Ohio State’s 2024 national title run was born out of a mentality shift. For a while, the Buckeye secondary was prone to big plays and letting the team down in the big games. Davison Igbinosun was part of that mentality shift after arriving in 2023. He improved a bit in 2024, but it was his jump in 2025 that made the difference. Heading into 2025, Igbinosun was a borderline undraftable player. Now, he is a wild card to be one of the top corners in this year’s class.
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2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Davison Igbinosun
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 189 pounds
Arms: 32.88″
Hands: 9.13″
40-yard: 4.45
Vertical: 34″
Broad jump: 10′
RAS: 8.64
School: Ohio State
Davison Igbinosun NFL Draft Overview
Initially, Igbinosun was a four-star recruit headed for Ole Miss. As a true freshman, he appeared in all 13 games for the Rebels, starting in 10. He earned freshman All-American honors from College Football News after posting 37 tackles and five pass breakups on the year. Then, he jumped into the transfer portal and landed at Ohio State.
He took over the starting cornerback role immediately and started all 13 games for the 2023 Buckeyes. That season, he amassed 59 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries. His physical play earned him honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
In 2024, he took another step. In total, he started all 16 games for the national champions and added 45 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, nine pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. However, he was plagued by penalties. Igbinosun was the single-most penalized player in college football with 16 flags, mostly for DPI and holding.
He returned to Ohio State for the 2025 season to improve his craft. And improve he did. Igbinsoun only committed five penalties, his fewest in the Scarlet and Gray. In total, he tallied 53 tackles, half a tackle for loss, eight pass breakups, and two interceptions. Those two interceptions came at the end of the year as he closed out the win over Michigan and picked off the Heisman Trophy winner in the Big Ten Championship, resulting in a quick touchdown drive.
Strengths
Incredibly physical
Great in press coverage
Is a willing and able defender of the run
Great at using the sideline as an extra defender
Very handsy at the point of catch
2025 showed he’s coachable and able to improve
Impressive route recognition and football IQ
Look up his interception against Penn State in 2024
Weaknesses
Penalty magnet
Is not the most fluid athlete
When beat, he resorts to grabbing
While a willing run defender, his technique leaves something to be desired with a shoulder check approach
A very passionate, emotional player
Projection: Third Round
Best Fits: Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys
Bottom Line on Davison Igbinosun
Igbinosun is going to be an interesting prospect to watch. While the red flags are there – and, admittedly, those flags are bright scarlet – Igbinosun looks to have what it takes to be a real threat in the NFL.
In terms of sheer athleticism, Igbinosun is one of the better prospects. He is as aggressive and sticky a corner as you’ll find in this class. He doesn’t often get beat off the line, but when he does, he can usually recover. Yes, he gets a bit grabby and often commits penalties. He drastically cut down on his penalties from 2024 to 2025, so he is proven to be coachable and is able to improve his technique with the right system.
Igbinosun could be a solid starter on the boundary in the NFL. He can play man, but zone may be his best bet to avoid those penalties.
Igbinosun could be drafted higher than the experts expect because there is a timeline in which he develops into a star. Of course, it all depends on whether or not he falls into a scheme that plays best with what he does.