2026 NFL Combine: Carson Beck, Haynes King among college football stars not to be overlooked
Despite draft projections, these proven players arrive at the NFL Combine with numbers that can't be ignored
The 2026 NFL Combine has a way of narrowing the conversation. By the time prospects arrive in Indianapolis, the focus tends to settle on the same handful of names at the top of big boards. But every year, some players walk into Lucas Oil Stadium with résumés that deserve more attention than they've received.
This list is about those guys.
None of the players below appear in CBS Sports' top 200 NFL Draft prospect rankings. What they do have, though, is production -- real, sustained college production. We're talking about quarterbacks who piled up 10,000-plus passing yards, backs with thousands of all-purpose yards, receivers with nearly 300 catches, defenders who lived in the backfield or around the football, but aren't viewed as early-round talents for the 2026 NFL Draft.
The combine won't necessarily erase questions about ceilings, athletic limitations or draft projections. But it does provide a stage. And for players who were really productive in college yet aren't really in the national prospect conversation, this week can shift perception.
Here's a look at 10 college football standouts whose production shouldn't be overlooked at the combine this week.
Carson Beck, QB, Miami
Although he returned to college for a sixth and final season, Carson Beck didn't improve his draft stock all that much, even while guiding Miami to the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The inconsistencies that followed him earlier in his career never fully disappeared, and evaluators will still debate his ceiling. His 11,725 passing yards and 88 touchdown throws both rank among the top 10 in the FBS since 2020, and his 2.8 touchdown-to-interception ratio is better than four of the five quarterbacks listed in CBS Sports' 2026 NFL Draft prospects rankings. He is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in this draft class with 43 career starts between Georgia and Miami. In the right system, with continued refinement and steady development, Beck has shown he can operate efficiently and win games.
Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech
Not only does Haynes King rank in the top five in Georgia Tech history with 7,923 career passing yards and 55 touchdown passes, but he also ranks third on the program's all-time list with 36 rushing touchdowns, underscoring his impact as one of the more productive dual-threat quarterbacks in the FBS over the past few years. King is one of just four Power Four quarterbacks since 2016 to average at least 245 passing yards and 75 rushing yards per game in a season, joining Jayden Daniels (LSU), Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and Lamar Jackson (Louisville, twice), according to TruMedia. Durability questions and streaky stretches have followed him at times, but the overall production and athletic profile should give him a real chance to turn heads during the pre-draft process.
Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt
Hard to forget about Diego Pavia, right? The Heisman Trophy runner-up from Vanderbilt is likely a Day 3 selection, which arguably puts more pressure on him than almost any other quarterback in this class to make a statement in Indianapolis. The biggest question remains his size after measuring in at 5-foot-9 7/8 at the Senior Bowl in January, and that reality isn't going away. Despite the skepticism, the production speaks loudly. Pavia is one of only five FBS quarterbacks since 2016 to throw for at least 10,000 career yards with 80 passing touchdowns and 30 rushing scores, joining Jayden Daniels (LSU), Sam Ehlinger (Texas), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) and Bo Nix (Oregon), according to TruMedia.
Roman Hemby, RB, Indiana
This is a deep, talented running back class for the 2026 NFL Draft, with the duos from Notre Dame and Penn State drawing most of the early buzz. But Indiana standout Roman Hemby continues to fly under the radar despite sustained, high-level production. After four productive seasons at Maryland, Hemby transferred to Indiana and helped power a national championship run, proving he could thrive in a new system. He's the only back in this draft class with at least 3,000 career rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards. Among this group, only Nicholas Singleton (Penn State) has more career all-purpose yards than Hemby's 4,851.
CJ Daniels, WR, Miami
CJ Daniels' six-year college journey took him from Liberty to LSU and finally Miami, and he left a mark at every stop. He posted four separate seasons with at least 400 receiving yards, including a 1,000-yard campaign in 2023 at Liberty before stepping into Power Four competition. Daniels has a natural feel for creating catch opportunities and savvy positioning to win contested balls. While his run-after-catch game and top-end speed are average, his route technique, hands and timing will be on full display at the combine.
Caullin Lacy, WR, Louisville
Only four players have finished with more receptions over the past six seasons than Caullin Lacy, who caught 287 passes despite playing in only five games in 2024 due to injury. His value isn't limited to that -- Lacy has been a difference-maker on special teams, totaling 1,767 return yards and four touchdowns in his career. While his route-running and ball skills have room to improve, his versatility makes him a player NFL teams will want to test at the combine.
Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston
Tanner Koziol has 54 more career receptions than the next closest tight end since 2016, according to TruMedia. Between his three seasons at Ball State and his last at Houston in 2025, Koziol totaled 2,234 yards receiving and 24 touchdowns on 237 catches. The production speaks for itself, but Koziol will need to show more athleticism at the combine to convince teams he can be more than a situational, catch-only tight end.
Aidan Hubbard, DL, Northwestern
Only four FBS players totaled more sacks over the past three seasons than Aidan Hubbard. A consistent disruptive presence for Northwestern, he piled up 20.5 sacks to go with 105 total tackles and 26.5 for loss, finishing fifth on the program's all-time sacks list. The four players with more sacks than Hubbard since 2023 have either already been drafted or are expected to hear their names called this April. Hubbard's athleticism shows up on tape, but the combine will be key for him to prove he has the strength and burst to hold up as a full-time edge option at the next level.
Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana
Aiden Fisher was just three tackles shy of the century mark in each of his last three seasons. The former James Madison transfer followed Curt Cignetti to Indiana, became a national champion and a first-team All-American, and turned into the steady heartbeat of the Hoosiers' defense. Only Red Murdock (Buffalo) has more total tackles over the past three seasons than Fisher, who piled up 322. He has strong instincts and command of the defense, but the combine will be important for him to address questions about his range and overall athletic ceiling.
Jalen Huskey, DB, Maryland
It's hard to stack interception seasons in college. Once a defensive back shows he can take the ball away, quarterbacks usually start throwing the other direction. That makes Jalen Huskey's consistency stand out. He's one of only three FBS defensive backs to record at least three interceptions in each of the past three seasons, joining Bud Clark (TCU) and Phillip Dunnam (UCF). His 11 interceptions since 2023 are tied for the second most in the FBS during that span. Huskey's ball skills and instincts consistently put him around the football, but the combine will be pivotal to showcase whether he has the speed and transitional quickness to match NFL receivers.
