There’s a player out there who has quietly put together one of the most dominant offensive tackle seasons in college football. And the NFL draft world has taken notice. That player is Spencer Fano. He has helped the Utes rack up 541 yards against Wyoming, 532 against West Virginia, and 492 against UCLA. These are all monster performances that showcased his ability to create lanes in the run game. And now,  the 6-foot-6, 302-pound Utah junior has cemented himself as a legitimate first-round prospect, according to one ESPN analyst. 

In ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s latest 2026 NFL Draft Big Board, he checks in at No. 10 overall, the highest-ranked offensive lineman in the entire class. Kiper gushed praises about the traits that make Fano such a coveted prospect. He pointed to his versatility and technical prowess as major selling points. “Fano started 12 games at left tackle in 2023 before moving to the right side in 2024, and he has started 17 games there over two seasons,” Kiper wrote. The analyst highlighted how Fano works opposite another highly touted bookend in Caleb Lomu, creating what might be the best offensive tackle tandem in college football. 

“Fano does a great job of keeping his big frame between the pass rusher and his QB,” Kiper explained. “He is technically sound and shows good punch to compensate for his lack of ideal arm length.” That last part is important. Fano isn’t your prototypical 6-8 tackle with go-go-gadget arms, but he’s figured out how to win with precision and power instead. What really separates Fano from the pack is his ridiculous run-blocking ability, which some draft analysts have called the best they’ve ever evaluated. 

Kiper emphasized this strength, noting that while Fano excels in pass protection, it’s his physicality in the ground game that truly sets him apart. “He is technically sound and shows good punch,” Kiper reiterated, a quality that allows Fano to maul defenders at the point of attack despite not having the longest arms in the draft class. 

He has had his fair share of knocks on him, too, by surrendering three pressures and three hurries across 167 pass-blocking opportunities. But those are just blips within an overall elite performance. 

NFL teams will be drooling over his fit in modern wide-zone rushing schemes, the offenses that require explosive, athletic tackles who can drive defenders off the ball and lead block on outside runs. With over half the season still to play, Fano has a chance to solidify himself as not just the top tackle but a legitimate top-five pick in the 2026 draft.​

And, if there’s one team that desperately needs Fano’s services, it’s the Houston Texans.

Is Spencer Fano the answer for Houston?

Both Walter Football and CBS Sports are projecting Spencer Fano to land in Houston, albeit at different spots in the first round. The Texans’ offensive line has been a disaster through the first six weeks of the 2025 season, and CJ Stroud is paying the price. 

The $36 million NFL star has been sacked 12 times through just five games, one of the highest in the entire NFL. That’s not just bad. It’s unsustainable for a team trying to build around its young signal-caller. Houston’s current left tackle situation is a band-aid at best, with Cam Robinson playing on a one-year deal. And the entire line has struggled to give Stroud the clean pocket he needs to operate Ryan’s offense effectively.

Spencer Fano will be that addition that Houston needs right now. His zero sacks allowed through five games this season on 167 pass-blocking opportunities is elite execution that NFL teams salivate over. Walter Football noted that “Spencer Fano needs to fill out his frame, but he was stationed at left tackle as a freshman,” showing both his potential and his versatility to play either tackle spot depending on what Houston needs.

CBS Sports’ Blake Brockermeyer went even further, calling him someone who “will be in the No. 1 offensive lineman conversation due to his weekly consistency over the last few seasons in both phases,” before adding that “I believe the ability to play on the blindside” makes him even more valuable.