The SMU Mustangs arrived at the 2026 NFL Draft in the fourth round.
At pick No. 133, the Baltimore Ravens selected SMU tight end Matthew Hibner. Hibner is the highest-selected Mustang since wide receiver Rashee Rice landed at pick No. 55 in 2023.
Hibner logged a 6-year college career, but almost the entirety of his production transpired in his final two years. The 2020-23 stretch was spent at Michigan where he only recorded two receptions. However, the tight end accrued valuable experience, participating
in and winning a national championship in 2023 while operating behind NFL tight ends Colston Loveland and AJ Barner.
Following his national title, Hibner transferred to SMU where his production blossomed. He originally served as the backup tight end to RJ Maryland, but after Maryland’s midseason ACL tear, Hibner was thrust into a No. 1 tight end role. He capitalized with 337 receiving yards in his final seven games, guiding SMU to an ACC Championship Game appearance and College Football Playoff bid in an unforgettable season in Dallas. The ACC title game was a signature performance for the Burke, VA native, who secured five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown at Bank of America Stadium.
Hibner returned to The Hilltop for 2026 where he one-upped his numbers, snagging 31 receptions for 436 yards and four touchdowns. The tight end concluded his college career on a high note with back-to-back 80+ yard performances, totaling 87 yards and a touchdown in the regular season finale at California and accruing 85 yards in the Holiday Bowl victory over Arizona — SMU’s first bowl win since 2012.
Hibner was one of four Mustangs (and two Mustang tight ends) to warrant invites to the 2026 NFL Combine. He tested well in Indianapolis, recording a 4.57-second 40-yard dash (fifth-fastest among tight ends) and a 37-inch vertical (fourth-highest among tight ends).
Hibner is the third SMU tight end drafted in the 2020s decade, joining the likes of 2021 fourth round selection Kylen Granson and 2022 sixth round selection Grant Calcaterra. The 6’4”, 251 pound tight end has been lauded for his catch radius and ability to stretch the field vertically as a tight end.
He arrives to Baltimore, MD — roughly an hour drive north of his hometown — where he joins a tight end room replacing Isaiah Likely. The Ravens still trot out soon-to-be 9th-year veteran Mark Andrews at the position, and they also addressed the Likely departure by adding Durham Smythe in free agency. Hibner will work alongside those two as his NFL dreams come to fruition at pick No. 133.
