Malik Muhammad is a cornerback and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played three seasons at the University of Texas. A native of Dallas, Texas, Muhammad grew up in the South Oak Cliff neighborhood and attended state championship program South Oak Cliff before signing with the Longhorns. He was a four-star recruit in the 2023 class and contributed immediately as a true freshman, playing in all 14 games with starts in both bowl appearances and recording 31 tackles, one interception and four pass breakups. As a sophomore in 2024 he became a full-time starter for all 16 games, posting 36 tackles and eight passes defended while testing himself against elite Big 12 and Big Ten competition throughout Texas's deep CFP run. His junior season in 2025 was his most decorated, as he earned All-SEC recognition after recording two interceptions against Oklahoma among his final season totals of 30 tackles and eight pass breakups before declaring for the draft as an underclassman. He finished with 97 tackles, three interceptions and 16 passes defensed across his career.
Measured at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Muhammad is a technically refined zone cornerback with the football intelligence, versatility and smooth movement skills to operate in multiple coverage concepts at the next level. He reads route combinations with advanced anticipation, uses his quick feet to generate clean footwork in his backpedal and demonstrates fluid hip transitions that allow him to carry receivers vertically without losing phase. Texas deployed him on the outside and occasionally inside, giving him experience against the best wide receivers in college football while his early-entry career limited his statistical splash plays. The questions heading into the draft center on his man-coverage upside, as his profile trends toward a zone-scheme cornerback who may require scheme protection against elite speed and separation specialists in man assignments, and whether his size and arm length will allow him to be a reliable press corner at the NFL level. Most evaluations project him as a Day Two to early Day Three pick, one of the more technically sound cornerbacks available with starting upside in the right system.
