04-24-2026, 08:19 PM -
Lee Hunter., pick 2nd round....NT
Overview
Hometown: Mobile, AL
Birthday: July 2, 2002
Age: 23.8
Jersey: No. 2
High School: Blount
Year: Fifth-year senior
A one-year starter at Texas Tech (and three-year starter overall), Hunter lined up as the nose guard in defensive coordinator Shiel Wood’s 4-2-5 base scheme. After a bad experience in his one season at Auburn, he put himself on the NFL radar at UCF and then made his presence known for the Red Raiders in 2025. Despite generating little sack production, he combined for 31.5 tackles for loss over the past three seasons.
With light feet for a big guy, Hunter offers a balanced blend of strength, length and movements. He can post up on run downs and shut down A-gaps, while also flashing the lateral range to make more plays away from his square than your average nose. He is naturally strong, although high pads and a narrow base can take away from his power supply. He is limited on passing downs and is more of a slow-burn pocket pusher than a man with a plan.
Dane’s takeaway
Dane Brugler Illustration
Hunter doesn’t have the pass-rush skill set to consistently impact the quarterback, but he is instinctive as a run defender and has heavy hands to make stops at the line of scrimmage. He projects as a scheme-diverse, two-gapping nose.
Strengths
Broad through his shoulders and hips; comfortably carries his weight
Relies on natural strength and size to be stout at contact
Moves with surprising quickness and fluidity in 320-pound frame
Lateral mobility — takes good angles to the ball
Knows how to use his body to his advantage (Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon said Hunter was the toughest player he faced in 2025)
Uses fierce hands to discard blocks and find the ball
Finds ways to adjust and stalemate against double teams
Able to create vertical push when he locks out his arms
Quickly connected with Texas Tech locker room (NFL scout: “Showed up and worked … wants to be coached hard. … (He) became a team leader and was holding other guys accountable.”)
Durable — played in 52 games over past four seasons
Weaknesses
Good bubble but mid-cut and a little top heavy
Not explosive (lowest vertical — by three inches — at NFL combine)
Pads get high in a hurry, giving blockers an easy target
Needs to pay more attention to leverage and technique to keep himself clean
Doesn’t have snap timing or first-step burst for quick wins
Lacks pass-rush plan and relies on force to push his way to pocket
Roughing the passer penalty on third down vs. UCF in 2025 (which kept drive alive and led to a touchdown)
College stats
Hover any column header to see its definition.
2021 Redshirted; enrolled January 2021
2022 Enrolled January 2022
2023 Honorable Mention All-Big 12
2024 Second Team All-Big 12; led team in TFL; entered transfer portal (Dec. 2024)
2025 Second Team All-American; First Team All-Big Ten; enrolled January 2025
Background
Lee “The Fridge” Hunter, who has three siblings, was born and raised in Mobile, Ala., with his mother (Shirley Tucker). He grew up playing basketball and football with close friend Deontae Lawson, a fellow 2026 NFL Draft prospect. The summer before Hunter’s senior year of high school, in June 2020, his daughter (Kaylee) was born.
Hunter originally attended B.C. Rain High School in Mobile as a freshman and played both ways on the offensive and defensive lines. Rain managed only two wins in 2017, and Hunter transferred prior to his sophomore season to Mattie T. Blount High School. Already 6 feet 5 inches tall and 300 pounds, Hunter made an immediate impact on varsity in 2018 and saw snaps at quarterback, tight end, offensive tackle, defensive tackle and defensive end. As a junior, he earned second-team all-state honors, with 77 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, eight sacks and three forced fumbles, helping Blount to an 8-3 record and the 2019 Class 6A state playoffs. After initially deciding to opt out of his senior season during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hunter changed his mind and returned to the team. He helped Blount to the 2020 state playoff quarterfinals (80 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and eight sacks), again earning all-state honors, while seeing snaps on offense (recorded a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown). Hunter was named 2020 6A Lineman of the Year as a senior and was invited to the All-American Bowl. He also lettered in basketball and track at Blount.
A four-star recruit, Hunter was the 12th-ranked defensive lineman in the 2021 class and the No. 5 recruit in Alabama (just behind Lawson). He ranked No. 81 overall nationally. Hunter saw his recruitment take off after transferring to Blount as a sophomore, starting with an offer from Tennessee (October 2018). Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Oregon and Texas A&M also offered during his sophomore year. Hunter took visits to Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla., but he had grown up an Auburn fan and committed to Gus Malzahn after his junior season (December 2019). He kept his recruitment open during his senior year and considered Alabama, Georgia and LSU — especially after Auburn fired Malzahn following the 2020 season. But Hunter said Auburn is “where his heart” told him to go, so he signed before Bryan Harsin was hired as the Tigers’ new head coach. He was the top-ranked recruit in Harsin’s first class at Auburn.
Despite expectations that he’d make an immediate impact, Hunter redshirted in 2021 and entered the transfer portal in January 2022. (He posted on social media that he chose to leave Auburn because “we got treated like we wasn’t good enough and like dogs.”) Hunter reunited with Malzahn at UCF and played three seasons for the Knights.
He graduated from UCF with a degree in general studies and again entered the transfer portal after the 2024 season. Hunter signed a lucrative NIL deal with Texas Tech and joined the team in January 2025 for his final season. He accepted an invitation to the 2026 Senior Bowl, an event he attended “every year” as a fan growing up in Mobile.
