Why Bears CB Malik Muhammad's Toughest Matchups in College Bode Well For His Future

While he might've flown under the radar throughout the pre-draft process, University of Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, whom the Bears selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, was one of the best cover men in college football in each of the past two seasons.

He allowed a meager 37.4 QB rating when opposing signal callers threw his way last season. The year before that, PFF gave him a rock-solid coverage grade of 79.9. He was often on an island as the Longhorn's top cornerback, and it didn't matter. He played well regardless of the circumstance or who he was lining up against.

While on that topic, with Texas being a college football powerhouse, he faced off against some of the best receivers in college football. He more than held his own on those occasions.

Muhammad was a giant slayer at Texas

Malik Muhammad knocking down a pass — Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) makes a catch over Texas Longhorns defensive back Malik Muhammad (5) in the first half at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

I decided to dive into the numbers put up by some of the top pass-catchers he went up against at the college level. They paint quite an interesting story about Muhammad's ability to hold up against tough competition.

Date	Name	School	Stats
8/31/24	Tory Horton	Colorado State	5 catches, 31 yards
9/28/24	Kevin Coleman Jr.	Mississippi State	6 catches, 57 yards
10/19/24	Arian Smith	Georgia	6 catches, 32 yards
11/16/24	Andrew Armstrong	Arkansas	6 catches, 74 yards
12/7/24	Arian Smith	Georgia	5 catches, 41 yards
1/10/25	Jeremiah Smith	Ohio State	1 catch, 3 yards
8/30/25	Jeremiah Smith	Ohio State	6 catches, 43 yards
9/6/25	Danny Scudero	San Jose State	7 catches, 60 yards
10/11/25	Isaiah Satenga III	Oklahoma	4 catches, 64 yards
10/18/25	Kendrick Law	Kentucky	3 catches, 25 yards
10/25/25	Brenen Thompson	Mississippi State	6 catches, 76 yards
11/15/25	Zachariah Branch	Georgia	6 catches, 41 yards
11/28/25	KC Concepcion	Texas A&M	5 catches, 57 yards

Muhammad went up against a murderers' row of pass-catchers in college. None of them looked like killers when it came down to playing Texas, though. It's worth noting that I didn't omit any receiving touchdowns in the statistics category. None of the highlighted receivers (some of the best in college football, mind you) caught any against Texas.

Now, I know Muhammad isn't a one-man wrecking crew. He's simply one of 11 starters on the Longhorns' defense. He was undoubtedly their top corner, though. They would often match him up with their opponent's top target and leave him on an island.

Malik Muhammad breaking up a pass — Texas defensive back Malik Muhammad (5) breaks up a pass intended for Arizona State wide receiver Malik McClain (12) in overtime in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While many of those matchups came via zone coverage (defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski prefers a zone-heavy scheme), that doesn't make his performances any less impressive. He held many of those receivers to some of their worst outings of the season.

In two matchups against Ohio State, he held Jeremiah Smith, who is widely considered the best receiver in college football, to a grand total of seven grabs for 46 yards. He allowed only one catch for four yards in the 2024 Cotton Bowl.

Bears got an absolute steal in Malik Muhammad future CB1 pic.twitter.com/EJfij5qBMC
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) April 25, 2026

In 2024, he held Tory Horton, who was a standout rookie for the Seahawks last season after being drafted in the fifth round of last year's draft, to his second-fewest yardage total of the year. Less than a month later, he held Mississippi State's Kevin Coleman Jr. to his third-fewest yardage output.

Muhammad stepped his lockdown game up even further in 2025. San Jose State receiver Danny Scudero was one of the top receivers in college football last season. He couldn't find much footing against Texas, though. Their week 2 clash was the only game over the first six weeks where he had fewer than 130 yards.

He also held his fellow draftees in check, with Kendrick Law, KC Concepcion, and Zachariah Branch combining for just over 120 yards in their three matchups against the Longhorns. Muhammad was the main reason why they were held in check.

Malik Muhammad SZNpic.twitter.com/vPJZwnryce
— Dave (@davebftv) April 25, 2026

Notably, he also held University of Michigan freshman pass-catcher Andrew Marsh, who led the team in receiving last year, to his worst game of the season. He only managed to garner ten yards off three catches against Texas.

While Mississippi State pass-catcher Brenen Thompson got over on him a bit in their 45-38 shootout last season, that feels like more of an outlier than a reason for alarm. Thompson, who was selected with one of the first picks in the fourth round, is one of the fastest receivers in this year's class. He ran a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Fast guys with great hands get loose sometimes.

The Bears landed a potenial gem in the rough

Malik Muhammad celebrating a play — Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Malik Muhammad (5) celebrates after an interception during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

I was initially shocked by the fact that Muhammad was still on the board after the first three rounds, and I'm even more surprised after discovering how well he played against his toughest competition.

He's already the total package at the cornerback position and, unlike many of his peers in this year's class, is still only 21 years old and has plenty of room to get better. Really, the only knock on him is his size, as he's relatively light at 182 lbs.

I'm thrilled the Bears were able to land Muhammad in the fourth round. He's got the potential to be an absolute steal, and he could be coming for Tyrique Stevenson's starting job in short order.

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