(STATS) - Former James Madison quarterback Vad Lee appears to be the highest-rated FCS player who is not committed to an upcoming NFL minicamp.
He was expected to go undrafted after a broken left foot sabotaged what had been an incredible start to his senior season last fall. But it has been surprising he is not among the dozens of FCS players who signed a free agent contract or accepted a tryout after the three-day draft, when 20 FCS players were selected last week.
It's been a frustrating period for the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Lee, who was on his way to being a draftable player before he broke his foot against Richmond on Oct. 24. James Madison had been off to a 7-0 start in a season highlighted by a win over SMU in which Lee became the first quarterback in Division I history to both pass and rush for more than 275 yards in a game.
Lee was named the CAA Football Offensive Player of the Year despite missing JMU's final three regular-season games and an FCS playoff loss, and he made the STATS FCS All-America third team. He tied JMU's all-time record for touchdowns passes (51) and had 7,292 total yards in only 21 career games.
He believes he polished his passing skills while he rehabilitated his foot, which required plates during surgery. The injury kept him from participating on the all-star game circuit and at the NFL Combine, although he returned for JMU's pro day last month.
He began his college career as an option-style quarterback under coach Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech and was a starter over the 2012 and '13 seasons before transferring into a JMU program which offered more of a pro-style attack.
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