With the Buffalo Bills loading up on the defensive side in the NFL 2026 Draft, the team faces a unique situation on its roster. They've now drafted two pairs of former college teammates who will reunite and play on the Bills this season.
Last year's youth on the defense gained valuable experience on the field in 2025. Having their former teammates on the roster should help the 2026 Bills draft class push each other to improve, which would carry over to the rest of the team.
Let's take a look at two pairs of former college teammates who will look to have success together on the defensive side of the ball.
Defensive teammates fans should look out for in 2026
Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock won national championship in 2024-25 at Ohio State
Before the Bills drafted them, Davison Igbinosun, Buffalo's second-round 2 pick (No. 62), and Jordan Hancock, their 2025 fifth-round pick, were national champions in 2024-25 at the Ohio State University.
Hancock had a disappointing first season, which led to offseason shoulder surgery. But after Igbinosun returned to college in 2025, he earned a second-team All-Big Ten honors, and he's now arrived in Buffalo to help him and Hancock recreate their magical run to the 2024 National Championship title.
Jalon Kilgore and T.J. Sanders together at South Carolina
Meanwhile, down in Columbia, South Carolina, another pair of former college teammates played a key role in helping South Carolina the last two seasons.
T.J. Sanders, a second-round pick by the Bills in 2025, earned a second-team AP All-SEC honors in 2024, where he collected 50 tackles, seven of them for a loss, and four sacks.
Sanders' rookie season last year was a struggle, as he made only two starts in the 12 games he played. He does have a chance for better on-field results with Jim Leonhard's aggressive defensive scheme.
Kilgore, a fifth-round pick in 2026, had an SEC-best five interceptions in 2024, but returned to South Carolina in 2025, where he earned second-team All-SEC honors. He recorded 54 tackles, 10 passes defended, and two picks.
While both pairs of teammates showed what they could do in college, NFL fans need to understand that players must prove they can succeed at the highest levels. They're hit by bigger, stronger players, and wear and tear is greater than at the collegiate level, marking the challenge of transition. Let's hope that having a familiar face in the room for the two newcomers will help them adapt more easily.
Still, Bills Mafia should remember the names Igbinosun, Hancock, Kilgore, and Sanders. When all the rising defensive hopefuls do their assignments at training camp, let's all hope we see their names on the Bills' 2026 roster.
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