Overview
Hometown: Mobile, AL
Birthday: July 2, 2002
Age: 23.8
Jersey: No. 2
High School: Blount
Year: Fifth-year senior
A one-year starter at Texas Tech (and three-year starter overall), Hunter lined up as the nose guard in defensive coordinator Shiel Wood’s 4-2-5 base scheme. After a bad experience in his one season at Auburn, he put himself on the NFL radar at UCF and then made his presence known for the Red Raiders in 2025. Despite generating little sack production, he combined for 31.5 tackles for loss over the past three seasons.
With light feet for a big guy, Hunter offers a balanced blend of strength, length and movements. He can post up on run downs and shut down A-gaps, while also flashing the lateral range to make more plays away from his square than your average nose. He is naturally strong, although high pads and a narrow base can take away from his power supply. He is limited on passing downs and is more of a slow-burn pocket pusher than a man with a plan.
Dane’s takeaway
Dane Brugler Illustration
Hunter doesn’t have the pass-rush skill set to consistently impact the quarterback, but he is instinctive as a run defender and has heavy hands to make stops at the line of scrimmage. He projects as a scheme-diverse, two-gapping nose.
Strengths
Broad through his shoulders and hips; comfortably carries his weight
Relies on natural strength and size to be stout at contact
Moves with surprising quickness and fluidity in 320-pound frame
Lateral mobility — takes good angles to the ball
Knows how to use his body to his advantage (Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon said Hunter was the toughest player he faced in 2025)
Uses fierce hands to discard blocks and find the ball
Finds ways to adjust and stalemate against double teams
Able to create vertical push when he locks out his arms
Quickly connected with Texas Tech locker room (NFL scout: “Showed up and worked … wants to be coached hard. … (He) became a team leader and was holding other guys accountable.”)
Durable — played in 52 games over past four seasons
Weaknesses
Good bubble but mid-cut and a little top heavy
Not explosive (lowest vertical — by three inches — at NFL combine)
Pads get high in a hurry, giving blockers an easy target
Needs to pay more attention to leverage and technique to keep himself clean
Doesn’t have snap timing or first-step burst for quick wins
Lacks pass-rush plan and relies on force to push his way to pocket
Roughing the passer penalty on third down vs. UCF in 2025 (which kept drive alive and led to a touchdown)
College stats
Hover any column header to see its definition.
2021 Redshirted; enrolled January 2021
2022 Enrolled January 2022
2023 Honorable Mention All-Big 12
2024 Second Team All-Big 12; led team in TFL; entered transfer portal (Dec. 2024)
2025 Second Team All-American; First Team All-Big Ten; enrolled January 2025
Background
Lee “The Fridge” Hunter, who has three siblings, was born and raised in Mobile, Ala., with his mother (Shirley Tucker). He grew up playing basketball and football with close friend Deontae Lawson, a fellow 2026 NFL Draft prospect. The summer before Hunter’s senior year of high school, in June 2020, his daughter (Kaylee) was born.
Hunter originally attended B.C. Rain High School in Mobile as a freshman and played both ways on the offensive and defensive lines. Rain managed only two wins in 2017, and Hunter transferred prior to his sophomore season to Mattie T. Blount High School. Already 6 feet 5 inches tall and 300 pounds, Hunter made an immediate impact on varsity in 2018 and saw snaps at quarterback, tight end, offensive tackle, defensive tackle and defensive end. As a junior, he earned second-team all-state honors, with 77 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, eight sacks and three forced fumbles, helping Blount to an 8-3 record and the 2019 Class 6A state playoffs. After initially deciding to opt out of his senior season during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hunter changed his mind and returned to the team. He helped Blount to the 2020 state playoff quarterfinals (80 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and eight sacks), again earning all-state honors, while seeing snaps on offense (recorded a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown). Hunter was named 2020 6A Lineman of the Year as a senior and was invited to the All-American Bowl. He also lettered in basketball and track at Blount.
A four-star recruit, Hunter was the 12th-ranked defensive lineman in the 2021 class and the No. 5 recruit in Alabama (just behind Lawson). He ranked No. 81 overall nationally. Hunter saw his recruitment take off after transferring to Blount as a sophomore, starting with an offer from Tennessee (October 2018). Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Oregon and Texas A&M also offered during his sophomore year. Hunter took visits to Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Tallahassee, Fla., but he had grown up an Auburn fan and committed to Gus Malzahn after his junior season (December 2019). He kept his recruitment open during his senior year and considered Alabama, Georgia and LSU — especially after Auburn fired Malzahn following the 2020 season. But Hunter said Auburn is “where his heart” told him to go, so he signed before Bryan Harsin was hired as the Tigers’ new head coach. He was the top-ranked recruit in Harsin’s first class at Auburn.
Despite expectations that he’d make an immediate impact, Hunter redshirted in 2021 and entered the transfer portal in January 2022. (He posted on social media that he chose to leave Auburn because “we got treated like we wasn’t good enough and like dogs.”) Hunter reunited with Malzahn at UCF and played three seasons for the Knights.
He graduated from UCF with a degree in general studies and again entered the transfer portal after the 2024 season. Hunter signed a lucrative NIL deal with Texas Tech and joined the team in January 2025 for his final season. He accepted an invitation to the 2026 Senior Bowl, an event he attended “every year” as a fan growing up in Mobile.
This post was last modified: 04-24-2026, 08:20 PM by Ladypanther.