Chris McClellan is a defensive tackle and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who finished his collegiate career with the Missouri Tigers after beginning it with the Florida Gators. A native of Owasso, Oklahoma, McClellan was a consensus four-star recruit in the 2022 class, ranked among the top 20 defensive linemen nationally and the top prospect in the state of Oklahoma by Rivals, signing with Florida over Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC. He served as a rotational defensive tackle for two seasons with the Gators, recording 46 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks across 25 games before entering the transfer portal. He transferred to Missouri ahead of the 2024 season and immediately became a starter, posting 39 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and two pass deflections across 13 games as a junior. His senior season in 2025 was his best by every measure, recording 48 tackles, eight tackles for loss, six sacks, and two pass breakups in 13 games as part of one of the most disruptive defensive line trios in the SEC alongside edge rushers Zion Young and Damon Wilson II. He was named Second Team All-SEC by the Associated Press following the season and was invited to both the Panini Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.
Standing 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds with the frame and versatility to play anywhere from zero-technique to five-technique in multiple defensive fronts, McClellan is known for a powerful bull rush backed by strong leg drive, the ability to stalemate double teams and occupy blockers to free linebackers, a consistent motor in pursuit that produces tackles downfield, and the leadership mentality he carried to Missouri after embracing a rebuilding role with a new program. NFL evaluators project him as an early-down defensive tackle and rotational interior lineman at the next level, where his combination of SEC production, positional versatility, and run-stopping reliability project him as a Day 3 selection with the physical tools to develop into a starter in a gap or two-gap scheme if he can improve his pass-rush counter arsenal and get-off consistency.
