EUGENE, Ore. — The three-month gap between the final whistle being blown on the college football season and the melodic tune of the first pick of the NFL Draft seems like a football dead zone for the common fan. Attention turns to basketball, then baseball and the offseason chatter gets put on the back burner.
For the players, it’s three months of preparing for their opportunity at what could be the next decade of their life, or more. They train their skills and physiques in ways that don’t even look football-related in preparation for the NFL Combine and Pro Day. Sometimes their grind looks like more of what a track-and-field athlete would do.
With the combine checked off two weeks ago, it was time for Pro Day at the Moshofsky Center for the University of Oregon football team’s players.
Events started off with some special teams work as kickers Atticus Sappington and Andrew Boyle got a chance to rip some mid-range field goals, then opportunities to bomb some from deep. Sappington struggled, going wide-right on a couple of 35-yarders, a bug that carried over from last season after he missed two in the 30-39 yard range. Boyle, on the other hand, had a productive day, staying consistent in the middle ground and banging through a few from 50+. The real showcase appeared in the kickoff display, where both kickers could unleash the full leg strength but also show off their tactics, as that has become of emerging importance with the new NFL kickoff rules.
No vertical jumps were done due to the track surface that is wanted for the leap being covered up by turf. Broad jumps took place where players tested how far they could jump out from a standstill.
The exciting aspect arrived after players stretched and warmed up for their 40-yard dashes. This gave players an opportunity to show their flashy speed that was not seen at the combine. Defensive back Jadon Canady was the surprising star of the drill, clocking an unofficial 4.38 seconds from KWVA reporter Devlin Christiansen. Canady is projected as a third or fourth-round selection.
“I didn’t really have goals, just come out here and have fun,” Canady said. “Obviously, we have to run fast, jump high, and do drills well, but I feel like if you’re too focused on your goals, you won’t have fun, you’ll be tense. Today I just came out here loose, but I did jump high, run fast and do the drills well.”
Top-3 40-yard Times:
DB Theran Johnson - 4.36u
Canady - 4.38u
WR Gary Bryant Jr. - 4.55u
Athletes then popped over to the short and L-drill shuttles, where players exhibited their change of direction skills. This drill presents fantastic opportunities for scouts to see how twitchy their possible future defensive backs and wide receivers are, and also freakishly lays out how swiftly these 300+ pound linemen can fly. Offensive lineman Alex Harkey notched an impressive 7.37 time in the exercise. He is a projected fifth-round pick.
Top-3 Short Drill Times:
Bryant Jr. - 6.66
WR Malik Benson - 6.76
Harkey - 7.37
Wide receiver and defensive back drills occurred next, giving them a chance to get out in the open for in-game simulation looks. Quarterback Dante Moore was not in attendance to throw at his receivers of the previous season, but Eugene native Brock Thomas was, as he got to toss to those guys for possibly the last time. These runs were productive. Top tight end Kenyon Sadiq showed off the bunnies with a leaping grab, and Bryant Jr. made the crowd perk up with an extending-over-the-shoulder catch that looked overthrown, but the speedster hawked it down and made the grab. Canady struggled on the defensive back drills, dropping a few balls, but Johnson made up for it by securing most of his.
“It’s just continuing to prove myself,” Sadiq said. “I think there’s a lot of things in the season that I wouldn’t say went exactly how I wanted it to go, in terms of being healthy and stuff like that. So I think there’s a lot to improve, whether that’s meeting, board work, even just the position work. Even leading up to OTAs, I know I still have things to prove.”
Offensive line and linebacker reps were next on the agenda, and this is where linebacker Bryce Boettcher impressed. His movement and range are spectacular for his massive frame. He can switch directions at a moment's notice and even showed off his hands by making some snags. His coverage game still needs work, but his ball tracking, heat-seeking missile-esque play will serve an NFL team well. He is a projected fourth-round draft pick.
“Today was super special,” Boettcher said. “It’s the last time I’ll step in the Mo [Moshofsky] lot right here, so it’s pretty cool to end it on a pro day in a fashion like this. It’s a little bittersweet. I’m sad to be going, but I’m excited for the next chapter.”
Next up for this bunch, back to football attentive training. They have about one month to get their games to the highest level possible before they step into their first NFL training camp. The 2026 NFL Draft will take place Thursday, Apr. 23, at 5:00 p.m. and is hosted at Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Full Participant List for the 2026 Oregon Ducks Pro Day:
43 - Luke Basso - LS
77 - Matthew Bedford - OL
4 - Malik Benson - WR
28 - Bryce Boettcher - ILB
98 - Andrew Boyle - K
2 - Gary Bryant Jr. - WR
22 - Jadon Canady - DB
46 - James Ferguson-Reynolds - P
71 - Alex Harkey - OL
92 - Ross James - P
5 - Theran Johnson - DB
70 - Charlie Pickard - OL
75 - Emmanuel Pregnon - OL
18 - Kenyon Sadiq - TE
36 - Atticus Sappington - K
31 - Dillon Thieneman - DB - Did not suit up
6 - Noah Whittington - RB - Did not suit up
76 - Isaiah World - OL - Did not suit up