Gators Make Final Case to NFL Scouts at Florida Pro Day
Thirteen Gators completed one last workout at the Heavener Football Complex Thursday afternoon as Florida football held its 2026 Pro Day for 68 personnel/staff from all 32 NFL teams, who watched the Gators participants intently.
The players in attendance were Caleb Banks, Austin Barber, Michael Caraway Jr., Tommy Doman, Dameion George Jr., George Gumbs Jr., Devin Moore, Tyreak Sapp, Jake Slaughter, Trey Smack, J. Michael Sturdivant, Brien Taylor Jr. and Rocco Underwood. Jalen Jordan, a basketball player from the Jacksonville area, also worked out for scouts.
“Man, I had fun,” Slaughter said. “It was so much fun getting back out here in Gainesville and being with my guys one more time.”
Highlights
After all the athletes completed their height and weight measurements, Pro Day began with the vertical jump. Devin Moore posted the highest jump at 34.5 inches, and Michael Caraway Jr. and Jalen Jordan both hit 32.5 inches.
Players then moved on to bench press and broad jump. Slaughter and Gumbs Jr. repped 225 pounds 22 times for the highest on the day. Jordan had the longest broad jump of 10 feet.
Next was the 40-yard dash and 20-yard shuttle drill. No official times were announced for either drill. Unofficially on the 40, Caraway Jr. ran a 4.57, George Jr. ran a 5.71, Moore ran a 4.59, and Underwood ran a 4.70.
Positional drills were up next on the schedule, starting with Sturdivant running routes in front of representatives from the Bengals and Saints and impressing other scouts. Gumbs Jr. was violent, as he described himself, during defensive line drills, striking pads at 110% effort while showing off his change-of-direction ability.
Trey Smack shined in front of scouts, drilling a 65-yarder followed by a round of applause. Tommy Doman wrapped the day up with multiple punts over 60 yards with consistent hangtime and accuracy.
Injured/Injuries
While 14 prospects attended the combine, many did not participate in drills. Underwood was the only prospect to participate in every drill at Pro Day. Speculation as to why so many players did not fully participate could be that they are happy with their draft stock, or are dealing with injury or trying to prevent injury.
Banks was on a scooter with a wrap on his left foot that he had surgery for a broken fourth metatarsal back on March 9. Brien Taylor Jr. suffered an injury to his right shoulder during the bench press, putting him in a sling for the rest of Pro Day. Jordan pulled up short on his 40-yard dash attempt and was icing his left quad.
Moore also stopped twice during his second and third 40-yard dash attempts, but completed his last attempt and did a few drills afterward. Moore had groin surgery in September. He clocked an unofficial 40 time of 4.50 at the NFL Combine, but stated he had been clocked as fast as 4.38 before surgery.
“I wasn’t able to train for a whole bunch of this process,” Moore said. “Coming out here, even if the numbers aren’t what I want them to be right now, still showing teams I can get on that field and do what they want to see.”
Draft Projections
Despite the injury, Banks is still projected to be a first-round pick by most experts. Slaughter is projected in the second-to-fourth round range. Devin Moore is projected as a third-rounder, with his 6-foot-3 frame at the cornerback position catching the eyes of many scouts. Sturdivant is projected to be a mid-late round pick. Smack and Doman are considered as top kicker and punter prospects, but are projected to be late-round picks or priority free agents.
“It’s going to mean a lot. Been through a lot dealing with the injury and everything,” Banks said. “Coming from where I came from in Detroit and Louisville, it’s going to mean a lot.”
The NFL Draft will begin at 7 pm on April 23.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Football
