2026 NFL Draft: Sun Belt prospects to watch
Combine invite WR Ted Hurst leads the 2026 Sun Belt prospects at the NFL Draft.
Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia State Panthers wide receiver Ted Hurst (16) runs after a catch against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images It’s NFL Draft day. 257 players will watch their NFL dreams come to fruition from Thursday night through Saturday evening in Pittsburgh, PA, forever remembering the moment their name is called on stage.
How many of those 257 will hail from the Sun Belt Conference? In 2025, the answer was one — the league’s smallest output since 2019. In comparison, the Sun Belt generated nine NFL Draft selections two years prior in 2023.
However, in 2025, there were five additional selections that transferred from Sun Belt schools to other programs. Although developed in the Sun Belt, it’s a player’s final destination which always receives the credit. Of the 319 prospects invited to the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, only one was from the Sun Belt.
However, Combine snubs are always drafted, so there are several additional Sun Belt players to keep an eye on this draft weekend. Here’s a look at the league’s top prospects: Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State 6’4”, 206 pounds NFL Combine measurements: 4. 42-second 40-yard dash; 36.
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