Panthers invite Indiana State standout Rashad Rochelle after record 2025 season
Rashad Rochelle heads to Panthers minicamp after ranking among the FCS leaders in all-purpose yards, kick returns and receiving scores.
Rashad Rochelle earned his way into Carolina’s rookie minicamp because he gives the Panthers something every NFL staff wants: a receiver who can also change a game on special teams. Indiana State’s all-purpose threat accepted the invitation on April 27, and with rookie minicamp set to begin May 8 in Charlotte, he gets a live audition in front of a team that is bringing 42 players into the weekend mix.
Rochelle backed the invite with a 2025 season that made him one of the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s most dangerous multipliers. He was a three-time All-American honoree, landing FCS Football Central Third Team, Associated Press honorable mention and Phil Steele FCS Fourth Team recognition. The numbers match the awards. Rochelle finished ninth in the FCS in all-purpose yards per game at 132.45, 19th in combined kick return yards with 590, 10th in kickoff return average at 28.1, 17th in receiving touchdowns with nine and 13th in yards per catch at 19.61.
Indiana State leaned on him everywhere. Rochelle led the Sycamores with 44 catches for 863 yards, averaged 78.45 receiving yards per game and finished second in program single-season history in receiving yards. He also put together four 100-yard games in his final five contests, which is the kind of late-season surge that forces NFL evaluators to pay attention. His biggest outburst came against Youngstown State, when he hauled in six passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns, the Valley’s only 200-yard receiving game of the year.
Rochelle’s most complete performance may have been the 24-12 upset of No. 4/5 South Dakota State, when he scored three times and ripped off a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown. That game helped him earn Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors, and it underscored why his profile travels beyond one position. He was also listed by Indiana State as a first-team all-purpose player, a second-team wide receiver and an honorable mention return specialist.
That versatility is what gives Rochelle a real path in Carolina. The Panthers’ rookie minicamp roster includes eight draft picks, 19 undrafted free agents and 14 tryout players, which means every rep will matter. Rochelle is not walking in as a camp body. He arrives with national honors, explosive production and a return-game résumé that gives him a chance to stick in a league that keeps rewarding players who can do more than one job.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
