Was 2025 NFL Draft Prep for the state of Ohio, Notre Dame player affected by extended CFP?

Indianapolis room five weeks after immersion in Scarlet and Gray Confetti in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium of Atlanta stood several players in Ohio State and smiled again at cameras and microphones. Only this time has remembered the national title run in the past and answered questions about their NFL futures about their national title.

But when Ohio State and Notre Dame’s seasons were completed on January 20 with the 34:23 victory of the Buckeyes, many players confused two and six weeks of draft preparation while pursuing a championship. It is a small price to get the ultimate college price, but it has residual effects. In contrast to other players who had decided by Bowl games, the players from Notre Dame and Ohio State did not have as much rest and recovery time and were unable to devote more than a few weeks to train and refine skills.

“We had a late season – luckily. It ended late and (we could) win a national championship, ”said Jack Sawyer on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “So we didn’t have much time during training. I flew directly to California the next week after the game to start training. “

The combine is known for the workouts in the field, but it is also valuable for medical examinations and player interviews. All players will see doctors and spend time with different teams. In the workouts, Sawyer will participate in defensive drilling in the field, but will save other tests such as the pro-day of the state of Ohio, such as the 40-yard fittings board and bench press. Notre Dame Defensive Tackle Howard Cross III, who missed three games in November, but returned to College Football Playoff, will be the bank and jump, but wait to run on the pro day of his team.

Jack Sawyer Scoop-and-Score 😱

The state of Ohio is closer to the National Championship! pic.twitter.com/bpov5fbrGZ

– ESPN (@SPN) January 11, 2025

“Like we, the state of Ohio and two or three other teams, we obviously do not have a few weeks compared to other players who had a few months to get ready,” said Cross after he had recognized that he is now healthy. “But that’s still not an excuse.

“You need time to relax and bring yourself together before you can train. Many boys didn’t have enough time, especially the other boys from Notre Dame. So that will have an impact on what we do. “

If there are fears among the championship participants that their training figures may not achieve their top performance, the NFL general managers have publicly calculated these concerns this week. If at all, the competition in the CFP may improve the NFL prospects of the players more than what they could have achieved during combination training.

“They all evaluate individually,” said John Schneider, General Manager of Seattle Seahawks. “How do you play? What kind of injuries do you have? What do the analytics think? What do the science people think? How do the trainers rate the player? What is the fit?

“When you talk about the speed of height … there is actually more interested in the person and competitors, what kind of football player you are, more than the GPS times, the weight, the speed that you do here.”

But that does not mean that NFL teams do not judge how they run.

“Yes, we rate these boys in training,” said Schneider. “But it’s more about football – how does your band say? – and then get to know the person a little more. And the greatest is medicine. “

Perhaps no players have increased their NFL profile in the post -season than Sawyer and Sawyer and colleagues in the state of Ohio, JT Tuimoloau. Sawyer had 4 1/2 sacks and three pass separations in the four CFP games of the Buckeyes and delivered one of the legendary moments of the post-season with its 83-yard sack, scoop and score against Texas. Tuimoloau was statistically even more productive, with 10 duels against losses and 6 1/2 sacks in four games.

The performance of the buckeyes in the late season led to a lot of memories for the players and their supporters, but accelerated every phase of her preparation draft.

“It really only tested me how I did my time to go back, to do your body properly and to train,” said Tuimoloau. “It is no time to let things waste. So you get very critical with your time and that taught me that. “

“Really, just take care of your body and eat the right stuff,” said Sawyer. “I think we did a really good job – all the boys. So we all feel pretty good. “