Underrated Qualities That Could Help Preston Hodge's NFL Potential

Heading into the 2026 NFL draft, the Colorado Buffaloes are hoping to see cornerback Preston Hodge hear his name called. However, there are a couple of key things that many people are missing, which could significantly help Hodge’s draft stock.

Key Things People Are Missing About Colorado Buffaloes Cornerback Preston Hodge's NFL Potential Coach Deion Sanders Big 12 — Aug 29, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Preston Hodge (4) reacts to a turnover in the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Aggressive Play Style

In order to be a successful cornerback, it takes a different type of mindset. There are constant negatives, especially after losing a rep, which creates an explosive play for the offense. That is why two of the most important traits for a defensive back are an aggressive play style and a short memory.

These two traits can often create a solid corner if the right balance is found. In many ways, that is indicative of the way Hodge plays. Like other corners, Hodge has allowed big plays, but his ability to respond with consistent production has shown that he has a short memory and can bounce back from adversity.

Throughout his college career with the Liberty and at Colorado, Hodge has totaled 30 pass breakups, five interceptions, and one forced fumble.

Hodge’s choice to go to Colorado under coach Deion Sanders could prove to be one of the better decisions he has made. The opportunity to receive coaching from a Hall of Fame player like Sanders, who played the cornerback position, is something that could significantly advance his career.

That coaching really helped Hodge to have a great final season in college as he recorded 13 pass breakups and became one of the more consistent cornerbacks in the Big 12. On his path to a successful 2025 season, Hodge used a more aggressive playstyle to cater to his physical strengths and limit opposing receivers to very little success.

Sanders has even talked about encouraging that aggressive play style to go make a play and not worry about getting beat. That mindset often helps the corners to play to their strengths, which can, in many cases, build up to create a very confident player.

This mindset really helped Hodge to find success at Colorado, and as Hodge continues to develop, with the right coaching, he could become even better as he transitions to the NFL.

Versatility and Size In The NFL

There are some players who are very productive in college, but for some reason, do not pan out in the NFL. That can happen for a variety of reasons, but two of the more common ones are limited positional versatility and size.

That is not a concern with Hodge with his standing frame of 6-0 and 200 pounds, which could translate very well to the NFL level. In college, Hodge also showed tremendous versatility as he played on the outside at the corner, but also spent some time in the slot at nickel, which gives great versatility to help the defensive coordinators find the best matchup possible.

With his frame and physicality, Hodge could also develop into a safety to add better coverage on the back end to limit explosive plays over the top. A player like Hodge playing the safety position could help a defense to become a lot more productive with his versatility and talent to go make plays on the ball.

The verdict is yet to be determined for Hodge, but his consistent production in forcing turnovers and versatile frame could translate well to the NFL level. The team that chooses to select Hodge is getting a very productive player, with great size, talent, and ball skills, who could turn into one of the league’s best ball hawks.

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