UPDATE, 9:30 p.m.: Not only were the Steelers at the Ohio State-Texas game scouting potential 2026 draft talent, the Steelers were also at the Arizona State-Northern Arizona matchup Saturday night.
According to Sun Devils beat reporter Brad Denny, the Steelers were among four teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles watching the Arizona State defensive line.
EDGE rusher Clayton Smith is the top defensive line prospect for the Sun Devils entering the 2025 season He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds and was a former 4-star recruit. Additionally, defensive lineman C.J. Fite and pass rusher Prince Dorbah are among names to watch, too.
Or original story is below.
It’s arguably the biggest game on the college football docket this weekend, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be present.
According to a report from NFL Draft analyst Ryan Fowler, the Steelers are among 22 teams with at least one scout in attendance Saturday in Columbus, Ohio for the Texas-Ohio State matchup, which kicks off at noon on Fox.
With it being Labor Day weekend and the team having off until Monday, the Steelers should have a number of scouts and other front office personnel around the country taking in some early college football matchups. Of course, LSU-Clemson could be the biggest place to be this weekend for the Steelers as a pair of future first-round quarterbacks in LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik square off.
But Ohio State-Texas kicks things off in a big way Saturday afternoon in Columbus.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning is the biggest name in the matchup. Still, chances of him coming out for the 2026 NFL Draft seem slim, even if he denied his grandfather’s claim that he won’t be coming out next season. The young gunslinger stated he’s taking things day by day and hasn’t even thought about next year’s NFL Draft, which happens to be in Pittsburgh.
Outside of Manning, 2026 NFL Draft prospects to know in the Ohio State-Texas matchup include Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, safety Caleb Downs, tight end Max Klare, linebacker Sonny Styles, and cornerback Davison Igbinosun.
For Texas, offensive lineman Trevor Goosby, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., safety Michael Taffe, cornerback Malik Muhammed, and running back CJ Baxter are the headliners for the Longhorns.
Both schools produced a program-record number of players drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. Texas had 12 players drafted, while Ohio State had 14 players, including two by the Steelers in outside linebacker Jack Sawyer and quarterback Will Howard. Entering the 2025 season, both appear loaded, and the Steelers are getting a good look at them initially.
With a projected 12 picks in next April’s draft, which will be held on the North Shore, the Steelers have a lot of pre-draft work ahead of them. Saturday’s trip to Columbus is just the beginning.
