The on field Combine events took place on Thursday night and there were a number of outstanding performances. Here were the HOTTEST Harris Hits from the Combine on Thursday night, in no particular order.
- Georgia OLB Nolan Smith stole the night. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, which was the fastest of the entire night. He was mad initially because he had been testing in the 4.3 range, so when he saw 4.44 unofficial he slammed his phone down in disgust. But the official time was indeed in the 4.39 range. Keep in mind he's an OLB and almost 240 lb. He also posted the night's best vertical jump - 41.5 inches. For the broad jump, I was two rows up and I kept seeing "DL 45" walking near the pit looking at the 9-12 foot section. Then he put down a piece of gum or something to mark where, I assumed, he wanted to get with his jump. And…then he did, posting a 10-8, third longest jump of the night. He said in his media session that he was doing three things - Vert, broad and 40. He SLAYED them all.
- Iowa State OLB Will McDonald IV was a favorite to destroy the Combine but he came down with a 104-degree fever on Tuesday night. Yet he still wanted to compete. He posted a 36-inch vertical and a night-high 11-0 broad jump.
- No defensive tackle since 2003 ran a faster 40-yard dash than Pitt DL Calijah Kancey. He ran a 4.67, one hundredth of a second ahead of former Pitt star/3x NFL DPOY Aaron Donald. The comparisons between the two Pitt stars were already being made and this will just add to the mix, so to speak. I've said this in my scouting report for Kancey (6-1, 281 lb) that he was the most disruptive interior player not named Jalen Carter in 2022. Stud…and now he has a 4.67 to his record? Wow.
- Clemson DT Bryan Bresee is not 281 lb like Kancey, but at 6-5 ½, 298 lb, Bresee tested impressively, posting a 4.86 40-yard dash and just missed a 30-inch vertical by one inch.
- His Palmetto State rival South Carolina DT Zacch Pickens followed up a strong Senior Bowl with a really impressive performance on Thursday afternoon/night. At 6-4, 291 lb, Pickens ran 4.89 in the 40-yard dash, combined with a 30.5-inch vertical. He looked smooth and explosive in his off the field drills and confirmed why I put him in the Harris 100 at #70 overall.
- One guy who had been on my radar for a few years was Oklahoma DT Jalen Redmond. He's a little short (6-2) and a little light (291 lb.), but he tested extremely well. He ran 4.81 in the 40, posted a 34.5-inch vertical and a 9-8 broad jump. Those numbers, at his size, are brilliant and will wake up the echoes, so to speak.
- I was super curious what Clemson LB Trenton Simpson would run. He ran extremely well. His only test was the 40-yard dash and he blazed a 4.43 at 6-2, 235 lb. He's a versatile, three down, chess piece stack linebacker and teams will love seeing that speed from the former Tiger great.
- Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe returned to Auburn in 2022 for a number of reasons as he noted in his presser early in the week. It paid off as the Man put on a show - 4.39 in the 40, tying Nolan Smith for the Thursday best. He had a blazing fast 1.52 10-yard split as well. He also posted a 35.5-inch vertical and a 10-6 broad jump. He's not as much a height/weight star (just 6-0, 225 lb) so he needed to show he could test like a champ. He did.
- Tennessee DE Byron Young might have put on the most athletic of all the athletic performances. He posted the second best 40-time on Thursday night at 4.43…at 6-2, 250 lb. Then, Young posted a 38-inch vertical, third best on the night, and a 11-0 broad jump, a Thursday night best.
- I'm a huge fan of Iowa LB Jack Campbell and at 6-5, 248 lb, he ran 4.65 in the 40-yard dash, posted a 37.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-8 broad jump. But, his change of direction times were stupid good - 6.74 3-cone drill (best of the night) and a 4.24 short shuttle (also, best of the night).
- One of my sleeper linebackers is Tulane LB Dorian Williams. He had a brace/soft cast on his left wrist, but he still competed and shined. He posted a 4.49 40-yard dash with a 1.54 10-yard split (2nd best time of the night). He also posted a 33.5-inch vertical and a 10-0 broad jump. He was an all-around linebacking machine at Tulane for his career and if that didn't get attention, his testing sure should.
Alright, that'll do it for night one. See you tomorrow for a blazing fast group of on-field DB testing.
