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As we close the book on the 2025 season, the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine will give us our first taste of football for the offseason. The football world will descend upon Indianapolis for a week of interviews, drills, and athletic testing destined to shape the late-winter discourse.
Over 300 prospects will be invited to the event, hoping to boost their draft stocks ahead of the pro day circuit. Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss won't be among them.
Fear not, Chambliss was not left off the list for character concerns or bureaucratic oversight. Rather, it's an indictment of the NFL's expectations for his pending hearing, which is challenging the NCAA's decision to deny his waiver for eligibility. It seems like Chambliss is headed back to school, allowing us to focus on the prospects who were snubbed from the Scouting Combine.
Top Scouting Combine snubs
Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana
Black, after six college seasons, will play the majority of his rookie season at 25 years old. That developmental path (and his age-adjusted production) isn't kind to his draft stock, and it may be the biggest reason he isn't headed to Indianapolis.
However, Black put himself on NFL radars in 2025, playing a significant role on a championship-winning offense. Black ran for 1,040 yards and 10 scores this past season. He boasts NFL-level athleticism with the speed to hit home runs, experience with zone and gap runs, and enough size to check the box.
Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Rutgers
In a world where Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia and Georgia Tech's Haynes King are getting Combine invites, it becomes difficult to gather why Kaliakmanis won't be among the participants in Indianapolis.
Kaliakmanis was incredibly productive for Rutgers, ranking eighth in EPA and seventh in EPA/DB -- between Pavia and King -- in 2025. He's not a lock to get drafted, but Kaliakmanis looks the part of a mid-Day 3 pick and a prototypical backup quarterback at the next level. With a big arm and multiple seasons of starting experience, it's surprising that he hasn't gotten more love.
Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll
Perhaps the most notable admission from the Combine festivities is John Carroll's Tyren Montgomery. His wild ride to Mobile culminated in a strong Senior Bowl performance, proving that a Division III standout could play with the best upperclassmen the Division I could offer.
An excellent athlete at 6'1", 190 pounds, Carroll seems like a prospect the NFL would want to see get as many reps as possible during the pre-draft process. Given that nearly 50 receivers were invited to the event, Montgomery should have received an invitation.
Bryce Foster, OC, Kansas
Foster stood out on my preseason board as a potential low-end starter headlining the Kansas offensive line. All he's done in the time since is continue to win in pass protection.
Foster has SEC pedigree after three seasons in the middle of Texas A&M's line, then he took a step forward against Big 12 competition. With adequate measurables and a track record of success, his median projection still looks like a solid backup center.
Terion Stewart, RB, Virginia Tech
Stewart won't be in Indianapolis because of his production. Just 469 yards in his first year of Power 4 play isn't all that impressive, and nine career receptions is laughably little work through the air.
MORE: Meet the three contenders for RB2 in the 2026 NFL Draft
However, Stewart has intriguing fundamentals, fun burst, and elite contact balance, perhaps making him a role player at the next level. It will be an uphill climb to raise his stock during the pre-draft process, but his film made a worthy case for Indianapolis. I expect him to be a priority free agent in April, much like Raheim Sanders.
Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech
Haynes shares a lot of similarities with Wake Forest's Demond Claiborne, who rightfully rose up boards in a bad running back class. The Georgia Tech back is undersized and limited to a rotational role at the next level. Still, Haynes has the athleticism, footwork, and instincts to make plays on Sundays.
Haynes is a former receiver who stands out as a natural pass-catcher out of the backfield. As an integral piece of Georgia Tech's run-heavy attack, an inefficient season shouldn't have cost him the chance to show out at the Scouting Combine.
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