Gridiron Heroics partners with Draft Scout to give each school’s Top 5 NFL Draft prospects in the Big Ten. Welcome to a list of the Nebraska Top 5 NFL Draft prospects for 2023, as seen by Draft Scout.
Each week brings us closer and closer to one of the most anticipated days on the sports calendar — the NFL Draft. This year’s draft will be held in Kansas City, Mo. from April 27-29. Starting today? We take a look at the Big Ten seniors, the class of 2023. Since we don’t know yet which underclassmen will declare? We’ll reconfigure the rankings when that happens, so be sure to revisit us.
Our Big Ten Draft prospect series will run beginning Nov. 14 and will run for the next week, with three schools running per day in alphabetical order. A master conference list of the Big Ten’s Top 20 NFL draft prospects will wrap things up on Monday, Nov. 21. Please check the team links below frequently so you can check out the other schools’ top prospects as the week progresses.
BIG TEN TOP 20 PROSPECTS: Overall Big Ten Top Prospect List
BIG TEN EAST PROSPECTS: Indiana | Maryland | Michigan | Michigan State | Ohio State | Penn State | Rutgers
BIG TEN WEST PROSPECTS: Illinois | Iowa | Minnesota| Nebraska | Northwestern| Purdue| Wisconsin
RELATED STORY: The Top ESPN 30 for 30 Shows in College Football — We Rank Them
So, we all know that not every team in the country has five surefire draft picks on it. Some programs do, especially in some of the more elite conferences, but the vast majority don’t have that many top-flight prospects. But, we also know that the definition “top-flight” doesn’t always pan out, and at the same time that strong undrafted free agent everybody forgot? He ends up making an NFL and flourishing.
Below is a look at the Nebraska Top 5 Draft Prospects, and how they project in the eyes of Draft Scout. Again, for now, we’ll go strictly with seniors (c/o 2023), as no underclassmen have been allowed to declare earlier yet, though when they do? We’ll update the lists below.
NEBRASKA’S TOP 5 NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
NO. 1 PROSPECT
NAME: Ochaun Mathis (Defensive End)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: High Priority Free Agent
CAREER STATISTICS: 179 tackles (98 solo), 18 sacks, six passes defended, and one forced fumble.
THE TRUTH: Ochaun Mathis was all-Big 12 in 2019, 2020, and 2021 when he was at TCU before transfering to Nebraska. He’s having a good season in Lincoln, though his numbers aren’t what they were at TCU last year. Scouts see him likely to be signed as a free agent by multiple teams, but also note that he could benefit from his extra year of eligibility he has due to the situation around the 2020 season. That might be the best option for Mathis, as it would allow much of the turmoil surrounding Nebraska this season to have settled a little, and he’d have one final year to showcase his abilities.
NO. 2 PROSPECT
NAME: Trent Hixson (Center)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: High Priority Free Agent
CAREER STATISTICS: Hixson has started every game of his senior year at center.
THE TRUTH: Over 20 teams in the NFL would be happy to sign Trent Hixson, and the rest give him a tryout, as center or guard. Hixson slimmed down for Nebraska during the 2022 offseason and has started every game at center. He has experience playing guard as well and shows great determination, intelligence, and hard work in his character. He’s been an academic all-Big Ten every season since his redshirt freshman year in 2018. Hixson is also been honored with other academic, character, and community awards throughout his career that began as a walk-on in 2017.
NO. 3 PROSPECT
NAME: Caleb Tannor (Edge/OLB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: High Priority Free Agent
CAREER STATISTICS: 121 tackles (62 solo), 16 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, six passes defended, two fumbles forced, and a fumble recovered.
THE TRUTH: Caleb Tannor is a team captain for the Cornhuskers and has a big heart and a high motor. He has played in every game since he came to Nebraska as a freshman in 2018. If he plays against Wisconsin and Iowa to close out Nebraska’s season he’ll tie the record for the most games played by a Cornhusker with 56. Any team who has Caleb Tanner join them will get a hard worker and a leader.
NO. 4 PROSPECT
NAME: Omar Manning (Wide Receiver)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: High Priority Free Agent
CAREER STATISTICS: 29 catches for 404 yards and two touchdowns.
THE TRUTH: Omar Manning will likely receiver a free agent offer or tryout from any interested NFL team. Manning’s career has been one with a lot of turns and twists, from junior college to TCU, and from TCU to Nebraska. While at Nebraska it’s been tough to live up to expectations due to the 2020 season being affected by Covid-19, and the turmoil in last years of the Scott Frost Era. For whatever reason it’s been tough for Manning but he will still get looks from professional teams.
NO. 5 PROSPECT
NAME: Brandon Moore (Cornerback)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: High Priority Free Agent
CAREER STATISTICS: 83 tackles (59 solo), 19 passes defended, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one defensive touchdown.
THE TRUTH: Brandon Moore had great start to his career at UCF that has slowed down since his transfer to Florida State and then to Nebraska. Moore spent four years at UCF, one at FSU where he didn’t play, and one at Nebraska. If a redshirt somehow could get him one final year at Nebraska it might be the best way for him to go. He has forced two turnovers this year, including last week at Michigan. Brandon Moore will get some tryouts from NFL teams but will have more riding on them with his journeyman college career.
