Miami football seniors showcase talents at Miami Pro Day

Thirteen players from the Miami University RedHawks football team worked out for NFL scouts at Miami’s Pro Day on March 3.

The RedHawks wrapped up the 2024 season in Tucson, Arizona, with a victory at the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. Miami finished the season at 9-5, its second-straight year with a winning record.

For many players, Pro Day marked the final time they’ll play in Oxford.

“You’re working so hard just for this one day,” running back Kevin Davis said. “It’s surreal when you finally get into it. But my biggest thing is just being thankful for the moment. This is the last time I’m gonna play with [this] group of guys that I’ve been playing with the past few years.”

Quarterback Brett Gabbert reiterated Davis’ point. In his six years with the Red and White, Gabbert brought the team two Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship titles and two bowl game victories.

As the sun sets on his collegiate career, Gabbert reflected on his time with the RedHawks and what he looks for as he takes the next step.

“Obviously I had some setbacks throughout my career,” Gabbert said. “Being able to play a full year was everything I’d worked towards after I broke my leg … [We] had a good year, and [I] ended up deciding I wanted to train for Pro Day. Everything went pretty well today, so I’m pretty happy about it.”

The players started the morning in the weight room. Offensive lineman Reid Holskey led the RedHawks with 31 reps on bench press, which would have been tied for third-highest among all positions at the NFL combine.

Wide receiver Cade McDonald also outperformed with 22 reps. Only one receiver, Jaylin Noel from Iowa State University, had more reps at the combine for receivers (23).

The RedHawks moved onto the jumps. Davis and running back Keyon Mozee, the duo that combined for 1,429 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2024, led the roster with a 10’5 and 10’6 broad jump, respectively, which would have put both players in the top 10 among running backs.

The team exited the weight room and took to the indoor field at the Dauch Indoor Sports Center for the 40-yard dash, the 20-yard shuttle and the three cone drill.

Davis put his speed on display with his 4.41 second 40-yard dash and 4.2 second 20-yard shuttle, which would have tied him for fifth and ranked him second among running backs for those respective tests at the Combine.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

“My speed is obviously the name of my game, so I’m glad I got to showcase that a whole lot,” Davis said. “Same with my explosiveness, from the broad and the vertical to my strength. I hit some pretty good numbers today, and I’m really satisfied with it.”

Mozee and McDonald closely followed with 40-yard dash times of 4.52 and 4.55 seconds, respectively.

After these tests, players completed more field tests with their position. Gabbert took snaps from his older brother

“Going through the process, I needed to find a quarterback coach, and I didn’t really know which way I wanted to go,” Gabbert said. “I was like, ‘My brother played 13 years in the NFL … I think he knows what he’s talking about.’”

The Pro Day is just the first step towards a professional football career. However, head coach Chuck Martin expressed pride in how his players performed and said that every one of the athletes has a real chance to play in the NFL.

“Every one of them is a legit prospect,” Martin said. “There was no one out here today that wasn’t impressive to the NFL scouts or doesn’t have at least some of the qualities that they’re looking for.”

With the draft just one month away (April 24), the RedHawks will have to continue working with personal trainers and anticipate any invitations to work out with NFL teams.

@thekethan04

babukc2@miamioh.edu