The “current expectation” is that Tennessee star cornerback Colton Hood will be entering the 2026 NFL Draft, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Friday night. Zenitz’s report comes in the midst of widespread speculation that Hood’s breakout season as Tennessee’s No. 1 cornerback could lead him to the NFL Draft, and possibly as early as a first-round pick, next spring.
The six-foot, 195-pound cornerback from McDonough, GA, was a massive bright spot for Tennessee’s defense this past season. Zenitz’s report doesn’t say anything about Hood’s intention for the bowl game, but history tells us that there’s a good chance of him not playing in Nashville against Illinois. We’ll have to wait and see.
If everything is confirmed, Hood will be the fourth Tennessee player from the 2025 team to declare for the NFL Draft. Fellow cornerback Jermod McCoy did so on Dec. 10, wide receiver Chris Brazzell did on Dec. 11, and linebacker Arion Carter did on Dec. 12.
Hood was a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class who originally signed with Auburn. He played in four games with the Tigers during his freshman season, which earned him a redshirt, and then transferred to Colorado to play under Deion Sanders in 2024. After a season with the Buffaloes, Hood transferred to Tennessee and wound up having a major breakout season with the Volunteers. He tallied 50 total tackles with eight pass deflections, 4.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one interception. He also found the endzone twice during the season.
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Hood was a big piece for Tennessee to land with Jermod McCoy sidelined for the season, but his value only rose when Rickey Gibson III went down with a season-ending injury in the first game. Hood stepped up and shouldered the load as the Vols’ top cornerback and continued to make a name for himself during Tennessee’s 8-4 season.
Hood’s breakout season has his name trending all over NFL Draft conversations as of late. ESPN recently had four analysts rank their top five cornerbacks for next spring’s NFL Draft, and Hood was listed in the top five in three of the four analysts’ lists. ESPN’s Matt Miller has Hood at No. 4, Jordan Reid has him at No. 4, and Steve Muench has him at No. 3. ESPN’s Mel Kiper is the only of the four to not have Hood ranked in his top five cornerback prospects list, and instead has him right on the edge at No. 6.
Hood was recently tagged as a projected first-round NFL Draft pick by Field Yates in a mock draft for ESPN. Yates had Hood going No. 30 overall to the New England Patriots.
“Hood has some areas to clean up with his technique, but there’s an infectious energy that you see every time you watch him play,” Yates writes. “He posted 10 pass breakups this season — his first with Tennessee after spending one season at Colorado and his freshman year at Auburn. Hood loves the challenge of man coverage and can be an aggressive player in run support.”
Hood was a massive piece to Tennessee’s 2025 defense, and if he only ends up spending one year in Knoxville, it will be looked upon fondly in the history books. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more on Hood’s decision when it is officially announced.
The 2026 NFL Draft will take place from Thursday, Apr. 23, to Saturday, Apr. 25, in Green Bay.
