Since 2020, 32+ players from the Sun Belt have been selected in the NFL Draft, including Isaiah Likely, Rasheen Ali and Percy Butler, who have established themselves in the league. The Sun Belt has established itself as one of the top producers of NFL talent at the Group of Five level.
From conference award winners to under-the-radar players, here are some names to watch for in the NFL Draft this weekend from the Sun Belt Conference.
Ted Hurst: Georgia State
Headlining the most buzz coming out of the Sun Belt is wide receiver Ted Hurst, who has spent the last two seasons with Georgia State after starting his career at Valdosta State.
In his two seasons with the Panthers, Hurst cemented himself in the top-5 for receiving yards (1,965), receptions (127) and touchdown receptions (15). In 2025, he accumulated 1004 receiving yards and hauled in six touchdowns to put him at 4th in the Sun Belt and earned him an All-Conference First Team Offense nod.
Ted Hurst was the lone representative from the Sun Belt at the 2026 NFL Draft Combine, impressing scouts with a 4.42 40-yard dash and 36.5-inch vertical. He earned himself the 5th highest athletisicm score among wide receivers in the draft with an 87, ranking 17th among wide recievers all together.
“Long-legged, vertical-minded wideout with the speed and ability to stress corners from snap to whistle. Hurst is quick to beat press and hit the accelerator into his route work. He has the hips, feet and balance to run a more robust route tree than what we saw from him in college,” per Lance Zierlein on NFL.com
Ted Hurst is projected as a late second-round or early third-round pick.
Landing Spots: Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints
Josh Moten: Southern Mississippi
The top cornerback coming out of the Sun Belt this season, Josh Moten notched five interceptions this season to tie him for second place in the conference and seventh in all of Division I. Moten also recorded 10 pass breakups, giving him sole possession of second place in the conference.
Moten recorded 11 interceptions, 22 pass deflections and 76 solo tackles over the course of 40 games in his college career. In 2024, he led the Sun Belt in interceptions with five, which included four in the last five games of the season, and was voted a Sun Belt Conference honorable mention.
The Southern Miss product clocked in at 89th out of 897 qualified cornerbacks with a 79.2 overall PFF grade and a coverage grade of 79.6, placing him 99th out of 897 qualified cornerbacks.
Josh Moten is a projected late-round pick in the NFL Draft or priority undrafted free agent.
“In zone, his eyes go straight to the passer and he breaks on throws with conviction. That is a genuine skill, and back-to-back five-interception seasons against any level of competition is hard to dismiss,” per NFLDraftBuzz.com
Landing Spots: Washington Commanders, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks
Jaden Dugger: Louisiana
One of the conference’s standout linebackers this season, Dugger started his career playing safety for the Georgetown Hoyas in the FCS, transitioning to linebacker after transferring to Louisiana.
Over the last two seasons, Duggar has racked up 155 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles for the Ragin’ Cajuns. The former safety still taps into his roots since transitioning to linebacker, notching one interception in his time at Louisiana. In 2025, Duggar placed third in the Sun Belt and 17th in Division I, earning First-Team All-Sun Belt honors.
However, he has had a difficult time identifying play designs and his open-field tackling is a work in progress. Where he lacks in polished ability, he makes up for in pure athleticism and speed, tabbed as one of the most athletic players in this year’s draft. Duggar clocks in at a 9.60 out of 10 on the Relative Athletic Score (RAS), ranking him 139 out of 3460 linebackers from 1987-2026.
“Rangy former safety still in the infant stages of learning the off-ball linebacker spot. Dugger has a stretched-out frame with exceptional length and room to add more muscle throughout. He’s inconsistent when it comes to diagnosing blocking schemes/play designs and needs significant work with block take-ons inside the box. He has the speed to run down wide-flowing backs and is an above-average wrap-and-finish tackler in space,” per Lance Zierlein on NFL.com
Landing Spots: Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers
Evan Crenshaw: Troy
A premier punter coming out of the Sun Belt and one of the top punters in the nation this season, Evan Crenshaw has been one of the conference’s most consistent special teamers.
In 2025, Crenshaw clocked in at 17th in all of Division I football for yards per punt with 45.6 and had 3107 total punting yards, the fourth most in FBS. In the Sun Belt, he led the conference in punts inside the 20-yard line with 29 and booted a 62-yard punt against Georgia State for the second longest of his career.
Crenshaw was given the nod for a slew of awards at the conclusion of the 2025 season, including a Sun Belt First-Team, Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Year, FWAA All-American First-Team and named a Ray Guy Award finalist.
Punters are not in high demand in the NFL, 2022 was the last time a punter was drafted and started in the same season. Crenshaw has the tools to make a name for himself and replace an aging core of punters on the way out of the league.
Landing Spots: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers
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