(ThyBlackMan.com) One of the more amusing things about sports are some of the creative and unique athlete nicknames. While many athlete nicknames today are a shortening of the athlete’s first and last name like “A-Rod” for NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers or “KD” for NBA forward Kevin Durant, some nicknames are more creative like “Sexy Dexy” for the biggest and newest Cincinnati Bengal, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, known for his famous celebration on the football field. The 2026 NFL Draft will infuse new, young talent into the NFL but also some really great nicknames that these former college football players will bring with them into the league. Here are some of the best nicknames among the 2026 NFL Draft hopefuls:
-Defensive Tackle Dontay Corleone (Cincinnati) aka “The Godfather”: Movie and book fans will instantly understand the nickname of Cincinnati’s former defensive lineman. The famous book and movie “The Godfather” featured the Corleone family with a strong background for various moves and large-scale decisions. Corleone was the most important part of Cincinnati’s defense in recent seasons mirroring the importance of the Corleone family in “The Godfather”.
-Kicker Kansei Matsuzawa (Hawai?i) aka “The Tokyo Toe”: One of the most unique stories and coolest nicknames, “The Tokyo Toe”, in the 2026 NFL Draft belongs to a kicker, Kansei Matsuzawa. He self-trained himself into becoming a junior college kicker using mostly YouTube videos after being completely foreign to the game of American football after leaving his native Japan to come to the U.S. He eventually transferred to the University of Hawai?i and became the team’s starting kicker and now has a chance of playing in the NFL.
-Defensive Tackle Domonique Orange (Iowa State) aka “Big Citrus”: Defensive lineman who clog up the run are valuable and Domonique Orange has the ability to do that. His nickname is self-explanatory when you see him and his last name. The origin of his nickname is not completely known but Orange’s nutritionist deserves some credit of bringing the nickname to the attention of the large defensive lineman himself. It’s hard not to smile when you realize that Domonique Orange already has one of the best nicknames in sports.
-Offensive Tackle Kadyn Proctor (Alabama) aka “Krispy”: Football fields are full of large men battling against each other for hours but few are ever as enormous as former Alabama star Kadyn Proctor. The 6’7, 359-pound offensive lineman gained the nickname “Krispy” due to his enjoyment of Krispy Kreme donuts. Don’t let his massive frame fool you into thinking he isn’t athletic as Alabama added a couple plays in its offensive playbook called the “Krispy package” for giving Proctor a couple of chances carrying the ball. When a man that size is carrying the football, he will definitely “Kreme” opposing tacklers!
-Wide Receiver Elijah Sarratt (Indiana) aka “Waffle House”: While Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza received a ton of attention during Indiana football’s history making season in 2025, his star wide receiver Elijah Sarratt had Mendoza beat when it comes to nicknames. Sarratt’s “Waffle House” nickname is a great one for any receiver because he describes him being open 24/7, like the famous breakfast restaurant.
Staff Writer; Mark Hines
