Nick Wright believes the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 and 2027 NFL drafts will come from the Ohio State University. Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs and receiver Jeremiah Smith are seen as the top two players in college football.
Julian Sayin can't be ruled out as a future first-round pick either, if Nick Saban and Bill O'Brien's vision for the ex-Alabama Crimson Tide commit back when originally committed in 2022 -- only keeping that "commitment" until Saban called it quits in January 2024 -- comes to fruition.
Wright shared the prediction amid another prediction:
OSU won't defeat the Texas Longhorns in Week 1. And Ohio State being the betting favorite is disrespectful to the Longhorns.
"When you're No. 1 vs. No. 3 and it's at The Shoe, then you're going to be the underdog, especially when Ohio State might have the No. 1 player in the 2026 draft and 2027 draft," Wright said.
"You're not going to be a favorite in Ohio State against a great Buckeye team.
"If [Texas] is the best team in the country, then they're supposed to win. Don't make them No. 1 in the preseason and then say, 'You've got one week to be the best team in the country, and then that's it.'"
Given OSU is coming off a College Football Playoff National Championship run that followed an unspeakable loss to TTUN and a razor-thin setback against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, it's not crazy to picture being upset by Texas in Week 1 before ripping off a 10-1 regular season finish.
Then again, the Buckeyes could begin what'd be an epic title defense with a wakeup call for Heisman hopeful Arch Manning.
A spread says nothing of the actual result. It just adds to the speculation.
Please get here, non-hypothetical football.
August 30 cannot come soon enough.