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Ohio State’s Arvell Reese has exploded onto the scene in 2025 as a violent, versatile playmaker who splits his snaps between traditional off-ball linebacker and edge rusher. (Melissa Tamez/AP)
In mid-October, I provided midseason rankings of the top Senior Bowl prospects. Now, with the college football regular season in the books — aside from the annual Army-Navy game — it’s time for an updated pecking order. Below, you’ll find my rundown of the top 10 players, along with 30 other leading candidates.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning and South Carolina signal-caller LaNorris Sellers have the talent to be included here, but it seems like they might join other underclassmen in returning for another college season. Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy is another player to watch, but he has not taken the field this season as he works his way back from an ACL tear.
The 2026 Senior Bowl will be held at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, on Jan. 31, 2026 and broadcast live on NFL Network (2:30 p.m. ET).
NOTES:
* denotes player is an underclassman.
Heights and weights are via school measurements.
Reese bided his time for two years at Ohio State before breaking out in 2025 as a dynamic defender on the Buckeyes’ top-ranked D. A Cleveland native and finalist for the 2022 High School Butkus Award (given to the nation’s top prep linebacker), Reese has ascended to stardom by attacking blockers with power and length. His excellent long speed and short-area quickness allow him to track down and corral ball-carriers from distance. Reese brings bad intentions as a run defender, too, giving him an all-around skill set that’s similar to those of recent first-round draft picks Abdul Carter and Micah Parsons.
Arvell Reese and the rest of Ohio State’s stacked front seven often overshadow the play of Downs, who isn’t required to pace the squad in tackles or pass breakups in order to spearhead the Buckeyes’ defense. He starred at Alabama as a true freshman, then transferred to OSU and was a driving force behind the program’s run to the national championship. He leads with words and actions, attacking the ball in the air, stopping ball-carriers before they can get started in the open field and effectively blitzing when required. He might fall out of the top 10 overall picks because safety is not a premium position, but Downs will be a franchise player in the NFL.