Lee Hunter is a 6’3, 318 pound defensive tackle from Texas Tech University. He was a 4 star recruit from Mobile, Alabama. In 2017, he played on the offensive and defensive lines at B.C Rain high school. In 2018, he transferred to Mattie T. Blount high school and got snaps at quarterback, tight end, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, and defensive end. In 2019, he went to the 6A State playoffs as a junior and finished the season with 77 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. He went to the State Quarterfinals in 2020. He capped off his senior season with 80 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 1 rushing touchdown, and 1 receiving touchdown. He was named All-State in 2020 and 6A Lineman of the Year. He signed with Auburn University to play defensive tackle.
Lee red shirted in 2021. He then transferred to the University of Central Florida in 2022. In 2023, he started 13 games and had 69 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks as a redshirt sophomore. In 2024, he started 10 games with 522 defensive snaps as a red shirt junior. He finished the season with 45 tackles (19 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 6 quarterback pressures. During his time at UCF, Lee led all FBS interior defenders in defensive run stops (58). He transferred to Texas Tech in 2025 for his final season of eligibility. He started in 14 games and had 41 tackles (16 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 3 quarterback pressures, and 1 forced fumble. He was named 1st Team All- Big 12 by the conference and an All-American by The Athletic.
The Red Raiders had one of the best defenses in program history in 2025. They ran a multiple style defense. On film, I saw a mixture of 4-3 and 4-2-5 with even and odd fronts. Their unit led the Big 12 in scoring defense (11.8 points per game), rushing defense (68.1 yards per game), and total defense (258.3 yards per game). This unit was also the driving force in Texas Tech making the College Football Playoff. Lee was a catalyst to some of their success.
Lee displays durability and competitive toughness. He is willing to do a variety of things to help the team win, including on special teams. He makes plays. There wasn’t any defensive tackle in the country that made more tackles than him in 2023. With a run stop percentage over 11% and missed tackle rate below 9% in 2025, Lee understands the importance of tackling and stopping the run.
Lee is capable of getting inside penetration and disrupting plays. He takes up space in the gaps. He attacks lateral and double-team blocks. He can split double teams and maneuver well in tight spaces, as he did against Kansas State in 2025. He likes to lower his pads and slide through blocks on the move. He maintains his leverage with good pad level and balance. He also has some twitch that makes him difficult to block on zone runs.
Lee has a large upper body with 33 ¼ inch arms. Despite having smaller hands, he is strong enough to win with power and proper hand placement. He relies heavily on his bull rush to win matchups. With his size and strength, he can be a nightmare for centers to go up against. He also uses an effective rip technique that complements his massive wingspan. But there aren’t a ton of other moves in his arsenal. He needs to balance his power with quick hands in order to shed more blocks and win 1-on-1s.
Lee can also get overzealous with power by overexerting his upper body to dislodge blocks and tackle ball carriers. I occasionally saw this in his film against Utah in 2025. He is fairly good at wrapping, but his tackling can still improve once he wraps through the ball carriers’ hips. His lack of agility, burst, and leg drive prevents him from finishing many plays. While he did lose weight for the NFL Combine, his get-off remains average at best. He ran a 5.18 forty-yard dash and 1.79 ten-yard split (NFL.com). He struggles changing direction against screens, quarterback runs, scramble drills, and running backs getting to the second level.
Lee will occasionally play on 3rd down, but not often. His snap count is limited due to a marginal pass rush, pursuit, and motor. That said, he can still get pressure on the quarterback. Against BYU in 2025, Lee forces Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier off his spot and causes him to throw an interception. Lee makes plays that don’t always show up on the stat sheet. If he isn’t able to get home, he can draw penalties against an offensive lineman to make his presence known. Lee remains a big run stopping defensive tackle who can play in multiple fronts. He can use those long arms on early downs to fill up the middle and lead running backs into traffic.
Scheme Fit:
Lee needs to be in a system that wants to stop the run using 4 down lineman. Their scheme can alternate between even and odd fronts. Lee can be a nose tackle or nose guard depending on the match up.
Player Projection: Aubrayo Franklin, Indianapolis Colts
Lee was a more productive player in college, but he and Aubrayo had the same strengths and weaknesses as prospects.
Projection: League Average Starter
While I don’t see Lee as an immediate impact player, he will be a proven starter within three years.
Grade: 4.6
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