Jaden AlfanoStJohn dominated Division III football, setting records at Cortland as both a running back and a wide receiver. Now, he’s preparing for the biggest test of his career, proving to NFL scouts that he belongs at the next level.
A key player in Cortland’s 2023 national championship run, AlfanoStJohn rushed for 1,396 yards and 17 touchdowns, cementing himself as one of the top running backs in Division III. But as the 2024 season approached, he found himself at a crossroads, forced to make a difficult decision about his future.
“Last year I called up Fitz and I was going to transfer elsewhere,” AlfanoStJohn said, referring to former Cortland head coach Curt Fitzpatrick. “Then I found out I couldn’t transfer to Division I without sitting out a year, so I had to stick it out. That’s when I brought up an idea to Fitz.”
That idea came from Dylan Laube, AlfanoStJohn’s former high school teammate, who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2024 NFL Draft. Laube suggested that switching positions could improve AlfanoStJohn’s chances at the professional level.
“My friend from high school told me he played his entire senior year [of college] at receiver just to hone in on his skills,” AlfanoStJohn said. “I brought that up to Fitz, and he said, ‘We’ll try it out.’”
What started as an experiment quickly turned into a game-changing decision for both AlfanoStJohn and the team. Fitzpatrick designed a playbook package for Jaden to get touches at receiver and to properly evaluate his receiving ability. Within weeks, AlfanoStJohn had impressed the coaching staff enough to earn a permanent spot at the Z-receiver position.
With little prior experience at the position, AlfanoStJohn embraced the challenge, training relentlessly throughout the offseason. His work paid off. In 2024, he led Cortland in receiving with 1,012 yards and 13 touchdowns, while still contributing 245 yards on 21 rushing attempts.
Now, with the NFL Draft approaching, AlfanoStJohn is fully committed to proving himself to scouts. He will participate in Pro Days at Buffalo (March 13) and Syracuse (March 17), hoping to showcase his speed and versatility to NFL scouts.
“For the Pro Day, the 40 (yard dash) is my main focus—I’m expecting to run a 4.4, somewhere in that range,” AlfanoStJohn said. “I’ve been doing a whole bunch of receiver work because I don’t know how I’ll be viewed by scouts. But running back is second nature to me at this point.”
His path to the draft follows the blueprint set by former Cortland teammates JJ Lapp and Cole Burgess, who secured NFL opportunities after Cortland’s national championship win. While they had always been receivers, their success proved that talent from a small school could translate to the next level, something that reinforced AlfanoStJohn’s belief in his own potential.
“They paved the way—not that we weren’t good enough, but just showing that small-school guys have a real shot,” AlfanoStJohn said. “It opened my eyes that this dream is actually achievable.”
AlfanoStJohn’s legacy at Cortland is already cemented. He holds program records for career points (366), total touchdowns (61), and rushing touchdowns (45), while ranking second all-time in rushing yards (3,422). But for him, the journey is far from over.
“I’m versatile,” AlfanoStJohn said. “I can play a lot of different positions. I have the size, the speed, and I feel like I run very smooth. I think I’m a very complete football player, but I know I have a long way to go.”
As Jaden AlfanoStJohn continues to train and refine his craft, whether as a receiver or a running back, he’s determined to prove that his future belongs at the next level.