Mock Draft Monday 2/23 '26
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Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is the outro song to Drake’s Views album. Conveniently, the song is called Views.
This feels like the perfect time to mention that Week to Week Notes stands fervently with Becks and Posh Spice over their dispute with their spoiled-rotten son. What a wanker!
On to the ball…
Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati
Cyrus Allen is from New Orleans, Louisiana. A 3-star recruit, Allen was a bit overlooked as a collegiate prospect. His first stop in college was at Louisiana Tech. In two seasons at LA Tech, Allen caught 68 passes for 1,278 yards and 8 scores. He transferred to Texas A&M in ‘24, where an arm injury held him out for most of his time with the Aggies. In his lone 5 starts at Texas A&M, Allen caught 18 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown. Last spring, Allen transferred to Cincinnati. With the Bearcats in his senior year, Cyrus Allen had a breakout season. The 5’11” WR finished with 51 catches for 674 yards while leading the Big 12 in TD catches (13). For his efforts, Allen was recognized as a 2nd Team All-Big 12 selection. With Cincinnati, he worked almost exclusively in the slot, but prior to that, he was an outside WR. Cyrus Allen impressed scouts with his route running at the Senior Bowl. Despite the breakout season, Allen wasn’t invited to the NFL Draft Combine, but should be a interesting option as a Day 3 pass catcher.
Landon Robinson, DT, Navy
Landon Robinson is from Fairlawn, Ohio. He attended Copley High School, where he earned varsity letters in baseball, football, track, and wrestling. As the captain of the football team for two seasons, Robinson’s top sport was on the gridiron. As a freshman at the Navy in ‘22, Robinson didn’t see any action. His first bit of playing time came in his sophomore season in ‘23, where he played Nose Guard for the Midshipmen. That year, he recorded 28 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and 4 sacks, while also contributing on special teams. In ‘24 as a junior, Robinson became a full-time starter for Navy, garnering 1st Team All-AAC recognition. He finished ‘24 with 61 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 7 QB hurries, and 2 forced fumbles. This past season, he continued to improve, as his senior year was his best statistically. Robinson had 64 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, and 22 QB Hurries. At 6’ and 285 lbs., Landon Robinson is considered a bit undersized for a standard NFL defensive tackle. That said, his proven pass-rushing skills should’ve earned him a spot at the NFL Combine, but he was snubbed. He may need to add weight in the NFL or find a team with a heavy 4-3 scheme.
Cole Wisniewski, S, Texas Tech
Cole Wisniewski is from Sparta, Wisconsin. He attended Sparta High School, where he played QB and CB, accounting for 5,400 all-purpose yards on offense while earning all-state honors as a defender, too. Wisniewski's collegiate career began at North Dakota State. With the FCS powerhouse, Wisniewski earned a starting role at linebacker in 2021. For two seasons at linebacker, Wisniewski dealt with injuries and finished with 58 tackles, but proved he had potential in pass coverage. The Bison decided to move Wisniewski to safety. During the ‘23 season and first at the new position, Wisniewski had 67 tackles, 4 pass breakups, and an absurd 8 interceptions. He was tabbed the MVFC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a consensus first-team FCS All-American. The following season in ‘24, he suffered a foot injury that kept him out for the year. Wisniewski transferred to Texas Tech as a super senior and was a key cog to an elite Red Raiders defense. In 14 starts at safety with Texas Tech, Wisniewski had 78 tackles, 6 TFLs, a sack, and 6 pass deflections. At 6’4” and 220 lbs., Wisniewski should have the size to match up well with big TEs in the NFL. Whether NFL teams view him as a linebacker or safety remains to be seen, but he should be viewed as a legit prospect despite being snubbed from the NFL Combine.
Devon Marshall, CB, NC State
Devon Marshall is from Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Catholic Memorial High School, where he helped lead the team to a state title as the team’s defensive MVP while returning 5 kicks for scores. His first stop in college was at Villanova. As a freshman with the Wildcats, Marshall primarily played on special teams, recording 13 tackles and blocking a kick. As a sophomore, he won a starting CB role, finishing with 40 tackles and 4 pass breakups. In ‘24, Marshall transferred to NC State, where he again earned a starting role as an outside corner. His junior season with the Wolfpack included 33 tackles, 8 pass breakups, and 2 INTs. This past season at NC State, Marshall had his best season in pass coverage. The 5’11” CB broke up an ACC-high 16 passes, while picking off another two. His 88.3 coverage grade on PFF College is one of the best of the draft class. Coming off a ballhawk season, Marshall is an intriguing mid-round pick that may sneak inside Night 2 of the NFL Draft.
Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas
Taylen Green is from Lewisville, Texas. A 3-star recruit, Green combined for over 60 touchdowns through the air and on the ground as an upperclassman in high school. His first college stop was at Boise State. After redshirting in ‘21, Green took over the Broncos’ starting QB role in ‘22. He was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year as he threw for 2,042 yards and 14 TDs, while rushing for 588 yards with 10 scores on the ground. During his ‘23 season, the dual-threat QB combined for over 2,000 total yards and 20 TDs before transferring to Arkansas the year before Ashton Jeanty’s Heisman-esque campaign. As a Razorback in ‘24, Green threw for a career-high 3,154 passing yards with 15 TDs while running for 602 yards with 8 scores. Last season as a senior with Arkansas, Green threw a career-high 19 pass TDs while running for a career-high 777 yards. At 6’6” with excellent speed, Taylen Green has superb traits to be a dual-threat QB in the NFL. His main concern is turnovers, as he’s thrown for 9 or more interceptions in each of the past three seasons. The inconsistent throwing mechanics could lead to accuracy at the next level, but in terms of using his legs, he could very well be a mid-round wild-card QB pick with plenty of upside.
Here’s a quick bit about five College Basketball players this season…
Labaron Philon Jr., PG, Alabama
Labaron Philon Jr. is from Mobile, Alabama. He attended Baker High School, where he was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Alabama in ‘23. That season, Philon averaged 35.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.6 steals per game before finishing his high school days at Link Academy in Missouri. As a freshman at ‘Bama last season, Philon played a combo guard role next to Mark Sears. The first-year starter averaged 10.6 points, 3.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. This earned him a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team as ‘Bama reached the Elite 8. Now a sophomore with Sears in the pros, this is clearly Philon’s team. The point guard is averaging 21.3 points, 5 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. In ‘Bama’s big-time win over Arkansas last week, Philon scored a career-high 35 points. Alabama is currently on a 6-game winning streak with Labaron Philon Jr. leading the way.
Quadir Copeland, SG, NC State
Quadir Copeland is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He split his high school days between Gettysburg HS, Life Center Academy (NJ), and IMG Academy (FL). His first college stop was Syracuse, where he played sparingly as a freshman but earned consistent minutes as a sophomore. In ‘23-’24 with the Orange, Copeland averaged 9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Last season, Copeland transferred to McNeese State, where he immediately earned a starting role. With the Cowboys, Copeland averaged 9.2 points, 4.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game as the starting PG. While McNeese State secured a March Madness bid last season, Copeland transferred once more to NC State this past spring. This season, the 6’6” guard is averaging a career-high 14 points and 6.8 assists per game while improving from 3-point range to 42%. In the Wolfpack’s upset win over in-state rival UNC, Copeland led the charge with 20 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. He does an excellent job using his size to back down smaller guards, becoming an excellent slasher and passer. NC State is currently 3rd in the ACC and is considered a team on the bubble as we enter March.
Moustapha Thiam, C, Cincinnati
Moustapha Thiam is from Dakar, Senegal. He moved to the United States in 2022 to attend DME Academy. During his final season at DME, Thiam averaged 14.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.1 blocks, and 2.3 assists per game. As a 5-star prospect, he became the highest-ranked recruit to ever join UCF. During his freshman season with the Knights, he averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. After being named a finalist for the Kyle Macy Award (nation’s top freshman), Thiam transferred to Cincinnati this past spring. The 7’2” sophomore center is averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game for the Bearcats. Over this past weekend, Thiam had the best game of his collegiate career in Cincy’s upset win over Kansas as he scored a career-high 28 points. In order for Cincinnati to have a shot at going dancing, they’ll need Moustapha Thiam to maintain his excellent play. Although he has an unorthodox high-release point to his shot, Thiam can make it from 3-point range. He projects as a modern NBA big man that can rim protect and space the floor.
Thijs De Ridder, PF, Virginia
Thijs De Ridder is from Brasschaat, Belgium. He graduated from high school in 2021 and played professional basketball for the past three seasons with Bilbao Basket in the Liga ACB. As a 19-year-old in ‘23, De Ridder won the Belgian Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year for Liga ACB. Last season with Bilbao Basket, De Ridder averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game before deciding to take his game stateside. Now a freshman at Virginia, the 6’9” Belgian forward is averaging 15.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Virginia is currently on an 8-game winning streak as it aims for a long NCAA Tournament run for the first time since its National Championship in 2019. Thijs De Ridder is the Cavs’ leading scorer and rebounder.
Isaac Celiscar, SF, Yale
