All Dolphins

Meet 'Prospect X,' the Draft's Deepest Sleeper

SI mystery draft prospect ends up with the Miami Dolphins

Alain Poupart

Sports Illustrated writer Kalyn Kahler unveiled "Prospect X," labeled by SI as the deepest sleeper in the draft.

It turns out "Prospect X" is wide receiver Matt Cole from Division II McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois and he's among the nine undrafted rookie free agents who have agreed to terms with the Miami Dolphins.

Cole is one of two wide receivers who will be joining the Dolphins as rookie free agents, the other being Kirk Merritt from Arkansas State.

The Dolphins have not officially announced any rookie free agent signings, but they have been revealed by each player's agent or alma mater.

In her fascinating story on Cole, Kahler profiled his journey from little-known prospect to his receiving a phone call from Dolphins head coach Brian Flores on the third day of the 2020 NFL draft.

In 2019, Cole was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Special Teams Player of the Year and was an all-conference first-team selection as a wide receiver and a returner.

He caught 43 passes for 939 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a returner, he averaged 27 yards on kickoffs with a 100-yard touchdown and 26 yards on punts with a 74-yard score.

The Dolphins roster currently includes three veterans who entered the NFL as rookie free agents — Allen Hurns, Albert Wilson and 2019 rookie Preston Williams.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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