NFL Combine: Five teams who earned bragging rights
The NFL Combine has wrapped up and there are a lot of teams that can brag on the recruiting trail about all the publicity their players received in Indianapolis. Here is a look at the five whose recruiting efforts could get the biggest boost.
MORE NFL COMBINE: Five top players Rivals ranked properly | Five players who were underranked | Five players that disappointed | Ten players who helped their stock in Indianapolis
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FLORIDA
The Gators are trying to stake their claim as DBU and the next superstar they can point to is C.J. Henderson, who had an outstanding combine and only improved his draft stock heading into April. Defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga also performed well and he and fellow DL Jonathan Greenard showed great athleticism throughout the event. It also cannot hurt coach Dan Mullen and the staff having three receivers being invited to Indianapolis to brag about.
Farrell’s take: This will only help the Gators with recruiting as they continue put elite defensive players in the NFL Draft, especially defensive backs. Zuniga and Greenard both showed off at the combine and Henderson secured a first-round grade.
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LSU
LSU is flying high coming off a national championship, and now the Tigers had 16 players invited to the combine, more than any other school in the country. That fact alone can help in recruiting, and then it’s also not bad that quarterback Joe Burrow is the expected first overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson had an excellent combine and helped his draft status. LSU continues to pump out defensive players as well, with LB K’Lavon Chaisson and DB Grant Delpit - among many others – leading the way.
Farrell’s take: LSU recruiting is already off the hook and this will only help. Burrow didn’t work out at the combine, but he’s the No. 1 overall pick, which will help QB recruiting greatly. Jefferson, Delpit, Chaisson and Patrick Queen will all be first- or second-round guys. Delpit didn’t work out, but the rest impressed.
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NOTRE DAME
What could help Notre Dame most on the recruiting trail is big receivers watching Chase Claypool perform so well in testing, especially since there were so many questions about his speed and athleticism. He could catapult up draft boards after his strong showing at the combine and that could intrigue receivers on the recruiting trail. Cole Kmet should be the first tight end off the board and defensive back Troy Pride and others on that side of the ball are improving their status as well.
Farrell’s take: Remember when Notre Dame wasn’t producing any NFL talent a few years ago? OK, maybe that was more than a few years ago, but that problem is gone with Brian Kelly in charge. Kmet is the next Rob Gronkowski and Claypool wowed everyone. Pride gets overlooked, but he’s very solid. This exposure will only help.
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OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes don’t need much help on the recruiting trail, but the combine will definitely not slow down all their success. All the justified talk around defensive end Chase Young could help with elite players at that position, especially since he’s expected to go among the first couple picks, and defensive back Jeff Okudah’s star rising is also huge for Ohio State. Coach Ryan Day is losing a lot of talent to the NFL Draft, but that could snowball on the recruiting trail since so many high-end recruits could see themselves as the next man up at Ohio State after all these players head to the league.
Farrell’s take: The Buckeyes have been amazing in recent years when it comes to developing first-round talent, and Young and Okudah will continue that. Watch out for KJ Hill to be a great value pick in the middle rounds. This will continue to allow Day and the Buckeyes to lure talent from all over, as Young and Okudah are out-of-state grabs.
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OKLAHOMA
All four Oklahoma players at the combine - and to be fair, that’s a low number for the Sooners compared to other teams on this list - did really well there and only boosted their stock. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was great throughout the weekend, including with on-field drills. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had a highlight-reel grab during drills and he did nothing to take him off that WR1 discussion. Defensive lineman Neville Gallimore tested really well and linebacker Kenneth Murray reportedly had one of the best interviews in recent memory. It was a strong weekend for the Sooners.
Farrell’s take: Lamb is a top 15 pick and could go in top 10, while Hurts moved into the second round. But it was Murray and Gallimore that really impressed me. Murray became a sure-fire first-round guy and Gallimore is now getting second-round looks or higher. The Sooners' recruiting will get a boost, as usual.