Ohio State leads all schools with 15 players at the NFL Scouting Combine, but the number of Buckeyes who will go through full workouts at the combine appears likely to be significantly smaller.
Each of the three players from Ohio State who were asked Wednesday during their interview sessions at the combine whether they will be working out on Thursday indicated that they will only be limited participants if they work out at all.
Ohio State defensive linemen Jack Sawyer and Ty Hamilton both said they would only do position drills on Thursday, indicating that they would run the 40-yard dash and complete the other measurable drills at Ohio State’s pro day.
Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon said he will be “waiting until pro day to pretty much do everything.”
“Just by timing, it didn't make sense,” Simon said.
It’s unclear whether defensive linemen JT Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams, the other two Buckeyes who are scheduled for on-field workouts on Thursday, will follow the lead of Sawyer and Hamilton by just doing defensive line drills or if they’ll do more or nothing at all. Tuimoloau was not asked whether he would work out during his interview session on Wednesday, while Williams was unable to attend his scheduled interview session due to delays with medical exams for the defensive tackles.
Ohio State’s other 10 combine invitees will meet with the media on Thursday, Friday and Saturday – one day before each of their scheduled on-field workouts – with defensive backs set to work out Friday, quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers set to work out Saturday and offensive linemen set for the final day of combine workouts Sunday.
| Day | Workouts | Media Interviews |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | None |
DE JT Tuimoloau, 8 a.m. DE Jack Sawyer, 8:20 a.m. LB Cody Simon, 9:40 a.m. DT Ty Hamilton, 10:20 a.m. DT Tyleik Williams, 10:40 a.m.* |
| Thursday |
3-8:30 p.m., NFL Network DT Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams (Group 1) DE Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau (Group 2) LB Cody Simon (Group 3)** |
S Lathan Ransom, 9:30 a.m. CB Jordan Hancock, 11 a.m. CB Denzel Burke, 11:20 a.m. |
| Friday |
3-9 p.m., NFL Network CB Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock (Group 4) S Lathan Ransom (Group 5) |
WR Emeka Egbuka, 8:20 a.m. QB Will Howard, 8:40 a.m. RB Quinshon Judkins, 10:20 a.m. RB TreVeyon Henderson, 10:40 a.m. |
| Saturday |
1-8:30 p.m., NFL Network RB TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins (Group 7) QB Will Howard and WR Emeka Egbuka (Group 8) |
C Seth McLaughlin, 8:30 a.m. OT Josh Simmons, 8:30 a.m. G/T Donovan Jackson, 10:20 a.m. |
| Sunday |
1-4:30 p.m., NFL Network OL Donovan Jackson (Group 10) OL Seth McLaughlin and Josh Simmons (Group 11) |
None |
|
*Was unable to attend scheduled interview **Has said he will not work out |
||
The expectation around the combine, however, has been that most of Ohio State’s prospects will only work out in a limited capacity or skip the on-field workout portion of the combine altogether.
The reason why: They’ve only had a few weeks to recover from the grind of a 16-game season and train for combine-specific drills after beating Notre Dame in the national championship game on Jan. 20. By waiting until pro day to run the 40 and go through full workouts, Ohio State’s prospects can give themselves another month of preparation so they can put their best foot forward in front of NFL scouts in what should be a well-attended pro day with how deep Ohio State’s draft class is.
“I'm just trying to take it one step at a time, but it's definitely been quick,” Simon said of the turnaround from the championship game to the combine. “So just taking it one step at a time and just trying to get every moment of training out I can and then just being ready for pro day.”
Sawyer and Hamilton both said they took just one week off after the national championship game before flying out to California to begin their combine preparation.
Hamilton said he’s still acclimating to the fact that he’s no longer an Ohio State player and about to be an NFL player, and he said the length of the season was challenging on his body as a starter for one of the first FBS teams since the 19th century to play a 16-game season.
“It's kind of hard. Beats up on your body. It's a long season, long game. And of course, we're going against the best teams in the country, so it's even more physical,” Hamilton said. “So being able to beat your body up, it's hard to try to recover, so that's what I'm just trying to do, just get my body at full, 100% before I go out and do it.”
That said, the Buckeyes at the combine feel as though playing four games in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff increased their preparation for the NFL, where teams play 17 regular-season games and can also play as many as four playoff games.
“I think that being able to experience that longer season will help me a lot. And I think that it helps you find that routine and really have to stay in it for the extra month-and-a-half that you're playing games,” Sawyer said.
The Buckeyes also feel as though they’re entering the combine with momentum on their side because of how well they performed in the CFP.
“I think that we're confident in who we are and what we're capable of doing, so being able to finish out on top gives you all the confidence in the world to continue to go out here and play your best ball, even out here in a combine where it's just showcasing your skills,” Sawyer said.
On-field workouts begin Thursday at 3 p.m. with defensive tackles set to work out first followed by defensive ends and linebackers. Defensive backs will work out Friday beginning at 3 p.m. Running back workouts will begin Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by quarterback and wide receiver workouts, while offensive linemen will work out Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
NFL Network will air live coverage of each position group’s 40-yard dashes and position drills, while Eleven Warriors will have more coverage from each Ohio State prospect’s interview session in Indianapolis.
