Former players excel at UTSA’s annual pro day
March 25, 2023
UTSA held its annual pro day on Wednesday afternoon, where newly graduated seniors could showcase their abilities in front of NFL scouts.
Here are some of the highlights from this year’s event.
The day started out with the bench press exercise where four players benched over 20 reps of 225 pounds. Caleb Cantrell had 27, Ahofitu Maka had 22, Trevor Harmanson had 21 and Lamonte McDougle had 30 reps.
The vertical jump followed the bench press. This exercise is mainly for defensive backs, receivers and linebackers to show that they can reach high enough to make a jump ball catch, contest taller receivers or bat down passes at the line of scrimmage. The two linebackers present, Harmanson and Dadrian Taylor, both had impressive jumps, with Taylor notching a 35” and Harmanson a 34.5”. The real star of this drill was corner Corey Mayfield Jr. who, standing at just 5‘11, had a 36.5” vertical. Despite the drill not being intended for an offensive lineman, Maka had a 28.5” vertical at a lean 325 pounds.
Players from UTSA’s secondary dominated the broad jump exercise.
Safety Clifford Chattman jumped 10’3, and Mayfield Jr had a best of 9’10. Both jumps are great signs — scouts like to see that these players are able to apply the drill on the field to making diving swats and interceptions in the game.
One of the most well-known and often prioritized drills is the 40-yard dash. Mayfield Jr. had the top time with a blazing 4.41 official. Dadrian Taylor — despite being listed as a linebacker — ran an impressive 4.5 unofficial.
The average three-cone drill time at the NFL combined is 7.23; UTSA had two players top that number. Dadrian Taylor recorded a 7.03, and Mayfield Jr had a 7.05. For defenders, the three-cone drill highlights their shiftiness and ability to change direction quickly in order to make a tackle or make a play on the football.
The NFL Draft takes place over three days, starting on April 27 and ending on April 30.
These former Roadrunners will await a call from NFL general managers to give them a shot at the next level.
