Arvell Reese has been one of the most dominant linebackers in college football this season. He has established himself as a potential top-5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But while draft analysts debate whether Reese could realistically go as high as No. 3 overall, he definitely knows where he doesn’t want to end up. And that would be Dallas. Well, at least for now.​​

To be fair, Reese wasn’t exactly trashing America’s Team when he made his feelings about Dallas abundantly clear. Ohio State is playing Miami in the Cotton Bowl playoff game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. And Reese was talking about the team’s businesslike approach to the trip.

“It was just like, you know, we landed here, you got to handle business and get up out of here,” Reese told reporters. “This ain’t no place we really want to be. We trying to get up, we trying to do what we gotta do and get up out of here.” 

Now, he was clearly talking about not wanting to stick around Dallas longer than necessary because they have bigger fish to fry. But the way he phrased it? Let’s just say Cowboys fans probably aren’t thrilled with the imagery of a potential top-3 draft pick saying Dallas “ain’t no place we really want to be.” 

Most mock drafts have him going somewhere in the top five to the top 5 range. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked him No. 1 overall prospect in his Top 50 board. It’s not necessarily as the first player drafted, but as “the best draft-eligible prospect I have studied in 2025.” That’s insanely high praise for a linebacker in an era where teams are increasingly devaluing the position in favor of pass rushers and cornerbacks. 

So where does that leave the $13 billion Dallas Cowboys? Well, good news for Arvell Reese: he’s almost certainly not landing in Big D, at least not through the draft. Current mock drafts have the Cowboys picking around No. 14 in the first round. That’s nowhere near high enough to snag a talent like Reese, who’s projected to go in the top five. The Cowboys also have the 21st pick in the first round. According to predictions, they might spend their 14th on Miami’s offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. And they might go with Texas Tech’s edge rusher David Bailey with their 21st.

So, unless Jerry Jones makes a blockbuster trade to move way up in the draft, Reese won’t have to worry about calling Dallas home long-term. Teams like the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants are far more realistic landing spots for a player of Reese’s caliber.​

Making an impact without the stats

Reese may have made it clear he doesn’t want to stick around Dallas any longer than necessary for the Cotton Bowl. But his presence on the field has become so disruptive that opposing offenses can’t help but obsess over where he is. The numbers tell a strange story. Through the first eight games of the 2025 season, Reese exploded for 54 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. But in the five games since Ohio State played Penn State on November 1, he’s managed just eight tackles, one tackle for loss, and zero sacks. 

On paper, it looks like the breakout season stalled. But defensive coordinator Matt Patricia had a knowing grin when asked about it. He explained that teams have finally caught on to what makes Reese special and are now dedicating entire game plans to neutralizing him.

“A lot of the stuff we attacked early in the season now, I think teams have kind of seen enough film on it,” Patricia said ahead of the Cotton Bowl. “So a lot of times they’ll slide to his spot where he is, or they’ll try to make sure they have him accounted for in different ways. So that’s great. That gives opportunity to other players on the field to be able to have opportunities when that happens.”​

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That gravitational pull Reese creates has turned him into a decoy of sorts. Since teams started double-teaming Reese and sliding protection his way, linebackers like Sonny Styles have racked up 35 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Defensive end Caden Curry has also posted 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, and four sacks. So while Reese’s stats have dipped, his impact hasn’t. And that’s the team-first approach that has NFL scouts drooling and ranking him as a potential top-three pick in the 2026 draft.​​