COLUMBUS — Ohio State held its annual Pro Day on Wednesday, which allowed the Buckeyes who are eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft to work out in front of scouts and team personnel.
Nine members of the 2023 Buckeyes were on hand.
LB Steele Chambers
LB Tommy Eichenberg
DT Michael Hall Jr.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
WR Xavier Johnson
OG Matt Jones
SAF Josh Proctor
TE Cade Stover
RB Miyan Williams
Williams was recovering from surgery so he did not participate in any drills. Harrison also did not work out, choosing instead to stand on his film. He was also previously advised by a number of NFL teams that it wasn’t necessary for him to work out.
Some former Buckeyes who have transferred out or moved on were also working out, including former wide receiver Sam Wiglusz, and former defensive backs Marcus Hooker, Amir Riep, and Jahsen Wint.
A number of former Buckeyes were also in attendance to show support, including quarterback CJ Stroud, defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, and offensive tackle Dawand Jones.
At the end of the workout, several media members asked Stroud for an interview, but he declined, asking that the reporters instead talk with the players that had just got done working out.
An hour or so after everything was done, Stroud then spent time talking with reporters about his record-breaking rookie year with the Houston Texans.
Stroud was not the only quarterback to gain some attention on the day, as current OSU quarterbacks Devin Brown and Will Howard were the two throwers for tight end Cade Stover, receiver Xavier Johnson, and Wiglusz. Current OSU tight end Gee Scott, Jr. was also running routes for the quarterbacks.
Speaking with Xavier Johnson after the event, he mentioned that he had a visit set up with an NFL team, but they asked him to keep which team confidential.
Johnson was not invited to the NFL Combine last month, which he took in stride.
“For me, it’s been the situation for my entire life where I’ve just been in an uphill battle. The Lord puts things in front of you and allows you to show how much you trust him,” he said.
Johnson began his career at Ohio State as a walk-on defensive back. Today he only worked at receiver but said he would have been willing to work out at running back if asked.
Several current Buckeyes also worked out for the scouts, which is becoming more and more common across the nation. Defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau took part in some drills with former Buckeye defensive tackle Mike Hall. Hall was the only draft-eligible defensive lineman working out, so the presence of Tuimoloau and Sawyer allowed Hall to get a breather before doing the next drill.
Ohio State has not yet released the measurements and times from the pro day.
While the focus was on the draft-eligible players, this was also an opportunity for everyone to get a look at the Buckeye quarterbacks. Only glimpses have been seen so far in spring ball, so this was a chance to watch Devin Brown and Will Howard finally uncork some passes.
Brown showed a strong arm throughout the day, and Howard hit a couple of nice passes down the field as well. You can see a collection of their throws below.
Following the event, CJ Stroud and Devin Brown spent some time together while Howard talked with reporters.
Howard said that he and Brown were joking that social media was going to get ahold of the videos of their respective throws and claim that one or the other had done enough to win the starting job.
Spring practice continues for the Buckeyes on Thursday. Buckeye Huddle will have interviews with co-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and secondary coach Tim Walton around 11:00 am, as well as a handful of players.
You can find videos of those interviews and all of the interviews from Wednesday’s pro day at Buckeye Huddle’s YouTube page. If you have not yet subscribed to the page, now would be a great time to do so.
[Xavier Johnson header photo courtesy of the Ohio State Dept. of Athletics.]
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