Nfl Combine: Ohio State duo Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese shine in Indianapolis
The 2026 nfl combine turned heads on Thursday as Ohio State linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese produced the fastest times of the day in Indianapolis, a performance scouts will digest during a week of interviews and on-field drills.
Thursday’s headline performers set the pace
Thursday’s workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium featured linebackers, edge rushers and defensive linemen, and Ohio State teammates Styles and Arvell Reese led the way. The pair tied for the fastest 40-yard dash times of the day, with official times listed at 4. 46 seconds; some unofficial timing on second attempts showed 4. 47 seconds, an inconsistency present in coverage of the session. Styles also finished near the top of the field in the vertical jump and the broad jump, while Reese’s short-burst speed drew extra attention.
Other standouts and measurable details
Thursday’s group included several other eye-catching performances: Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks, Texas Tech edge David Bailey, UCF edge Malachi Lawrence and Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton all posted noted displays. Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. had an arm measurement recorded at 30 and 7/8 inches on Thursday, a concrete number that evaluators will factor into positional comparisons.
Nfl Combine logistics: schedule, venue and coverage
The event spans a multi-day window: the broader combine dates are listed as Feb. 23 through March 2, with on-field workouts scheduled from Feb. 26 through March 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the annual host since 1987. Live coverage of on-field drills begins at 3 p. m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 26 and runs through 5 p. m. ET on Sunday, March 1. Broadcast coverage is provided on NFL Network and streamed on NFL+, with combine content presented by Microsoft Copilot.
Invites, projections and other headlines from Indianapolis
The NFL invited 319 prospects to this year’s event. Notable invitees named for the week include Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. A draft projection in coverage has Arvell Reese pegged as a No. 4 overall selection in a recent mock draft. Meanwhile, questions remain or are unclear in the provided context: Jermod McCoy’s reasons for skipping on-field drills are not detailed, and which position Reese views himself playing at the next level is unclear in the provided context.
Reactions, analysis and what’s next
Reactions in Indianapolis included a social-media post from Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton on Feb. 27, 2026, calling out a broadcast split-screen that placed his draft profile beside Sonny Styles’ and writing, “I just got brutally framemogged. ” Analysts are already filing stock reports from the venue — Chad Reuter provided a stock report summarizing who boosted or lost draft standing after Thursday’s workouts — and evaluators will continue to parse timed runs, jumps and measurements through the weekend.
Workouts continue across position groups: tight ends and defensive backs are scheduled for Friday, quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs for Saturday, and offensive linemen for Sunday. Teams and scouts will turn to the next day of drills and the live coverage window beginning at 3 p. m. ET on Feb. 26 for more measurable moments and interviews.
