Nearly 150 NFL Representatives Attend Ohio State’s Pro Day
3/26/2025 7:29:00 PM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Out of every statistic tracked on a bustling, jam-packed afternoon at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, there was one that Ohio State was especially proud of at Pro Day.
It wasn’t mind-blowing bench-press reps or dazzling 40-yard dash times, though the Buckeyes heading to the professional ranks posted plenty of those on Wednesday. It wasn’t even necessarily the fact that there were 17 of those guys who just helped raise a new championship banner in the practice facility back in the building or that they were drawing a crowd of nearly 150 general managers, coaches and scouts to watch them work out.
Every number mattered to somebody, but there was one that applied to everybody. So, when the last pass from quarterback Will Howard during his throwing session was hauled in and Ohio State ended its annual showcase, the fact that the program had needed just 3 hours and 14 minutes to deliver all that data prompted arguably the loudest celebration on a day full of them around a loaded NFL Draft class.
“I thought it was great, and I thought our guys looked great,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said. “I thought [Director of Football Sport Performance] Mick [Marotti] did a great job putting it all together. I guess it’s about 2:20 p.m. and we're out of here. The goal today was to get over 150 personnel here from the NFL, get them what they needed and the information they needed, and then to get them moving.
“We know their time is valuable, so I think they appreciate the efficiency that went on today.”
Gallery: Ohio State Football Pro Day
There seems to be little doubt that they’ll value what they witnessed during that time with the Buckeyes as well, and the potential for a record-breaking draft haul was on full display during those three hours that also doubled as a spotlight on the entire program.
Even with the attention squarely focused on the guys working out, just about every generation that has helped build Ohio State into a powerhouse both at the college level and in the NFL were in the spotlight. Whether it was an Ohio State defensive tackle-turned-assistant strolling through the facility with Mike Vrabel now in charge of the New England Patriots and leading a group of eight former players or coaches representing NFL organizations, or recent first-round picks like Marvin Harrison Jr. returning to support their former teammates, the impact the Buckeyes have at the highest level of the game was impossible to ignore.
And no NFL team wanted to miss out on the chance to evaluate the next wave in person, which is why five of them sent general managers to Columbus and six of them sent a head coach — including Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, who made sure to swing by the southwest corner of the building to meet with the parents of a handful of Buckeyes.
To be sure, the individual moments were significant along the way. Defensive tackle Ty Hamilton showed off remarkable strength with 35 bench-press reps, secondary stalwart Jordan Hancock delivered a blazing 4.42-second time in the 40-yard dash and record-breaking receiver Emeka Egbuka needed just 4.12 seconds in the pro-shuttle run — just to name a few highlights.
But considering just how many draft-able Buckeyes were working out, the festivities could have lasted all day. The fact that it didn’t was yet another reminder that Ohio State knows exactly what it’s doing when it comes to preparing for the NFL.
“Now we're into Pro Day, and you're seeing these guys take the next step,” Day said. “Some organization is going to get our guys now as they move forward, and that’s exciting. I think the feedback we've got from a lot of the personnel is just how impressed they are with their dealings with our players, just how impressive and mature they are.
“We’ve got some real pros that are going to really help NFL organizations.”
All of those organizations had a chance to take a closer look in person. Ohio State made sure to make every moment count.
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