National Football League

2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Highlights from Richardson, Levis, more

Updated Mar. 6, 2023 11:00 a.m. ET

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The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, and we had you covered with the week's biggest moments!

The combine is a week-long, invitation-only event that took place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis where members of all 32 NFL teams met with the top draft-eligible college football players. Players ran drills relative to their respective positions, with the most highly anticipated exercises being the 40-yard dash, bench press and vertical jump.

Described as the "ultimate four-day job interview," the event is a key step in a player’s journey to the NFL.

A total of 319 prospects were invited to attend this year's event, highlighted by big-name quarterbacks C.J. Stroud (Ohio State), Will Levis (Kentucky) and Anthony Richardson (Florida). A full list of 2023 invitees and results can be found here.

Here are the highlights, by date.

Sunday, March 5: Offensive linemen and running backs

Texas A&M RB Devon Achane ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.34 seconds, which was the fastest among his position.

BYU OL Blake Freeland set a new Combine record for offensive linemen with a 37-inch vertical jump.

He followed that up with the best broad jump of the day at 10'0.

Saturday, March 4: Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends

Florida QB Anthony Richardson had a record-smashing day Saturday, setting the QB Combine record for broad jump (10 feet, 9 inches) and the vertical jump (40.5 inches) right out of the gate.

Richardson, 21, followed that up with the fastest official 40-time among the QB group at 4.43 seconds. 

It was faster than current NFL QBs Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and former NFL QBs Tim Tebow and Cam Newton, who Richardson said was his favorite player to watch growing up.

NFL teams are reportedly enamored with the athletic potential of the 6-foot-4, 244-pound signal-caller after his dazzling performance Saturday despite Richardson going just 6-6 in his only full season as a starting quarterback at Florida.

Meanwhile, Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud had arguably one of the best throwing sessions at any combine, tossing one picture-perfect bomb after another to prove why he's in contention for one of the top draft spots next month.

Kentucky QB Will Levis also showed out during Saturday's throwing portion. The only other events he participated in were the vertical and broad jump, where he checked in with the fifth- and second-best scores among QBs, respectively.

Elsewhere, two-time College Football Playoff national champion and Georgia QB Stetson Bennett ran in the 40-yard dash, checking in at 4.67 seconds — the second-slowest time among the seven signal-callers who participated.

However, Bennett redeemed himself in the throwing portion of Saturday's event. Exhibit A: His deep ball. 

The former walk-on and junior college transfer, who grew up a diehard Georgia football fan, became the first quarterback in program history to lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships. At 25 years old, Bennett is the same age as or even older than several signal-callers who have already been in the NFL for multiple years.

Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt put up an 11-foot-3-inch broad jump — first among wideouts — and followed that up with a 40-inch vertical jump, fourth-best among his position. What's more, with an official time of 4.40 seconds, he also ran the 40-yard dash faster than two-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones and reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson.

TCU WR Derius Davis started off strong, checking in with an official time of 4.36 to set the tone for the WR group …

… but it was none other than Nebraska's Trey Palmer who walked — shall we say ran — away with the day's fastest time.

Friday, March 3: Defensive backs and special teams

The king of the broad jump Friday was Kansas State DB Julius Brents, who cashed in for an official 11-foot, 6-inch jump.

Michigan DB DJ Turner turned heads with his 4.27 unofficial 40-yard dash, which he followed up with an official time of 4.26 seconds to make him one of the fastest defensive backs in the history of the Combine since 2003, per the NFL.

Thursday, March 2: Defensive linemen and linebackers

Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey, who led all interior defensive linemen with 14.5 tackles for a loss this past season, ran the fastest 40-yard dash by someone 280-plus pounds since 2003, per NFL Research, with an astonishing time of 4.67.

At 6-foot-1, 281 pounds, Kancey was Pitt's first unanimous All-American since three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. Kancey's 40-time checked in 0.1 seconds faster than Donald's time of 4.68 seconds in 2013.

Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith put on a show Thursday, running an official 4.39 40-yard dash, which is the second-fastest by a defensive lineman since 2003, per NFL Research.

He kicked things into high gear on his second go-around after his initial run of 4.44 seconds left him unsatisfied.

"I wasn't even running full speed," Smith said after his first unofficial run.

Smith's time beat out that of superstar NFL receivers Stefon Diggs (4.46) and DeAndre Hopkins (4.57), as well as NFL running backs Saquon Barkley (4.40) and Christian McCaffrey (4.48) — to name a few. 

It was tied for the best of the day with Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe.

Smith also led his position group in the vertical leap (41.50 inches) and the 10-yard split (1.52 seconds). At 238 pounds, he's the heaviest player with a 40-plus vertical at the Combine since 2003, edging out DK Metcalf in 2019, per CBS Sports.

Elsewhere, Michigan DL Mazi Smith beat out all other defensive linemen this year with 34 reps on the bench press.

Here's how the sports world has reacted to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

Read more:

• Anthony Richardson breaks multiple QB records at NFL Combine
• Bryce Young's height measured at 5-foot-10 1/8, adding to debate
• Georgia's Nolan Smith turns heads with blazing 40 at NFL Combine
• Calijah Kancey runs second-fastest 40 by DT at NFL Combine since 2003
• C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson don't lack confidence at NFL Combine

Top stories from FOX Sports:

• Bijan Robinson is an elite prospect. But NFL execs remain iffy on drafting RBs high
• Stroud opposes Bears drafting him, defends Fields: ‘That’s his team'
• Alabama QB Bryce Young confident in abilities, downplays questions about frame
• Jalen Carter's draft stock a topic of discussion among NFL execs
• Joey Porter Jr. heeds famous father's advice to become top NFL Draft prospect
• Introduction to betting 2023 NFL Draft; Value on Bryce Young to go No. 1?

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National Football League

College Football

Pittsburgh Panthers

Calijah Kancey

Georgia Bulldogs

Nolan Smith

Michigan Wolverines

Mazi Smith

Kansas State Wildcats

Julius Brents

DJ Turner

TCU Horned Frogs

Derius Davis

Tennessee Volunteers

Jalin Hyatt

Stetson Bennett

Kentucky Wildcats

Will Levis

Florida Gators

Anthony Richardson

Ohio State Buckeyes

C.J. Stroud

BYU Cougars

Blake Freeland