George Karlaftis is relatively new at playing football. After just 3 seasons at Purdue, however, he’s a potential first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Karlaftis first played football in 8th grade, when he was family moved from Greece to West Lafayette, Indiana. To become a 4-star recruit and a potential first-round NFL Draft pick in just a few short years shows that Karlaftis is a phenomenal talent with the potential to improve his game even further.

Karlaftis did not need a redshirt or an extra year of college with his NCAA COVID-19 waiver. In fact, he decided to forego eligibility after a true junior season. It was a memorable third season with the Boilermakers for Karlaftis.

Karlaftis helped Purdue go 8-4 in the 2021 regular season, beating No. 2 Iowa and No. 3 Michigan State en route to earning a Music City Bowl berth. Karlaftis finished the 2021 season with 41 total tackles, including 11.5 for loss and 5 sacks. He also forced 3 fumbles and made 2 fumble recoveries.

Karlaftis was named Associated Press third-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten in 2021. Before he lands with an NFL team, let’s look back on his highlight plays from 2021: