It feels fitting that this year’s clash of Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan occurs on Thanksgiving weekend, as The Game offers a virtual feast of prospects for NFL scouts.
The blue blood programs annually offer some of the best talent available in the NFL Draft, but this year is especially loaded with two legitimate candidates to be selected in the top five, including the current favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, each of the prospects listed below could be among the first 100 picks next April.
But before we break down the top prospects between the two schools, a disclaimer: Some of the most recognizable names on both rosters are not included on this list. Ohio State sophomores Jeremiah Smith (wide receiver) and Julian Sayin (quarterback) already project as future first-round picks, but they aren’t eligible until the 2027 draft. Michigan running back Justice Haynes, meanwhile, is eligible for the upcoming draft but will be sidelined Saturday after undergoing surgery for a foot injury.
With that, we’ve ranked the 10 best 2026 prospects playing in this year’s Ohio State-Michigan showdown.
Ohio State again has more talent than Michigan, but that hasn’t been the deciding factor in their rivalry games in recent seasons. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
10. Rayshaun Benny, Michigan, DT, 6-4, 305, SR, #26
A holdover from the Jim Harbaugh era, Benny had to wait his turn to become a starter for the Wolverines, but he’s been a contributor since the beginning of his college career back in 2021 and has never lost to the Buckeyes. Saturday’s game will be the 53rd of his college career. He isn’t the flashy pass-rusher who will generate eye-popping statistics, but he’s powerful and dependable with impressive upper body strength and ballast as a two-gapping run-stuffer. He’s the kind of blue-collar player who might not get drafted until Day 3 but ends up playing a decade in the NFL.
9. Max Klare, TE, Ohio State, TE, 6-5, 243, JR, #86
The Buckeyes boast plenty of homegrown talent, but Klare is a victory from the transfer portal, signing with Ohio State after leading Purdue with 51 receptions in 2024. He ranks third on the Buckeyes in receptions this season behind only star wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate and could play a critical role against Michigan, with his fellow pass-catchers nursing injuries.
In a relatively thin class of tight ends, Klare’s combination of size, speed and body control will be sure to intrigue NFL teams. He accelerates fluidly for a big man and has generally reliable hands, though he sometimes allows the ball into his pads, rather than plucking it away from his frame. A splashy showing against Michigan could help Klare earn a mid-round selection in next spring’s draft.
With the Buckeyes’ top wide receivers ailing, will tight end Max Klare have a big game in The Game? (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
8. Caden Curry, Ohio State, Edge, 6-3, 260, SR, #92
Whereas the first two players listed in this article are relative specialists, Curry’s value lies in his versatility. Whether it be off the edge, on the nose or on special teams, Curry is an instinctive, passionate and productive player who ranks among the favorites for many scouts traveling through Columbus. His playing time has taken a leap this season, with JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer now in the NFL, and his production has taken a bigger one.
A year after registering 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, Curry leads the Big Ten with 13.5 stops behind the line, including a team-high nine QB takedowns. He is compactly-built and offers both explosive power and quickness off the snap. While seemingly lacking elite twitch and flexibility to wrap the corner as a true speed threat, he can challenge tackles with his burst and counters nicely, showing refined hand fighting and desire to consistently beat the man in front of him. Curry entered the season on scouts’ radars, but he’s firmly in the Day 2 conversation given his play thus far.
7. Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State, CB, 6-2, 195, SR, #1
Whereas the aforementioned Curry is a favorite among scouts, the long-levered Igbinosun might be Ohio State’s most polarizing prospect. On the one hand, his allowed catch rate is one of the nation’s best. According to PFF, he’s forced 11 incompletions on the season and has allowed only 15 receptions, including zero touchdowns. At the same time, he’s pretty grabby with the ball in flight. And while he’s only been flagged three times in 2025, NFL referees might not be as willing to look past his eagerness to play the ball.
A former freshman All-American at Ole Miss who has since earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades each of the past two years at Ohio State, Igbinosun has the traits and starting experience to warrant a top-50 selection. But he lacks the ball-hawking skills teams covet in a first-round pick, turning just two of his 27 career passes defensed into interceptions so far.
6. Sonny Styles, Ohio State, LB, 6-5, 243, SR, #0
Another polarizing prospect for the Buckeyes is Styles, a former safety-turned-linebacker whose greatest attribute – his versatility – is also a concern to NFL evaluators who are split on where he fits best in the pro game. Positional versatility is just one Styles’ many strengths. He is a four-year contributor at Ohio State who is still just 21 years old and has been recognized for his academics and charity work throughout his college career. He finished second on the Buckeyes in tackles during last year’s national title run and currently paces the squad with 62 stops this year.
Styles is a remarkably fluid athlete and one who will almost surely stand out during Combine workouts. He is a classic moveable chess piece who is as likely to be lining up as a traditional inside linebacker as he is rushing the passer or covering pass-catchers, including lining up at nickel cornerback. Styles promises to be one of the most fascinating evaluations for NFL teams in this draft class, with an upside on and off the field that warrants top-20 consideration. Critics could counter, however, that the similarly-talented Isaiah Simmons — whom the Arizona Cardinals selected No. 8 overall back in 2020 but is no longer in the NFL — is evidence that a jack-of-all-trades prospect doesn’t always produce in the NFL.
5. Derrick Moore, Michigan, Edge, 6-3, 260, SR, #8
One thing NFL teams will always value is pass rushers, and Moore ranks as one of the best in this class. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with violence and variety, showing the ability to beat would-be blockers with speed, agility, power and technique. Voted a team captain by his peers at the start of the season, Moore has taken his game to another level in 2025. He enters Saturday’s clash with a career-high 9.5 sacks — more than twice as many as the next-best Michigan defender.
Moore isn’t a true speed demon off the edge, but he anticipates the snap count nicely and possesses burst and bend to wrap the corner. He complements his athleticism with strong, active hands and good core flexibility to slither through traffic. Best of all, he finishes with authority, often delivering knockdown hits. I see Moore as a second-round talent but the value of his position and this year’s relatively lean draft class could push him into Day 1.
The 2026 draft isn’t the deepest, which could push Derrick Moore into the first round. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
4. Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, DT, 6-3, 326, JR, #98
McDonald has proven to be one of Ohio State’s biggest breakout stars of the 2025 season. He played a key role in Ohio State’s national championship run a season ago, generating 19 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss as a defensive tackle and even served as a fullback in the Cotton Bowl a year earlier. But this season the big man has exploded, generating 47 stops already, including eight tackles for loss and three sacks, as well as the first two forced fumbles of his career.
As his bulk implies, McDonald is powerful at the point of attack, but he’s much more athletic than one might think, showing impressive initial quickness and lateral agility. His matchup with Michigan center Greg Crippen (who just missed the cut for this article) is one of the more underrated positional battles of this year’s rivalry. A splashy performance from McDonald could ruin any chance at Michigan running the ball effectively and might seal up a first-round grade, as well.
3. Carnell Tate, Ohio State, WR, 6-3, 195, JR, #17
Tate has been sidelined for nearly a month, missing the past three games with an undisclosed injury, and both he and Jeremiah Smith are officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. The absence of either (and certainly both) would be a huge blow to the top-ranked Buckeyes’ passing attack, putting much more pressure on Julian Sayin to distribute the ball elsewhere, rather than lean on his two future first-round wideouts.
Prior to the injury, Tate was climbing draft boards across the league, demonstrating remarkable body control and sticky hands to make contested grabs look routine. He has feasted off the attention paid to Smith, emerging as one of the best big-play wideouts in the country, averaging a Big Ten-leading 18.2 yards per reception and scoring seven touchdowns in just eight games. Next spring, he’ll be the sixth receiver from Ohio State to hear his name called in the first round since 2022, joining Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave.
Carnell Tate figures to be the next Buckeyes receiver to go in the first round, which would make him the sixth since 2022 alone. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
2. Caleb Downs, Ohio State, S, 6-0, 205, JR, #2
As the most celebrated draft-eligible player on either roster, Downs needs almost no introduction to even the most casual college and pro football fan. He was an immediate star at Alabama as a true freshman, becoming the first one to ever lead the Crimson Tide in tackles. He earned All-American accolades last year for Ohio State and won the Big Ten’s Defensive Back of the Year award. Such honors were the product of being at his best in the biggest moments, including returning a punt for a touchdown against then-unbeaten Indiana and recording interceptions against Michigan and Texas (the latter in a CFP semifinal victory).
His statistics this year aren’t eye-popping (49 tackles with five for loss and two sacks, as well as two interceptions), but that is partially because opponents are wisely choosing to game plan for him. Downs has been a dominant player, nonetheless, tilting the field with his instincts, closing speed and ball-skills. Pound for pound, he is the best player in this draft class, though with the NFL increasingly regulating physicality against receivers over the middle, Downs’ value could drop slightly on draft day. Still, he’s a future All-Pro who shouldn’t be available outside the top five.
1. Arvell Reese, Ohio State, LB/Edge, 6-4, 243, JR, #8
With all due respect to the aforementioned Downs, it is Reese who is generating the most excitement in the scouting community. His ability to dominate as both an off-ball linebacker and edge rusher is earning him comparisons to Micah Parsons, making Reese a legitimate candidate to leapfrog Downs and the rest of this year’s draft class to be the No. 1 overall selection should he declare early.
It is a dizzying ascent for a player who didn’t even become a full-time starter until midway through the 2024 season and entered this year with a total of 43 tackles (all in 2024). This year, Reese has already generated 59 stops, as well as 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He possesses elite athletic traits, including eye-popping straight-line speed, core flexibility and a sculpted, power-packed frame.
His coaches and the scouts traveling through Columbus rave about his football character, as well. The NFL Draft is about projecting upside, and no one in this class offers more of that than Reese. With just one win so far this season, the Tennessee Titans are the current favorites to “earn” the No. 1 overall pick next spring. And they would seemingly love the opportunity to pair All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons with an ascending superstar like Reese.
Rob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 25 years. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on X @RobRang.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.