Colton Hood emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in college football in the 2025 season, and his scouting report evaluates what made Hood one of the best cornerbacks in the SEC this season and how well his skill set might translate to the next level.

Colton Hood 2026 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report
Measurables:

Height- 6’1″

Weight- 195 lbs

Background:

Hood attended Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy in McDonough, Ga., where he was a three-star recruit. He committed to Auburn and played four games in his first season before redshirting. Hood then transferred to Colorado for the 2024 season and played in all 13 games for the Buffaloes, as well as making his first career start in a road win against Arizona. Hood transferred again in 2025 to Tennessee. At Tennessee, he started all 12 regular-season games for the Volunteers and broke out as one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC. He had one interception and eight pass deflections on the season, earning All-SEC Third Team honors, and he was a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.

Strengths:

Hood has solid size for the position at 6-foot-0 and 195 pounds with good arm length, and he is a good athlete. He has terrific movement skills with great hip fluidity and change of direction speed. Along with good athletic ability, Hood is also a very smart cornerback who has great instincts and route recognition. Hood is strong in both zone coverage and in man coverage, and he is also a physical cornerback and press coverage defender with solid technique in press coverage. Hood has decent ball skills as well. He aggressively attacks the ball and is strong at the catch point. Hood had eight pass deflections in 2025 and recorded 14 total pass deflections in his last two seasons, along with three combined interceptions in 2024 and 2025. Against the run, Hood gives good effort and is a very willing tackler.

Weaknesses:

Hood can be overly physical and too grabby in coverage at times, and it can lead to penalties. He is also inconsistent as a tackler. Hood is a willing tackler, but his technique is not always strong. He needs to do a better job at consistently wrapping up and limiting the number of missed tackles in open space.

NFL Projection:

Hood is a well-rounded cornerback prospect. He is great in both man coverage and zone coverage, and he can fit well in any defensive scheme. Hood has solid size and play strength, along with tremendous movement skills and athletic ability. He is a smart and aggressive defender as well, who can make plays when the ball is in the air and is a willing run defender. However, he will have to be less grabby in coverage downfield in the NFL, and he could become an even stronger run defender at the next level with improved tackling technique. Hood has the skill set necessary to develop into a good starting cornerback in the NFL. He is currently projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

 

Main Photo: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images