Utah QB Jake Bentley looks to evade the sack by defenders Nate Landman (53) and Mustafa Johnson (34) during the first quarter of play at Folsom Field. Dec. 12, 2020 (Nigel Amstock/CU Independent)
University of Colorado Boulder football held their 2022 Pro Day at the Champions Center for over 20 NFL scouts to watch graduating student-athletes.
The March 16 event had senior linebacker Nate Landman, senior defensive end Mustafa Johnson, senior offensive lineman Kary Kutsch, graduate tight end Matt lynch, senior linebacker Akil Jones, junior linebacker Carson Wells (declared for NFL Draft), graduate cornerback Komotay Koffie (UNC), graduate linebacker Xander Gagnon (UNC), graduate tailback Tru Wilson (UNC), and senior defensive lineman Ikenna Onwuasoanya (CSU-Pueblo) as participants.
Wells said he and his teammates did good work in CU’s 30th-annual Pro Day workout in front of the scouts.
“Mustafa (Johnson) had a great day, Kary (Kutsch) had a great day, Nate (Landman) and Matt (Lynch) both had a good day too. I feel like that was expected,” Wells said. “We knew we could come out here and compete, I feel like we did a good job today.”
The workout was broken up into five segments: weigh-ins and measurements, bench press, vertical and broad jump, 40-yard dash, and multiple cone drills. After weigh-ins, the players entered the bench press test. Before each segment, the official scorekeeper announced who was and was not participating in the specific activity.
The scorekeeper read aloud that Johnson and Landman would not be participating in the vertical jump and the 40-yard dash, and also that Johnson would not be participating in the bench press.
Once each player had recorded their score, Johnson prepared to take on the bench press test which caused confusion and controversy. This angered a handful of the NFL scouts who believed that players should complete all of the workout or none of the workout. Strength & Conditioning Coach Shannon Turley defended his injury-recovering defensive end by exclaiming loud enough to silence the room.
“He is a competitor,” Turley said, “so he will compete.”
Johnson proved coach Turley’s statement correct by tying Kutsch’s score of 29 bench press repetitions. Johnson commented on the incident after the workout had concluded.
“I would say that comment is a fact,” Johnson said. “Every time you want to challenge me on anything, I’m ready to go. That’s just how I’ve always done it, that’s how I’ve always been and I showed it today.”
Although Wells would have been recognized the same regardless of Landman’s Pro Day status, this specific Pro Day was heavily focused on him since Landman had already set his scores by performing at the 2022 NFL Combine on March 5. Wells officially ended the day with 16 bench press repetitions, a 35-inch vertical jump and a 4.56-second 40-yard dash. That was the fastest time between the four of six Buffaloes who ran it. He explained how he felt he performed overall and how he nearly reached his 40-yard dash time goal.
“That was my goal, to hit about 4.5 or a 4.45,” Wells said. ” At the end of the day, the 40 (yard dash) is the money-maker and I feel like overall I had a good day.”
Wells also said that training for Pro Day is an extremely long and difficult process to train for, making it additionally relieving to complete the workout.
“We ended against Utah like December third or something like that,” Wells said. “I went straight home and started training. I’ve been at it for at least three or four months. It’s a weight off of my shoulders, and now all I can do is sit back and wait.”
Wells talked about what he thinks NFL teams should know about him and how everything after this point is out of his control.
“I’ve never been one to talk about myself,” Wells said. “What happens on the field speaks for me. I feel like I have my resume and I feel like I’ve put in the work for the last five years. Like I said, whatever happens, happens. It’s out of my hands now and out of my control.”
Kary Kutsch is currently rumored to be in discussion with the Kansas City Chiefs and the newly-named Washington Commanders. This discussion could be utilizing Kutsch as a late-round draft pick, or potentially as a free agent if he is not drafted by the end of round seven. The California native posted a 5.19-second 40-yard dash, tied Johnson with 29 bench press repetitions, and earned a 31-inch vertical jump. Kutsch said that an NFL team could possibly benefit from his versatility, as he believes he is able to take on the center position as well.
“They like (the idea of playing) center too,” Kutsch said. “My agent said I’m a big center, smaller guard type. So I think I’m kind of hybrid.”
These Colorado players hope to hear their name called on April 28-30, the nights of the 3-day NFL Draft happening in Las Vegas, Nev. DNVR Sports’ Henry Chisholm presented the official times in a tweet after receiving the scores from CU’s Sports Information Department.
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Brett Polley at brett.polley@colorado.edu.
