A cornerback who never played high school football, instead starting his path to the NFL after answering a junior college tryout flyer.
Michael Coats Jr. took one of the more unconventional routes in the 2026 draft class, going from a non-athlete working at an arcade in Biloxi, Mississippi, to a starting cornerback at three different colleges. He signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent after a standout final season at West Virginia, projecting as slot corner depth.
Path to the league
Coats attended Biloxi High School in Mississippi but did not play organized football there, instead working at an arcade after graduation before a tryout flyer led him to East Central Community College. He played three seasons there from 2020 to 2022, recording 38 tackles, five sacks, 19 pass deflections and four interceptions, before transferring to Nevada for 2023 and 2024. He finished his college career with one season at West Virginia in 2025 and signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2026.
Career highlights
Coats broke out at Nevada in 2024, earning first-team All-Mountain West honors after piling up 17 pass deflections and 4 interceptions. Across his college career at three schools, he totaled 56 games with 41 starts. At his pro day he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash with a 36-inch vertical, athletic testing numbers that helped him land with the Browns.
2025 season recap
In his one season at West Virginia, Coats recorded 30 tackles, including two for loss, seven pass deflections and a forced fumble. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft but signed with Cleveland as a free agent days later, with evaluators projecting him as a slot corner given his coverage instincts and testing numbers.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Michael Coats Jr.
- ESPN: Michael Coats Jr. player page
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- West Virginia
- Hometown
- Louisville, MS, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
