Florida International Panthers NFL Draft Prospects

FIU broke through in Willie Simmons' first season, going 7-6 (5-3 Conference USA) to post the program's first winning record since 2018 and reach its first bowl since 2019. The Panthers closed the regular season on a strong run to earn that bid before falling in the First Responder Bowl, and the momentum was real. The challenge in year two is continuity: heavy roster turnover, most notably at quarterback, means Simmons must lean on a wave of newcomers to keep the arrow pointing up.