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LOGAN — Cutting hard at the 35-yard line, Deven Thompkins dashed out at a 45-degree angle toward the end zone. He turned his body and reeled in the football on his back heels before somersaulting backward.
It was one of several impressive athletic feats inside the Stan Laub Indoor Training Center Wednesday morning, where 15 Utah State football seniors were on hand to show their skills to NFL scouts at their pro day.
It was, no doubt, a high-pressure day for the 15 Aggies, with none of them invited to compete in the NFL Combine last month, including Thompkins, an Associated Press All-American receiver. Pro day was likely the only chance for them to compete in real time in front of NFL scouts from 15 different teams.
And what was the general consensus? They turned heads.
"It was a great day for the Aggies. I thought we all performed really well," defensive end Nick Heninger said. "What we heard was — it's kind of funny because everybody thought we were underdogs all year, right? But (the scouts) were like 'Wow, this is one of the most talented groups we've had.' And it's like wow, I wonder why we won the (Mountain West) championship."
Four specific players undoubtedly had days that boosted their chances of getting drafted or signing with a team as a free agent: Heninger, Thompkins, Marcus Moore and Derek Wright. While none of the numbers from pro day are official, several of the stats put up by those four were on par or exceeded what several athletes had at the NFL Combine.
Repping custom made cleats made by Dustin Matthew — the same designer who made Britain Covey's custom cleats for the Rose Bowl — Henginer recorded 30 reps on the bench press, which was higher than any defensive end recorded at the combine.
Nick Heninger was rocking some custom made cleats from @D_Mathews6 at Utah State Pro Day today. pic.twitter.com/nGTnFTfPqE
— Jacob Nielson (@Jacobnielson12) March 23, 2022
The 229-pound South Jordan native, who finished his senior season with 21.5 tackles for loss and also ran a sub-4.75 40-yard dash, posted a 9-foot-11 jump on broad jump and had a 36.0-inch vertical jump. In the three-cone run, he posted a time of 7.18, which would have ranked fourth among defensive ends at the combine.
"It's great to go out there and be able to perform," Heninger said. "Because there are 100% more jitters on game day, the stress can add to it, less reps. But if we're just lifting in the backyard or at the gym, you know, I feel like everybody's like, I was running faster than this. But that's just how you do it, how you handle the stress and still be able to perform at a high level."
Not to be outdone by Heninger was fellow lineman Moore. The UCLA transfer, who started two seasons for the Aggies at defensive tackle, posted a team-high 32 reps on the bench press. He also ran a 4.75 40-yard dash and had a 34.5-inch vertical jump.
Each of those numbers was higher than any defensive tackle posted at the combine. Moore, who said no scouts had been in contact coming into the day, could be getting a few phone calls.
"I've been working all my life for this day right here and, you know, I think I performed well hopefully, get some callbacks and whatnot," Moore said.
Moore, who lost a lot of weight from a sickness last year, fought through much of the season undersized but is back up to 281 pounds and feeling good.
"Playing as a 233-pound defensive tackle, it was very difficult playing against bigger guys, you know 300-pound dudes," Moore said. "And I got the job done but at the same time you know having that extra weight most definitely is a blessing."
On the offensive end, the wide receivers headlined the day as Jordan Nathan, Savon Scarver, Brandon Bowling, Wright and Thompkins all worked out.
Arguably showing out the most was Wright and Thompkins.
Wright finished the season with a team-high 11 touchdown catches and 48 receptions for 789 yards and came into pro day hoping to build upon his momentum.
The Sterling, Utah, native was successful and showcased both his strength and speed. Wright put up 21 reps on the bench press while running sub-4.55 40-yard dash and a 7.0 three-cone run.
Wright's 21 reps were more than any receivers at the combine, while a 10-foot-9 in the broad jump and 38.0 inches in the vertical jump would have placed him seventh among receivers at the combine. Wright also performed well in receiver drills, making an arm-extending grab on a post route that excited the current Aggies players watching from the sideline.
"It's been like three months of just building up for this day. So I felt like I executed well in most of the stuff. Wasn't happy with a couple of things, but overall I was excited about today." Wright said. "I was pretty proud of my bench. Thought I did well with my routes, showed that I have good hands and can be reliable."
Also demonstrating good hands was Thompkins.
No familiar quarterback threw to him — Logan Bonner is out with an injury and Cooper Legas, who warmed up, didn't throw because it'd require him to miss a day of spring ball practice. But Thompkins still managed to make several catches.
Deven Thompkins reels in a catch during the skills portion. pic.twitter.com/29QnvjHqdE
— Jacob Nielson (@Jacobnielson12) March 23, 2022
He also showed off his elite speed, posting a sub 4.5 40-yard dash. He ran a 6.98 three-cone run and a 4.18 short shuttle, both of which would have been the fourth-fastest at the combine.
Thompkins, who said he's put on 14 pounds of muscle since the season ended, has been in communication with a couple of scouts, several of which were on hand to watch him.
"I'd say I did pretty good today. I think I hit all my numbers that I needed to," Thompkins said. "It really showed the scouts that my speed and stuff on film, I feel like I reflected everything today."
Here's Deven Thompkins in the 40-yard dash. Scouts had him at a 4.44. pic.twitter.com/WO4FBqFGdg
— Jacob Nielson (@Jacobnielson12) March 23, 2022
Now the preparation begins for the draft on April 28-30. Each of the 15 players' dream of getting a call, whether as a draft pick or an undrafted free agent.
For Thompkins, The hope is his 45-yard dime that will be caught by one of the 32 teams.
"Just throw it up in the air," Thompkins said. "And hopefully, somebody will come pick me up."