The beginning of college football season also brings the commencement of the college scouting cycle for NFL teams as they start to identify which collegiate athletes they view as potential fits to join their franchise during April’s NFL Draft.
Like every team in the league, the Indianapolis Colts are rigorous in their coverage of all college games during the season, and that was no clearer than on Saturday.
Indy sent three representatives of their scouting department to Columbus, Ohio for the top-3 matchup between top-ranked Texas and the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. The Colts were one of two teams tied for the most department members in attendance, a sign of a high level of interest in players from both programs.
A total of 22 clubs have at least one scout in attendance for Texas-Ohio State today, source said.
Among those in attendance (amount of reps):
• GB (3)
• IND (3)
• MIN (2)
• SF (2)
• WSH (2)
• CHI (2)
• BUF (2)
• NYG (GM Joe Schoen)
• DEN
• PIT
• NE
• LAC
• JAX— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) August 30, 2025
Indianapolis drafted JT Tuimoloau out of Ohio State in the second round of this April’s draft. Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs is set to be a high draft choice, with linebacker Sonny Styles, wide receiver Carnell Tate and tight end Max Klare are also in the mix to be selected.
For the Longhorns, quarterback Arch Manning is the obvious one to watch, especially for the Colts given their history with the Manning family. The 21-year-old still has the option to remain in school an extra year, but a breakout campaign could see him declare early.
Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., cornerback Malik Muhammad and safety Michael Taafee are some of the best available at their positions. The Colts also spent a second round pick on AD Mitchell out of the program in 2024, so there is a clearly recent appeal in both program’s players.
Additionally, the Colts had a scout in attendance at the top-10 matchup between No. 4 Clemson and No. 9 LSU. Given Indy’s uncertainty at quarterback, their interest in this matchup between top prospects Cade Klubnik and Garrett Nussmeier suggests, at the very least, they’re weighing their options for the future.
On the topic of quarterbacks, the Colts were one of 23 teams to send a representative to South Carolina’s Sunday afternoon clash with Virginia Tech to see Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who’s widely considered a top prospect along with Klubnik, Nussmeier and Manning, if he declares.
With consistent links throughout the offseason to collegiate signal callers, it’s become evident that the Colts still have no clear direction for their quarterback position beyond 2025, even if Daniel Jones can revive his career in Indianapolis.
