up a multitude of accolades, ranging from earning First Team All-American honors as both a tight end and receiver
to becoming the first tight end to win an FBS conference’s Player of the Year / MVP award.
The highest-graded collegiate player at any position by Pro Football Focus in 2024, Fannin leveraged his Bowling Green success into an NFL Draft selection. The tight end was selected 67th overall by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2025 draft, staying put in the state of Ohio while still repping brown and orange on gamedays.
It only took one game for Fannin to appear in the record books at the next level. In his NFL debut with the Browns, Fannin secured seven receptions for 63 yards. His seven receptions tied the NFL record for a rookie tight end in Week 1. Interestingly enough, the player he tied also made his NFL debut on Saturday — Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren, who captured seven balls for 76 yards.
Fannin and Warren, who played on opposite sides during a 2024 contest between Bowling Green and Penn State, established somewhat of a rivalry at the collegiate level as the two leading candidates for the John Mackey Award recognizing the country’s best tight end. While Warren won the Mackey Award, Fannin earned consensus All-American honors by receiving more First Team selections. Both showed NFL readiness in their debuts, instantly proving to be among the top offensive rookies in this 2025 class.
Similar to his Bowling Green days, Fannin lined up everywhere in Cleveland. In 55 snaps, he lined up at tight end, fullback, slot receiver, and wide receiver and even rushed for a 3-yard gain out of the wildcat formation. While the Browns fell 17-16 to the Cincinnati Bengals due to kicking woes, Cleveland can be confident in the production of the record-breaking tight end moving forward.
Here are the full all-22 highlights of Fannin’s NFL debut:
