From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Buffalo ILB Red Murdock.<\/p>\n
No. 2 Red Murdock\/ILB Buffalo: 6-1, 240 pounds (Grad Student)
\nMEASUREMENTS<\/p>\n
Player
\nHt\/Wt
\nHand Size
\nArm Length
\nWingspan<\/p>\n
Red Murdock
\n6-1\/240
\nN\/A
\nN\/A
\nN\/A<\/p>\n
40-Yard Dash
\n10-Yard Dash
\nShort Shuttle
\n3-Cone<\/p>\n
N\/A
\nN\/A
\nN\/A
\nN\/A<\/p>\n
Broad Jump
\nVertical
\nBench Press<\/p>\n
N\/A
\nN\/A
\nN\/A<\/p>\n
THE GOOD<\/p>\n
\u2013 Good size and frame with bulk
\u2013 Incredible production and always around the football
\u2013 Physical defender and players feel his hits
\u2013 Chases the ball hard with great sideline-to-sideline effort
\u2013 Plays inside out and doesn\u2019t overrun the play
\u2013 Record amount of forced fumbles and knack\/focus on punching the ball out
\u2013 Great effort and never takes plays off
\u2013 Downhill mentality and seeks contact against blockers and runners
\u2013 Physical: able to separate the player from the ball in coverage
\u2013 Reroutes receivers in coverage and maintains physicality
\u2013 Effective blitzer with power on his bull<\/p>\n
The Bad<\/p>\n
\u2013 Limited foot speed and overall athleticism
\u2013 Tight-hipped and struggles to break down and change direction
\u2013 Prone to getting glued to blocks
\u2013 His feet too often go dead while reading the play, putting him out of position, and he\u2019s late to his lane
\u2013 Vulnerable to falling off tackles, chasing the ball on the perimeter
\u2013 Will struggle in man coverage and be best in zone
\u2013 Can take cheese and bite on play-action
\u2013 May not have everydown role at next level<\/p>\n
Stats<\/p>\n
\u2013 Career: 364 tackles (39.5 TFL), 17 FFs, 9 sacks, 1 INT across 42 games (31 starts)
\u2013 2025: 142 tackles (13.5 TFL), 6 FFs, 5 sacks
\u2013 Holds NCAA career record for forced fumbles, breaking Khalil Mack\u2019s previous mark of 16 (mark officially recognized beginning in 2005)
\u2013 Led MAC in tackles for 2025, finished third in the NCAA
\u2013 2,196 career defensive snaps, including 837 in 2025
\u2013 339 career special teams snaps (152 during 2024 season across four units)
\u2013 PFF\u2019s No. 2 defensive grade among LBs in 2025 behind Jacob Rodriguez (No. 2 run defense, No. 31 tackling, No. 7 coverage)
\u2013 9.4 percent missed tackle rate in 2025 (58th of 237 qualifiers)<\/p>\n
Injury History<\/p>\n
\u2013 2019: had surgery on torn labrum in left hip after junior season, missing first nine games before returning to final five to lead HS team to state title
\u2013 2022: sprained MCL against Bowling Green
\u2013 2024: played through a severe case of strep throat and posted 19 tackles, 1 FF in a win over Ball State<\/p>\n
Bio<\/p>\n
\u2013 Turns 23 in September, 2026 Tape Breakdown<\/p>\n Khalil \u201cRed\u201d Murdock took a longer route to the FBS level but became one of college football\u2019s most productive linebackers. With 17 forced fumbles, he also etched himself into the NCAA record books. A relentless playmaker, Murdock is physical and in-your-face, never taking plays off. At least two of his forced fumbles came late in the half when everyone else was thinking about intermission.<\/p>\n Though he lacks high-end athleticism, his presence as a hitter makes him effective in zone coverage. He can separate the player from the ball or at least make receivers earn their receptions.<\/p>\n He\u2019s aggressive and fearless as a blitzer, powering through the running back on his way to the quarterback here.<\/p>\n But Murdock isn\u2019t fleet of foot. Sometimes, that\u2019s an overrated trait for linebackers, but his slow change of direction is a real problem. Watch him struggle to mirror the quarterback on this read option, allowing him to turn upfield for a long touchdown. Murdock had contain, but he has to be able to double back and make this play. At the NFL, he\u2019ll face quarterbacks more athletic than those Akron provides.<\/p>\n While he plays inside-out and reads each play, his feet can go dead and freeze. That won\u2019t work in the NFL and will only be compounded by a lack of foot speed.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/p>\n Overall, Red Murdock is a highly productive and intense linebacker. Though from a smaller school, he\u2019s coming from a program that\u2019s produced NFL linebacker talent like Khalil Mack, Shaun Dolac, and Joe Andreessen. Murdock\u2019s lack of athleticism poses a risk, but he\u2019s an all-out player with top-end physicality for the position. A hard guy to count out, though the investment in him must be relatively modest.<\/p>\n With an old-school D\u2019Qwell Jackson feel, my more modern NFL comp is Josey Jewell. Given his makeup, Murdock could also profile well on special teams.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Zero-star recruit from Petersburg, Virginia
\u2013 Began college career at Fork Union Military Academy before transferring to Buffalo for the 2022 season; chose the Bulls over William & Mary, Richmond, Navy, and UMass
\u2013 First-team All-MAC in 2024 and 2025; second-team AP All-American in 2025
\u2013 High school teammates with Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson
\u2013 Light recruit due to 2019 injury and 2020 pandemic
\u2013 Middle child of five other siblings, raised by his mother
\u2013 Plans to become a counselor or sports psychologist<\/a> after career
\u2013 Second in family to graduate high school, first to attend college
\u2013 First name is \u201cKhalil\u201d
\u2013 Watches lots of Luke Kuechly film for his football IQ and anticipation
\u2013 2026 Shrine Bowl participant<\/p>\n