2026 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Gavin Cruser, LB, Hiram College

• Name: Gavin Cruser
• Position: Inside Linebacker
• College: Hiram College
• Height: 5’9″
• Weight: 215
• Twitter: @gavin_cruser
• Instagram: @crusergavin53

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2026 NFL Draft?

What I think makes me a top prospect at inside linebacker is my football IQ and the ability to deconstruct the offense and what is happening at a very fast pace, and have a nose for the football. I am also very elusive when it comes to avoiding blocks and putting myself in positions to make plays.

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

All any NFL team needs to know about me is that all I need is a chance, I know I am severely undersized for my position but I can ball and just need an opportunity to show what I can do.

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be? 

Definitely cancer research, my grandma was taken from this world too soon from breast cancer and I have always thought that the funding for cancer research should be increased by quite a lot.

Who was your role model? 

My role model is for sure my dad, he has always sacrificed his own well being to make sure I was taken care of and has gotten both him and I out of a lot of bad situations.

Who is your favorite NFL team?

I’ve been a lifelong Denver Broncos fan.

Who is the most underrated teammate at your school? 

Naming just one underrated teammate is incredibly hard, coming from a small D3 school we never really get any publicity or acknowledgments so we have a lot of underrated talents, but just to narrow it down I’d have to say either Devyn Mercilliott or Keinan Newsone, they never get the proper recognition but when it comes to doing their job and making sure others are set up in the right position to do theirs, those two guys are as best as it comes.

What is your biggest pet peeve? 

Biggest pet peeve is people that are too afraid to do the work but are the first ones to complain when things aren’t going their way or they don’t get the playing time that they think they deserve.

Who is your favorite teacher ever?

My favorite professor I’ve had was Lisa Walker throughout my high school career, she was preparing us for our futures and trying to get us into college type classes so we would know what to expect when we got here. She was our Athletic Trainer and taught a bunch of classes that revolved around her work.

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome? 

I would have to say when I lost my uncle Mike growing up. When I was first born, I was very picky on who I would let hold me and he was probably the top of a very short list, whenever Uncle Mike was there, I would be crying until I ended up in his arms. We lost him to suicide and even after his passing, my family told me I would go sit in the corner at his house and have a full on conversation with him. It was just a lesson of not taking anyone or anything for granted and to always check up on someone.

If you could have any franchise restaurant in your house what would it be?

I may be a little biased cause I used to work there, but Texas Roadhouse for sure.

What is your favorite snack food? 

I love me some rice Krispy treats, I eat one before every workout.

What is your degree in? 

Right now Hiram didn’t have my major that I was intending to major in, so I am studying Psychology, but I have always planned to go back home to Utah once I am done here and finish my mechanical engineering degree.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? 

Coach Al would for sure make that table just to have a catch up chat with him and let him know how my college career has gone. He was one of the most influential coaches that I have ever had and is a big reason I still play football to this day. Again for pretty much the same reason I would also love to have dinner with my uncle Mike one more time just to see if he is proudly looking down on all I have accomplished. I would also love to have dinner with my Grandma Linda, I never got to meet her (or if I did I was too small to remember) but I have always wondered just who she was as a person and thought to myself that if I could have one conversation with her, just all the things that I would ask her.

What is your biggest weakness? 

My biggest weakness as previously stated is my size. I know that I am small for my position but it has never limited my ability to strive on the football field.