If you didn’t keep a close eye on the American Athletic Conference last fall, you probably missed the most improbable rise in college football. Honestly, most people did. Zah Frazier, a guy who spent the 2023 season playing wide receiver on the UTSA scout team because of academic hurdles and playbook issues, somehow became one of the most statistically dominant cornerbacks in the country just a few months later.
Then the 2025 NFL Draft happened.
The Chicago Bears grabbed the UTSA product with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round. On paper, it looks like a standard "late-round flyer" on a small-school prospect. But look closer. You’ve got a human being who stands almost 6-foot-3, runs a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, and just led his conference with six interceptions. That’s not a "flyer." That’s a lab-grown prototype that the rest of the league might regret letting slide to Day 3.
The Numbers Most People Missed
Zah Frazier wasn't just good at UTSA; he was an absolute headache for offensive coordinators. He allowed a catch rate of just 46.2% on 39 targets. Think about that for a second. More than half the time a quarterback bothered to throw at him, the ball ended up on the ground or in Frazier’s hands.
His efficiency metrics are even weirder:
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- NFL Passer Rating Against: 35.8 (That’s 5th best in the entire FBS).
- Ball Production: 6 interceptions and 15 passes defended in a single season.
- Speed: 4.36 official 40-yard dash at the Combine.
Numbers are great, but the context is better. Frazier is old for a rookie. He turned 24 during his final year at UTSA and will be 25 during his rookie season in Chicago. For some scouts, that’s a red flag. For others, it’s a sign of a guy who has "old man strength" and the mental maturity that comes from a six-year college journey that took him from Southern Illinois to Coffeyville Community College and finally to San Antonio.
Why the Zah Frazier NFL Draft Stock Was So Polarizing
If you ask a draft purist about Frazier, they'll point to his "high-cut" frame. Basically, he’s got long legs and a short torso. In scout-speak, that usually means he struggles to "sink his hips" and turn quickly against smaller, twitchier receivers. If a guy like Tyreek Hill runs a double-move on him, there’s a fear Frazier might look like a giraffe on ice.
But man, the length.
Frazier’s 32 7/8-inch arms are basically cheat codes at the line of scrimmage. He can jam a receiver so hard they’re out of the play before it even starts. The Chicago Bears, led by GM Ryan Poles and defensive coordinator Eric Washington, clearly prioritized that physical ceiling over the "technical refinement" you’d see from a four-year starter at Alabama.
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The "Riq Woolen" Comparison
It’s the elephant in the room. Everyone wants to compare every tall, fast UTSA corner to Riq Woolen. It’s lazy, but it’s also kinda hard to ignore. Woolen was a converted wide receiver; Frazier spent time on the scout team as a receiver. Both are 6-foot-3-ish. Both run like they’re being chased by a predator.
However, Frazier might actually be a more natural "ball-hawking" corner than Woolen was coming out. His six picks in 2024 weren't accidents. He has this weird, innate ability to track the ball over his shoulder like a centerfielder. He doesn't just "defend" passes; he takes them.
Can He Actually Play in the NFL?
The jump from the AAC to the NFL is a canyon.
Frazier is currently on the Chicago Bears' non-football injury (NFI) list as of the late 2025 offseason, which isn't the start fans wanted to see. He missed significant time for "personal reasons," which has kept him behind the 8-ball in terms of learning the scheme. In the NFL, you can’t survive on 4.3 speed alone. You have to know where your safety help is. You have to recognize that a slot receiver’s split means a specific route is coming.
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The Upside: If he gets healthy and focused, he fits perfectly into a Cover 3 or Cover 4 heavy system. He’s a "vision zone" defender. Let him keep his eyes on the quarterback, use his 126-inch broad jump explosiveness to close gaps, and let his wingspan do the rest.
The Downside: He’s still raw. His run defense is, frankly, inconsistent. Sometimes he’s "scrappy," and other times he’s content to watch the pile move past him. If he doesn’t learn to shed blocks from NFL-sized receivers, he’ll be a liability on first and second down.
What to Watch For Next
If you're a Bears fan or a fantasy degenerate looking for a deep IDP sleeper, keep your eyes on the preseason tape. Don't look at the tackles. Look at how he handles the "comeback" route. If he can stop his momentum and drive on the ball without stumbling, the Bears have a starter.
He’s a late bloomer. He’s unconventional. He’s a 25-year-old rookie with the body of an All-Pro and the experience of a freshman. It’s a gamble, but in the fifth round, it’s the kind of gamble that wins divisions.
Actionable Insights for Following Zah Frazier's Career:
- Monitor Roster Status: Check the Bears' weekly injury reports to see when he moves from the NFI list to the active roster. This transition is the first hurdle for his pro career.
- Watch the Preseason Snap Counts: If Frazier is playing deep into the fourth quarter of preseason games, it means the staff is trying to make up for those 600 missing collegiate snaps.
- Focus on Special Teams: Most Day 3 corners have to earn their keep on punt coverage. If Frazier can use his speed to become a "gunner," he’ll stay on the roster long enough for his defensive skills to catch up.
- Study the Scheme: The Bears run a lot of zone looks under their current staff. Look for Frazier specifically in "Cloud" or "Deep Third" responsibilities where his length can actually shrink the windows for opposing QBs.