Feb 26, 2026
3 min read
What position does OSU's Arvell Reese see himself playing at the next level?For answers to this question and more, check out Wednesday's What We Learned at the Scout Combine.
INDIANAPOLIS - Wednesday was the first day of press conferences at the 2026 scouting combine, with linebackers and linebackers leading the way to the podium.Here are six things we learned from talking to reporters before the workout at Lucas Oil Stadium.
1) Reese's potential position at OSU. Ohio State's Avir Reese is projected to be a top-5 pick in the 2026 draft. Now we just have to figure out where he stands.
Rees, who split time between linebacker and quarterback at OSU, figures to be able to play anywhere in the league.
"Teams were pretty much asking me what I was going to do, you know, just knowing where my mind was," Reyes said.I think I'm an outside linebacker. Or maybe an advantage.
Reese, 6-foot-4, and 240 pounds, said he still has a lot of room for improvement at both spots, adding that he wants to bulk up a bit.He thinks he's "pretty decent at both positions," but that he's "still starting to dig into what I can do as a pass rusher," saying he's mostly relied on his raw speed and power so far.
Some teams showed Reese tapes of Sam linebacker and edge rusher at combine meetings.Reese said Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia compared him to former Patriots LB Jamie Collins and they saw clips of Collins together.
Reese chooses to practice at the touch, including the 40-yard dash, and do positional work at both positions.He decided not to make a prediction for his 40th time.
"Right now, the plan is to run 40 drills for the fullbacks and wide receivers," he said.
-- Eric Edholm
2) UGA's Allen doesn't work out in Indy.Teams will have to wait a little longer to see athletic test results for one of the top players in the draft.
Georgia's CJ Allen told reporters Wednesday that he will not work out at the combine.
"I'm going to cram everything into my pro day," he said."That's when I'll run and jump and exercise."
The All-American led the Bulldogs with 88 tackles last season. And strong in the first round, analysts Bucky Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah both had Allen 30th overall to the Broncos in their latest mock draft.
--Dan Bar
3) The next Fred Warner?Top LB prospect warming up to comp.Five-star recruit Sonny Stiles came to Ohio State from the suburbs of Columbus.The son of Lorenzo Stiles, an All-Big Ten quarterback for the Buckeyes in the 1990s, Sonny spent his first two years with the program at safety.He took over as a father in the spring of 2024, OSU LBs coach James Laurinaitis predicted.
"When I moved from safety to linebacker, Coach Laurinaitis texted me and said, 'Hey, man, you're going to be a quarterback in the first round,'" Styles said at the Scouting Combine on Wednesday.
A few years later, that assessment appears to be justified, with Styles one of the top prospects in the 2026 draft.Ranked as Daniel Jeremiah's No.5 overall player in the class, Styles is a false pillar.At this point, the question isn't if he'll go to Round 1, but rather how high?Off-ball players rarely crack the top 10 these days, but Styles rarely offers the athleticism and versatility of a 6-5, 243-pound frame, earning a common comparison to the current gold standard at the position, Fred Warner.
"He's a great player, one of the best defenders in the league, so I'm not worried about the competition," Stiles said.
Styles particularly appreciates Warner's football IQ.And he models his game after another brain-stopping great, Luke Kuechly.
"He was so smart that people forgot he was a great player, and that's what I want for myself," Styles said.
Kuechly, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this August, was selected ninth overall in the 2012 draft.Have you heard him calling Steele by name since April?This raw circle is a popular topic of conversation.
- Gennaro Filec
4) Rodriguez feels like a good fit for Bears, Broncos.After a monster final season at Texas Tech, Jacob Rodriguez said he plans to participate in all combined events except the bench press.
Rodriguez, rated the No. 4 linebacker in the draft by analyst Lance Sierlein, told reporters that he has met with every team and that Chicago and Denver seem like two destinations that would fit him well.Both teams could be in the market for LBs this offseason, as the Broncos' Alex Singleton is headed to free agency and Tremaine Edmonds could leave the Bears.
"I had a great conversation with them," Rodriguez said of the Broncos."I thought everything was very, very calm. Their room was set up great. The way they asked questions and what they wanted to know, I think it showed how much trust they had in each other and in the coaching staff. That's why they had a lot of success this year ... Great organization, great coaches, great place.
As for the Bears, Rodriguez said he also met with them at last month's Senior Bowl meeting.
"They're great," he said. "I think a lot of their core pillars as a team with everything I believe in. I've had some really good conversations with them."
Rodriguez finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting last season, leading the Red Raiders with 128 tackles.He became the first FBS player to throw at least seven or more forced fumbles and four or more interceptions since 2005.
-- Dan Parr
5) Bailey as the No. 3 player in Daniel Jeremiah's top 50 prospects;Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey's stock may not be much higher than it is right now, but that won't stop him from participating in these track and field trials in Indianapolis.
Bailey told reporters he will participate in all but the 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drills when he takes the field at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday.
"You should expect to see him do everything else," he said.
After graduating from Stanford in three years, Bailey transferred to TTU for his final collegiate season and took his game to the next level, tying for the FBS lead with 14.5 sacks.Now he has a chance to be one of the first players when the first round begins on April 23. When asked about a potential draft pick on Wednesday, he refused to bite, despite taking it all in stride.
"Top two, top three, top 10, first two rounds, it doesn't matter to me," he said."It's just a great opportunity. Looking back, I don't know if I thought I'd be here. I'm just super blessed."
Bailey said he also faced the Jets and Cardinals, who finished second and third overall, respectively, this year.
-- then Parr
6) Mesidor sees advanced age as a virtue, not a bug.There's a lot to love about Akeem Mesidor, the relentless pass rusher who earned first-team All-ACC honors last season with 12.5 sacks, including 5.5 in Miami's four-game College Playoff run.Like Bucky Brooks' No. 3 defensive edge and Daniel Jeremiah's No. 20 overall pick, Messidor is expected to be a first-round pick.But one potential blow on his selection profile is his advancing age.After playing college football for six years - two at West Virginia, the last four with the Hurricanes - Messidor turned 5 on April 25, making him one of the older players in this draft class.He doesn't see it as negative, though.
"You could call me an experienced rookie," Mesidor said Wednesday in Indianapolis."I think I'm more mature with a different approach, a different way of thinking than a lot of young guys.I think my age might be a plus."
At his point, Mesidor has been credited for growing his game, which combines a physical strength (HEAT: all 63 tackles last season, including 17.5 for a loss) with a deep pocket of running backs (fourth-generation in the FBS with 67 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus).The 6-3, 265-pound native of Ottawa, Canada believes the Long Trip really sharpened his skills, which would make him an NFL running back.
“Everybody has their own path, everybody has their own timeline — I've been in college for six years,” Mesidor said."And I've been able to continue to learn and grow with these amazing people around me who have helped me become the person I am today."
One of them was Jason Taylor, Miami's defensive line coach for the past three seasons.Taylor, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who ranks seventh all-time in sacks (139.5), has been invaluable to Mesidor.
"I'm always in his office, always on site. JT has a couch - I'm always laying on it, we're always talking or watching a movie," Mesidore said. "He's been a huge help and mentor to me throughout the whole process."
An Akron product, Taylor wasn't drafted until the middle of the third round (73rd overall) in 1997. Mesidor appears to be off the board much sooner, within months.But this is also a testament to Taylor's tutelage.
"He was great in the league, a genius," Mesidor said."And he taught me how to be a pro, how to approach the game, how to approach, how to eat, sleep, exercise, all these different things."
- Gennaro Phyllis
