Jim Knowles thought Tanner McCalister would already be a year into his NFL career by now.
During his introductory press conference upon being hired as Ohio State’s new defensive coordinator last year, Knowles said he expected the Oklahoma State safety to enter the draft rather than follow him to Columbus.
“I thought he was gonna move on to the NFL, and I thought he could,” Knowles said on Jan. 31, 2022. “Every game you say things to different guys in the stretch lines. And my thing with him was always, ‘Hey, man you’re a professional. You’re a professional at what you do.’ Because that’s what he did all the time. I mean he played nickel, covered the slot and competed in some really tough situations. So I think he’ll be a great professional some day.”
Of course, that’s not how things played out, and Knowles was grateful that McCalister spent a season helping man the back end of his first defense at Ohio State while helping other Buckeyes acclimate to his system.
Now, though, McCalister will have his shot at breaking into the NFL. But there’s no guarantee McCalister will hear his name called in Kansas City this week. Out of the 36 mock drafts used in Eleven Warriors’ most recent roundup, only one saw McCalister being selected at all, and even that was in the seventh round.
"He played nickel, covered the slot and competed in some really tough situations. So I think he’ll be a great professional."– Jim Knowles on Tanner McCalister
Given the on-the-fence nature of his draft stock, not to mention the fact that he wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, Ohio State’s pro day last month was all the more important for McCalister. Fortunately for the Rockwall, Texas, native, his standout performance could only have bolstered his standing in the eyes of scouts and NFL executives.
McCalister ran the fastest 40-yard dash among all Ohio State pro day participants (4.4 seconds) and also had the best result in the 3-cone drill (6.9 seconds). But McCalister’s impressive day didn’t stop there. His 4.15-second 20-yard shuffle, 37-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-3 broad jump and 22 reps on the bench press were all eyebrow-raising figures.
Tanner McCalister looking fast in his 40-yard dash at OSU pro day: pic.twitter.com/5qBPqmcjjp
— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) March 22, 2023
Thats for @MickeyMarotti https://t.co/68q8XFNPDd
— Tanner McCalister (@McCalister_Dos2) March 22, 2023
McCalister knew he had something to prove at the pro day platform, and he performed like it. In fact, McCalister said he set personal records in every category.
“I don’t think a lot of people – I knew they thought I was athletic, I mean, you can’t play at Ohio State and not be athletic. But I didn’t think they thought I was gonna put up the numbers I did today,” McCalister told Eleven Warriors after pro day. “So I’m glad I was able to do that, man, especially in front of all the representatives that we have here, for sure. … It felt good. Obviously I didn’t get an invite to the combine, so I knew I had to come out here and do everything. So I did everything from weigh-ins all the way to the broad jump.
“I PR’d in all my numbers. I knew I had to check some boxes as far as my athleticism, and I feel like I did that today. Running in the 4.4 range in the 40, 37 vert, even doing 22 on the bench, I feel like that shocked some people. I just really wanted to show my ability out here, that’s really all it was. Just being natural, having fun. And obviously having your guys back, man, it was a great time. I enjoyed it.”
McCalister said he was energized by the environment at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, where he was reunited with all of his Buckeye teammates after many spent time preparing for pro day outside of the program.
“It kind of felt like a gameday. We were all in the locker room before, C.J. (Stroud) and Jaxon (Smith-Njigba) were playing music, kind of getting hype like we were getting ready to play a game,” McCalister said. “It was kind of that one last feeling of being a college athlete, even though we’re all professionals now. And even having the guys that you played with that’s still in college back here cheering you on. Having that brotherhood back one more time, man, it felt amazing.”
McCalister said the impact of his pro day performance was immediate. With representatives from all 32 NFL teams on hand to evaluate Ohio State’s talent, McCalister had conversations with personnel that he may not have received interest in had it not been for his all-around showcase.
“After my performance today, obviously gained some more interest. So just collecting numbers, just having conversations, teams trying to get to know me, things like that,” McCalister said. “That’s pretty much what’s been going on since this ended. I’m enjoying that as well and hopefully I get some visits set up for this upcoming month.”
Despite making a statement with his athletic ability at pro day, McCalister said teams will get a true sense of his value once they see his football IQ and mind for the game firsthand. McCalister said after pro day, his knowledge on the gridiron is the most crucial component he hopes to exhibit for NFL coaches and executives before the draft.
“I think a lot of teams understand that I’m kind of a football junkie as far as watching films and things, but there’s nothing like me getting on the board and showing them I can draw up any defense that we want,” McCalister said. “Or we’re watching film and I can break down their coverages that they’re running. I can just watch one play and say oh they’re in cover three or quarters or matchup zone, things like that. So I think that’s where I’ll prove it to them.”
Whether he gets drafted or not, McCalister has the kind of high-level experience, veteran savvy and athleticism that should allow him the opportunity to make an NFL roster one way or another.
