Ted Hurst has been a dominant wide receiver for the Georgia State offense in each of the last two years, and he finished his college career with his first 1,000-yard season. His big-body frame and impressive physical tools make him an intriguing prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he offers NFL teams plenty of upside.
Hurst began his career at Division II Valdosta State after graduating from Johnson High School (GA) in the 2022 class. He spent two years with the Blazers and made the jump to the Division I FBS level with GSU before the 2024 college football season. He spent the next two seasons as the Panthers' top producer in the passing game and declared for the NFL Draft at the conclusion of his 2025 campaign.
Ted Hurst NFL Draft Profile:
Position: WR
School: Georgia State Panthers
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 207 pounds
Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
Statistics:
- 2025: 71 receptions, 1,004 yds, 6 TDs
- Career: 127 receptions, 1,965 yds, 15 TDs
Strengths:
- Sinks into his hips well when working to the outside on rounded cuts, able to stay fluid and accelerate out of them
- Gets out of vertical releases smoothly, drives downfield, and picks up ground easily
- Deceptive hesitation-based route runner when stacking zone defenders
- Easy mover and accelerator after the catch and glides downfield when having open space
- Top speed is fast enough at his size to be effective and create breakaway chunk plays
- Comfortable receiver in traffic and keeps his hands soft to reel in passes with defenders on his hip
- Uses his frame well to surround defenders as a run/screen blocker on the outside and can redirect them smoothly
- Works to the inside on second-level in-breaking routes, deceptive with his movements, and can trigger to throw off DBs
- Settles down well downfield against zone coverage when moving laterally, sits down, and makes himself easily available
- Catch radius is impressive, and he works away from his momentum well, reeling in passes and securing them before tailing away
- Late hands on some timing routes and fade concepts, will hide his intentions and sneak away with grabs
- Able to get physical but stay disciplined on the sideline, won’t push off too much
- Redzone nightmare and is so technically sound when attacking DBs and sticking the ball at the catch point
Weaknesses:
- Slight hitch in his releases and clicks his back leg before firing at times
- A bit clunky when sitting down on hitch/curl routes against zone coverage, and he isn’t a sharp stop-and-go mover
- Will get indecisive in space at times after the catch, especially on shorter routes, needs to drive upfield quicker, and maximize ATC yardage
- His route tree is a bit undefined; he has spent most of his time working vertically, and will have to develop shorter routes
- Relies mainly on physicality when going vertically, doesn’t have the top-end speed to break away from defenders
- Doesn’t work back to the ball very well, needs to plant and drive on comebacks, and make himself more available
- Loses a noticeable amount of steam when on the field for longer amounts of time
- Will have some awareness lapses, either getting himself bunched up with other receivers or getting lost as a run blocker
- Footwork isn’t the sharpest, and it shows with his larger build, not a natural quick route separator against man coverage when moving laterally
- Can’t flash quick footwork often in his releases, won’t stack DBs to work vertically out of the gate
- Drop issues at times, especially with focus drops and getting too locked in to secure the ball
NFL Outlook:
Hurst is a future productive NFL wideout, without a doubt. His physical abilities are more than enough to warrant a mid-round selection, and the tantalizing potential if he can develop his route tree and fix some drop issues should push him into Day 2. Hurst can immediately produce as a redzone threat, and as a guy who can stretch the field, and in a weaker class, he could push for an early-round selection with the chance to be a top target for whichever team drafts him.
NFL Player Comparison:
Hurst is a standard X receiver who can offer upside in other areas, and one player who stands out as a similar archetype is former Los Angeles Chargers and current Buffalo Bills wide receiver Josh Palmer. Palmer was a third-round pick by LAC in the 2021 draft, and he averaged over 550 receiving yards in each of his first four seasons. Hurst, ideally, would produce at a higher level than Palmer has, but both players consistently offer(ed) an attractive red zone profile and tools to be a valuable offensive piece in the passing game.
Prospect Grade:
- Mid 3rd Round