The Big 12 football Pro Day occurred this week, and the Colorado Buffaloes attended and showed off their skills ahead of the NFL Draft.
Colorado Buffaloes Showed Their Skills At Big 12 Pro Day
With the NFL Draft edging closer, preparations are ramping up, and college players are putting in their final workouts to show NFL scouts what they are capable of. Five Colorado players took part in the Wednesday session in Frisco, Texas.
On Wednesday, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, and linebackers participated, while Thursday hosted running backs, quarterbacks, tight ends, defensive backs, and wide receivers.
Colorado will be hosting its in-house football showcase on April 4. Deion Sanders expects scouts and front offices from every NFL team to attend as they narrow down their boards with the draft just weeks away.
Let’s look at the Buffaloes participants and how they performed at the Big 12 Pro Day.
Will Sheppard, WR
Will Sheppard was one of two Buffalo WRs to attend the Pro Day. He has slowly seen his draft stock rise and could potentially be a day-two prospect. He finished 2024 with 48 receptions for 621 yards and six touchdowns, slightly down from his 2023 season but still showing his skills.
In an offense led by Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, Sheppard was still an excellent weapon for the team. He is a fluid route runner with good footwork to create separation. The 6″3″ WR has the frame to make catches in traffic, but he also has great agility, so he is a threat after the catch.
At the Pro Day, he ran an unofficial 4.59-second 40-yard dash. Had a vertical of 38.5″, a broad jump of 10’6″, and a shuttle of 4.31 seconds. CFN’s mock draft has him going at pick 165 to the Cleveland Browns, possibly playing alongside Sanders or Hunter.
Jimmy Horn Jr., WR
Horn Jr. was a perfect addition to the Buffaloes and was one of Coach Prime’s first, having convinced the receiver to transfer from USF. In 11 games in 2024, Horn had 37 receptions for 441 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers are slightly down from 2023 due to him missing three games through injury.
5″9, he is an excellent open-field receiver, possessing great speed and acceleration to go with his strong route-running. Horncano changes direction, making it difficult for defensive backs to get near him. Our mock has him picking 232 to the San Francisco 49ers, becoming an admirable weapon for Kyle Shanahan to use in his offense.
During the Pro Day, Horn only participated in the 3-cone drill (7.32 seconds) and shuttle (4.3 seconds). Last month, he attended the NFL Scouting Combine and recorded a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 38″ vertical, and 10’8″ broad jump.
LaVonta Bentley, ILB
Bentley was the only linebacker from Colorado to participate in the Pro Day, and the six-year college veteran will hope he did enough to impress scouts enough to give him a shot. In 2024, he registered 55 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
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He was a four-star recruit in high school, singing with Clemson and playing in 40 games as a Tiger. Bentley then entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer and landed with the Buffaloes. He played every game for the school in two years as he became a cornerstone of Coach Prime’s defense.
At the Pro Day, he recorded a 29.5″ vertical, a 9’2″ broad jump, 25 reps on the bench press, 7.26 seconds for the 3-cone drill, and 4.4 seconds for the shuttle.
Chidozie Nwankwo, DL
Nwankwo’s 31 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the 2023 season have seen some teams show interest in him, albeit towards the end of the NFL Draft. He transferred to Colorado at the end of the 2023 season and became a key cog of their defense.
At 345 lbs, he is still athletic and has a great point of attack when rushing. Nwankwo has a good ability to get blockers off-balance as he continues to locate the ball quickly.
Nwankwo ran an unofficial 5.6-second 40-yard dash, 23-inch vertical, 8’1″ broad jump, 26 reps on the bench, 8.4 seconds for the 3-cone drill, and 4.91 seconds for the shuttle.
BJ Green II, DL
Green II had a strong year with the Buffaloes, having transferred from Arizona State. He made 33 total tackles, 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Green caught the eye at the Pro Day with an unofficial time of 4.70 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Colorado Sack Leader BJ Green just ran a 4.70 40-Yd Dash 🔥
🎥 : @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/TrYVJLqmUI
— We Coming 🦬 (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) March 19, 2025
The 6″0, 252lbs DL then ran a second 40-year dash and unofficially recorded 4.77 seconds. At the NFL Combine, the fastest 40-yard dash by a DL was Nebraska’s Ty Robinson at 4.83 seconds. Green recorded a 30″ vertical, 10’2″ broad jump, 7.33 seconds in the 3-cone drill, and a shuttle time of 4.65 seconds.
Despite earning First-team All-Big 12 honors, Green is not seen on many NFL Mock Drafts, so he hopes Pro Day made enough of an impression to jump onto boards.
KEEP READING: Deion Sanders Reportedly Wants Colorado Buffaloes to Play Bill Belichick, North Carolina in Spring Game
Some players may not be taken in the NFL Draft, but the Big 12 Pro Day allowed them to show scouts what they can do. They may see them work their way up the boards or at least see teams sign them to practice squads and give them a chance.
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