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Ty Simpson, Jeremiyah Love Among 16 Prospects Attending 2026 NFL Draft
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Ty Simpson, Jeremiyah Love Among 16 Prospects Attending 2026 NFL Draft

#NFL Draft 2026 #Ty Simpson #Jeremiyah Love #draft attendees #Fernando Mendoza #Pittsburgh #first round #prospects

📌 Key Takeaways

  • 16 top prospects will attend the 2026 NFL Draft's first round in Pittsburgh.
  • Notable attendees include Alabama QB Ty Simpson and Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love.
  • Presumptive #1 pick Fernando Mendoza will not attend, opting to celebrate with family in Miami.
  • This marks the fourth straight year of declining draft attendance numbers.
  • The group is defense-heavy but includes several projected first-round offensive talents.

📖 Full Retelling

The National Football League announced on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, that 16 top college prospects, including Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, will attend the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to personally experience their selection and celebrate the milestone event. The league's official unveiling of the attendee list comes two weeks ahead of the draft night, setting the stage for the annual spectacle where the future of professional football is shaped. Despite the star power present, the event will be marked by a significant absence. Fernando Mendoza, the highly-touted quarterback from Indiana University and the presumptive number one overall pick, informed the league he will instead celebrate the moment with his family in Miami. His decision underscores a personal choice trend among some elite players, though the Pittsburgh gathering will still feature a strong contingent of projected early selections. This group is headlined by defensive standouts such as edge rushers David Bailey and Ohio State's Arvell Reese, both forecasted as potential top-10 picks. The list of 16 attendees, however, represents a continuing decline in participation for the fourth consecutive year, down from 17 in 2025 and a recent peak of 21 at the 2022 draft in Las Vegas. Nevertheless, the cohort in Pittsburgh reflects a robust cross-section of the draft's premier talent, heavily weighted toward defensive players but with notable offensive names. Alongside Simpson and Love, other expected first-round talents set to walk the stage include Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, and Ohio State defensive standouts Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles. The presence of these players ensures the draft night will spotlight both the anticipation of immediate selections and the narratives surrounding those who chose to celebrate elsewhere.

🏷️ Themes

Sports Business, Player Agency, Event Trends

📚 Related People & Topics

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Second-most populous city in Pennsylvania, U.S.

Pittsburgh ( PITS-burg) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located in southwestern Pennsylvania where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River, it had a population of 302,971 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous ...

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Fernando Mendoza

Fernando Mendoza

American football player (born 2003)

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Jeremiyah Love

Jeremiyah Love

American football player (born 2005)

Jeremiyah Darnell Love (born May 31, 2005) is an American college football running back for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In 2025, he won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back—becoming the first winner in program history—and was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

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Ty Simpson

American football player (born 2002)

Ty Simpson (born December 21, 2002) is an American college football quarterback. In college, he played for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

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Connections for Pittsburgh:

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👤 Stanford University 1 shared
🌐 ACC men's basketball tournament 1 shared
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Mentioned Entities

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Second-most populous city in Pennsylvania, U.S.

 Fernando Mendoza

Fernando Mendoza

American football player (born 2003)

 Jeremiyah Love

Jeremiyah Love

American football player (born 2005)

Ty Simpson

American football player (born 2002)
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Original Source
Not every top prospect chooses to spend draft night at home. With two weeks until draft night, the NFL unveiled the list of players set to attend the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. A total of 16 prospects are expected to walk the stage and embrace the moment. The most notable absence is presumed No. 1 overall pick, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. He informed the league on Tuesday that he plans to experience the moment with his family in Miami instead. Even without Mendoza, the event will feature plenty of star power. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love headlines the group, joined by edge rushers David Bailey and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, all projected to be top-10 selections. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson will also be in attendance, potentially adding some fuel to the rising speculation that he'll be a first-round pick. As 16 prospects opt to celebrate their big night in Pittsburgh, though, it represents a decline in NFL draft attendees for the fourth straight year. The 2025 draft had 17 attendees, with the 21 prospects attending the 2022 draft in Las Vegas being the most in the last five years. The group still reflects a strong cross-section of the draft’s top talent, with several projected first-round picks set to take the stage. Their presence sets the stage for a draft night in Pittsburgh that will spotlight both elite prospects and notable absences. Which NFL prospects are expected to attend the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh? Alongside Love, Bailey, Reese and Simpson, the rest of the group in attendance is expected to be made up largely of potential first-round picks. Miami (Fla.) edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane are among the players projected to hear their names called early on Thursday night. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles are also expected to be in that mix. Even in a class that leans defensive, there’s no shortage of offensive talent in Pittsburgh. Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, USC’s
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