JETS COUNTRY PROSPECT SERIES: Two Local Small-School Products Would Fit Well in Green & White
In terms of driving distance, New York Jets' headquarters lie only 43 miles from Princeton and 34 miles from Wagner.
The two NCAA Football Championship Subdivision members aren't exactly NFL factories, but both programs have occasionally sent alumni to the league where they play for pay.
This year, it could happen again.
Princeton wide receiver Andrei Iosivas and Wagner edge rusher Titus Leo are proven producers who possess NFL measurables.
Jets' scouts did not have to travel far to watch Iosivas and Leo up close this past fall and all 32 NFL teams had the opportunity to evaluate the two men at major all-star games in February.
Iosivas attended the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile while Leo showcased his ability at the East West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas. The former also received an invitation to the NFL Combine.
Princeton WR Andrei Iosivas catches a pass during NFL Combine drills
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Prior to entering the NFL Draft cycle, Iosivas and Leo stacked up plenty of accomplishments while competing at the DI FCS level.
Iosivas served as a Princeton team captain while leading the Ivy League in three key receiving statistical categories this past fall. The unanimous All-Ivy League First Team selection totaled 66 receptions for 943 yards and seven touchdowns over a 10-game regular season schedule in 2022.
“Always coming from a small school, you have that chip on your shoulder,” said Iosivas. “We’re [Princeton] an FCS program, but we don’t even get to go to the playoffs. We don’t even get to go against the best of the best in the FCS, so just from that point of view, I felt like I had so much to prove.”
The 6-foot-2 Iosivas, who posed a severe physical mismatch for FCS secondaries, made multiple catches in every game for a Princeton Tigers team that finished the 2022 campaign with an 8-2 record.
The Hawaiian-born Iosivas also enjoyed a decorated career as an Heptathlete at Princeton. He qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships as a junior, finishing fourth in all of Division I.
“I’m just a guy who’s good at track, but I’m a football player at heart,” said Iosivas during a guest appearance on NFL Network.
Leo, who hails from Sheepshead Bay, NY, initially arrived at Wagner as a wiry wide receiver/linebacker. He saw snaps on both sides of the ball during an injury-abbreviated freshman season (2018) before becoming a full-time outside linebacker one year later.
After noticeably bulking up, the 245-pounder went on to win three straight all-conference selections beginning in Spring 2021. Over his last 24 college games, Leo totaled 36.5 tackles-for-loss.
“He plays with a lot of energy, at a fast speed with great effort. That’s what he’s always done,” said Wagner head coach Tom Masella.
Leo, a hybrid pass-rusher who moved from linebacker to defensive end midway through his collegiate career, frequently overpowered and out-quicked his FCS competition.
Unjustly snubbed by the NFL Combine, Leo made the most of his time in Las Vegas at the Shrine Bowl. Leo impressed scouts during his practice reps, showing a high motor while winning on-field battles against Power 5 conference prospects.
The New York City product grabbed the attention of College Football Network executive director Cam Mellor.
“Another great showing from Wagner DE Titus Leo! Put himself even MORE on the map after a great three days of practice so far at the Shrine Bowl,” said Mellor in a tweet.
On gameday in Las Vegas, Leo made the opposing quarterback uncomfortable on a couple of occasions while officially logging 0.5 sack and one QB hit. Lined up over the left tackle for a second-down play across mid-field in his team’s territory, the physical edge rusher collapsed the pocket around the passer and recorded a half-sack on the East Team’s first possession of the second half.
The 6-foot-3 Leo proceeded to post noteworthy Pro Day numbers. He ran 4.68s in the 40-yard dash while recording a 10-foot-9 broad jump and 34-inch vertical. Leo's Relative Athletic Score (RAS) was on the high side of the 0-10 rating scale at 8.98.
AT WORK: Titus Leo and Andrei Iosivas
Meanwhile, Iosivas, who made an impression on Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy during his time in Mobile, performed magnificently at the 2023 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He clocked the second-fastest times of all receiver participants in both the three-cone drill (6.85) and 20-yard shuttle (4.12), finishing behind only Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Iosivas ranked 10th out of 40 wide receiver prospects with a 39-inch vertical jump and his 4.43 40-yard dash placed him amongst the top-third of Combine participants at his position.
When it comes to RAS, Iosivas has built an historic pre-draft profile. The dual-sport star registered a 9.96 (out of 10) score on the athletic test developed by Kent Lee Platte, who noted that the Princeton product ranked 14th overall out of 3,020 WR prospects since 1987.
“You look at the Combine, I caught everything. I think I have probably some of the best ball-tracking skills in this draft class,” said Iosivas during an on-air interview with NFL Network personalities Andrew Siciliano and Marc Ross. “If you look at my three-cone, my shuttle, all that kind of stuff, I think that speaks for itself as well.”
They aren’t highly-touted prospects from the top tier of Division I Football, but Iosivas and Leo rightfully occupy spots on team draft boards across the NFL.
For this Princeton wide receiver and Wagner edge rusher, their resumes speak for themselves.
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