After six seasons of college football, Jordan Domineck still has a hard time realizing that he doesn’t have assignments due any time soon.
The reality of college being in the rearview mirror is hitting home more often, though, and it really hit Tuesday when he and several of his former Colorado teammates participated in the annual pro day.
Pro day gives outgoing seniors the opportunity to work out in front of professional scouts, with the hope of turning heads before the NFL draft, which this year will be held April 25-27.
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“I still feel like I’m late, behind in classes,” Domineck joked. “It’s definitely been a huge step. I’ve been out here training and whatnot. But really getting to this pro day and really seeing the scouts come out and understanding, ‘Hey, you have a month until the draft, let’s see if you can put yourself in a position to be drafted,’ it’s different.
“It really starts to hit you when you really start to feel it hit home that I’m not in college anymore. This is playing for keeps. Now I’m really trying to go out and make myself a business out of this sport. I really want to go out there and play football for a living and that’s what I really want to do.”
Nine players from the 2023 Buffs participated in pro day: defensive ends Taijh Alston, Domineck and Derrick McLendon; receiver Javon Antonio; linebackers Juwan Mitchell and Noah Young; defensive lineman Leonard Payne Jr.; running back Kavosiey Smoke and safety Rodrick Ward all worked out for scouts. Former CU and Princeton quarterback Blake Stenstrom also worked out.
Colorado linebacker Derrick McLendon II comes up with a fumble recovery against Oregon State at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo., on Nov. 4, 2023. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
Domineck may have the best chance of getting drafted among the group. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder was productive at Georgia Tech and Arkansas before transferring to CU last summer. In his lone season with the Buffs, he had 51 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks.
On Tuesday, Domineck didn’t have numbers that jumped off the page. He posted a 4.93-second 40-yard dash and 20 reps on the 225-pound bench press; both numbers would have ranked near the bottom at the NFL Combine (where the top prospects competed) for defensive ends. His other numbers, in the vertical jump, broad jump and shuttle drills would have been near the bottom, as well.
Domineck’s production in college has been impressive, though, and he hopes he’s done enough to hear his name called at the draft.
“I feel like I did well (at pro day),” he said. “There’s always improvement, there always can be more to be done. I feel like I did well, but as always, I feel like I could have done a lot more. I feel like I left a little bit on the table, which I didn’t really want to.
“At the end of the day I feel like we went out there we gave it our best and I feel that we put on a pretty good performance, me overall and all of us overall.”
Perhaps the best day Tuesday belonged to Ward. He posted a 4.47-second 40, which would have beat 13 of the 19 safeties at the Combine. Only three of the seven safeties who did the 225-pound bench press at the Combine did better than Ward’s 18 reps. And only three of the 20 safeties at the Combine had a better broad jump than Ward’s 10 feet, 6 inches.
Ward measured at 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds. He said he’s gained 10 pounds of muscle but ran faster than when he got to CU.
“I think I did good,” said Ward, who had 52 tackles for the Buffs last year. “I was able to have some good numbers. I think it was a good day overall man.”
McLendon’s jumps both would have ranked well at the Combine. He had a 10-foot broad jump and 35-inch vertical leap, both of which would have ranked top 10 at his position.
Mitchell had a 35.5-inch vertical leap that would have ranked fourth at the combine among linebackers. Ward had the best 40 time of the group, but Smoke posted a 4.57 and Antonio a 4.63. Payne led the group with 21 reps in the bench press.