Who are the two former Mustangs most likely to hear their name called in the upcoming NFL Draft? They both played the same position this season for SMU.
Over the course of the last few weeks, veteran college football players - including some former SMU Mustangs - have been putting their skills on display at All-Star games, the Senior Bowl, and various showcase opportunities.
NFL scouts have kept their pens and notebooks handy ready to eye their potential next NFL Draft pick in the early stages of scouting.
With those events dying down soon, players will now retreat back home to train individually before the first round of the three-day even begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh.
In the current projections, who might be the former Mustang most likely to hear their name called?
They played the same position this season on The Hilltop.
S Isaiah Nwokobia
The Dallas native, by way of Skyline High School, made two interceptions and defended seven passes this season for SMU. He totaled 80 tackles primarily in a zone slot role.
NFL Draft Buzz, a recruiting database that projects players' draft stock based on a series of metrics, has 6-1, 205-pound Nwokobia landing somewhere in the sixth round of this year's draft.
After redshirting the 2022 season due to an injury, Nwokobia was the first defensive player to ever win the AAC Championship MVP. Since then, he's become the Ponies' standout force as an All-ACC honoree and member of SMU's first ever College Football Playoff roster.
"The transition to the next level will test whether Nwokobia's exceptional instincts can overcome his physical limitations against elite NFL talent," the site said. "His ability to diagnose plays and create turnovers in zone coverage translates beautifully to the next level, particularly in defensive systems that emphasize communication and ball production. However, the same hip stiffness and recovery speed issues that occasionally surfaced against college competition will become magnified when facing NFL receivers who can exploit every technical flaw with precision route-running and deceptive releases."
S Ahmaad Moses
Nwokobia's strengths weren't to be outdone by his counterpart in the secondary Moses, who actually led the Mustangs in total tackles in 2025 with 104. He also finished with five interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
The 5-10, 205-pound safety from Arlington (Mansfield Summit HS) had a breakout season, which has grown buzz around his name as a potential Day 3 pick.
NFL Draft Buzz notes his exceptional ball skills when aggressively hounding receivers in the air, a willingness to stay physical in open-field tackling, and a keen awareness of the quarterback's eyes while in coverage, though there are physical concerns that might come to light at the Scouting Combine.
"Moses enters the draft as a coverage-first safety whose instincts and ball skills mask some physical limitations," his scouting summary reads. "His ability to read quarterbacks and create turnovers will appeal to NFL defensive coordinators, though his limited speed means he'll need help from the scheme on vertical routes against top-tier receivers.
"The upside is real for a player who consistently finds ways to impact games through turnovers and pass breakups, but the floor remains concerning given his tackling struggles and limited recovery speed. Moses needs the right defensive coordinator who understands how to deploy him effectively – put him in position to make plays on the ball while limiting his exposure in run support."
Nwokobia and Moses have already turned their hometown-hero upbringings into a historic 2025 season at SMU.
Now they can reap the benefits by representing the Mustangs at the next level.