The Ohio State 2021 Pro Day was on Tuesday, March 30th. Since there is no combine this year, this was the last chance for Ohio State’s players entering the NFL Draft to show off their skills.
Three players wanted to use their platforms for change. Trey Sermon, Tommy Togiai, and Shaun Wade asked fans to pledge money to charity based on their results: Sermon for his vertical, Togiai for his bench press, and Wade for his broad jump. While Wade is rehabbing a foot injury and will hold his own Pro Day on April 14th, those who pledged for Sermon’s and Togiai’s results will have to pay up.
How did all 12 of Ohio State’s Pro Day participants perform?
Ohio State 2021 Pro Day Recap
Justin Fields Flashes Talent
Justin Fields had an excellent showcase at Ohio State’s Pro Day. His goal was to run the 40-yard dash in under 4.4 seconds, which is a lofty bar for a quarterback. He ran the dash somewhere from 4.43 t0 4.45 seconds unofficially. While that wasn’t his goal, that still is an impressive time.
The only quarterback drafted in the first round with a time below 4.5 seconds is Robert Griffin III, with 4.41 seconds. Fields would be in exclusive company if (or more likely, when) he is off the board in the first round.
Fields also had an impressive day throwing the ball as well. His most impressive throw was when he rolled out to the left, threw the ball off of his back foot from the 30-yard line, and hit his receiver in stride at the opposite five yard line.
I'd go home after this one pic.twitter.com/xzCwaPVwnL
— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) March 30, 2021
Matt Miller of ESPN and Thedraftscout.com said a scout texted him, “That was the best QB workout I’ve seen in a while.”
Fields is leaving big shoes to fill for whoever his replacement will be in 2021.
Tommy Togiai Impresses On Bench Press
Defensive lineman Togiai entered Pro Day hoping to break the combine record on the bench press. He fell short, only completing 40 reps. Again, that’s still impressive and that number was noteworthy to the NFL teams in attendance.
Togiai’s 40 reps far surpassed all of his teammates. Offensive lineman Josh Myers completed 29 reps and Wyatt Davis completed 25. Linebackers Justin Hilliard and Baron Browning did 25 and 23 reps, respectively.
Togiai’s efforts helped raise thousands of dollars for LifeSports, while Sermon helped raise money for victims domestic violence. His 37-inch vertical, along with Togiai’s impressive bench performance, set the bar for Wade’s broad jump for charity in two weeks.
Linebackers Show Off Athleticsm
Hilliard and Browning couldn’t keep up with Togiai on the bench, but they showed off their athletic abilities.
Browning was the biggest of the four linebackers at Pro Day, but he also proved to be the most athletic. At 6-3 and 245 pounds, Browning had a 40-inch vertical, a 10′ 10″ broad jump, a 4.23-second shuttle run, and a 6.78-second three-cone drill. Each of those marks were team highs. He also ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash, which was only a tenth of a second slower than Sermon.
Hilliard and Pete Werner weren’t far behind in most areas.
Unfortunately for Tuf Borland, his testing confirmed many gripes about his athletic abilities. Many saw him as the least athletic of the four Ohio State linebackers, and his results were closer to defensive end Jonathon Cooper’s than any of the other linebackers.
Current NFL Free Agents Participated
Last year’s draft class didn’t get a Combine or a Pro Day, so this was their chance to finally show off to the NFL.
Several former Buckeyes, wide receiver Johnnie Dixon, linebacker Dante Booker, and defensive tackle Robert Landers participated in position drills. All three are current NFL free agents, and were adversely effected the the adjusted draft process due to COVID-19.
