Irish at the Combine: How Did Notre Dame's Players Fair?
- Noah Wehby
- 5 hours ago
- 6 min read
Inching closer toward the NFL draft, Notre Dame has some very intriguing players, and arguably the best player overall in the prospect pool. With the combine wrapped up, let's take a look at how former Notre Dame players performed and how their draft stock may have changed.
Jeremiyah Love - Running Back
Coming into this year's combine, Love had lofty expectations. Due to the talent and athleticism he shows in his tape, it was important for him to back it up with a good 40-time. As it was the only athletic testing he took part in, it made it that much more important that he impressed all the scouts watching. Love did just that. With a 4.36 40-time, Love set himself apart as not only the most talented back in the draft, but also one of the most athletic backs in recent memory. Everyone who had ever watched a Notre Dame game knew that Love was fast and explosive, but it is important to quantify just how fast he is. As it turns out, Love is plenty fast. Compared to the other great backs in the NFL, Love's 40 looks even better, assuring many that Love will be the NFL player many believe he could be. Jahmyr Gibbs, a star running back for the Lions known for his speed, ran the same time as Love during his combine despite Love weighing 13 pounds heavier. Love's time also beat out Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson's time, both of whom are considered to be among the best backs in the league. Besides the 40, Love only participated in the running drills, where he showed off his smooth and explosive ability to run the ball. Although Love was not very busy at the combine, he looked the part as the best running back in the draft, and could have possibly played himself into a top-five pick this April.
Jadarian Price - Running Back
During the entire draft process, Jadarian Price has been under consideration for the second running back off the board. While it is unclear where exactly he'll land, it is likely that he will be a round two pick. Price may not have wowed anyone, but he did not do anything to hurt his stock and scare teams away from taking him to be a future starter in the NFL. When it comes to all the athletic testing, Price finished in the middle of the pack for most of them. At the 40-yard dash, Price ran a 4.49, a respectable time for a back that is not known for speed, but has shown more than enough burst to run away from defenders. While 4.49 is not anywhere close to the time Love ran, Price's time was still faster than the average 40 among running backs at the combine. It is important to remember that the 40 does not always tell the whole story about a player's speed. Price has never been a straight-line runner. He excels at reading a defense, making one cut, and then beating players down the field with his burst and strength. These are all things Price's film at Notre Dame shows, and the 40 does not. As for the other results, Price finished eighth among running backs in the vertical, posting a 35-inch best. In the broad jump, Price finished fourth with a jump of 10'4". In the bench press, where players see how many times they can lift 225 lbs, Price finished fourth, posting 21 reps. Price really started to shine in the running drills. Like Love, Price was finally able to show his natural and fluid running style. Price may not be the same caliber player as Love, but in those drills, he may have looked better than his Notre Dame counterpart.
Malachi Fields - Wide Receiver
Malachi Fields has been a huge riser throughout the entire draft process. Ever since the Senior Bowl, Fields has seen his name climb into some first-round projections. His incredible size and ability to track the ball in the air make him an interesting and potentially important pick for a team looking for a contested catch specialist. While Fields will almost certainly be a day-two pick, the combine may have put a slight dampener on his first-round potential. This is mainly due to his slow 40-time. Fields was never going to blow anyone away with his 40, but it would've helped to show scouts that he was faster than they would've expected. At a 4.61, Fields had the second-slowest 40-time of the combine among the receivers. For Fields, this will not make or break his draft. Speed is not why teams like what Fields can bring. They like him for his elite ability to high-point a football, box-out defenders for position on a pass, and win contested catches. Other than the 40, Fields performed well at the standing vertical. There, he jumped a 38.00", which was tied for 11th out of 30 participants, and at the broad jump, he registered a 10'4". To close out his combine, he finished with a 6.98s 3-cone drill and a 4.35s 20-yard shuttle. Overall, Fields will get drafted for a lot of things that the combine does not show. This is why some discredit the importance of the combine. Hopefully for Fields, the combine does not hurt his stock too much.
Eli Raridon - Tight End
Raridon was one of the more underrated players on Notre Dame's offense last year. During this draft process, he is still flying under the radar as a late-day two or day-three pick. In this draft, Raridon is tied for the tallest tight end, which makes him an interesting option. At that size, Raridon still does not lack any explosiveness, as he proved with his 40-time. There, Raridon ran a very respectable 4.62. At that time, he will be more than fast enough to run effective routes in the NFL, especially with his huge frame. He continued to impress with his vertical jump of 36.00", tying him for sixth out of 18 participants. Raridon put on another good performance in the broad jump, where he posted a 10'3", good for fifth out of 18. For bench press, Raridon did post one of the lower numbers, pointing to one of the main concerns teams may have. Although tall, Raridon needs to add some weight to his frame. As a whole, Raridon performed well and looked like one of the most well-rounded tight ends in the class.
Aamil Wagner - Offensive Line
With a lot to potentially prove at the combine, Aamil Wagner did well to show his fast and athletic playing style. Starting with the 40-yard dash, Wagner ran a 5.01, ranking him 10th among all the offensive linemen who ran. Unfortunately for Wagner, the good performance in the 40 did not carry over to the bench press. There, Wagner posted the worst number of any offensive lineman with 21 reps. A number like this may be concerning for some NFL teams, who might worry that Wagner lacks the strength to hold up against NFL pass-rushers. Besides that, Wagner does present interesting potential because of his athleticism, primarily speed. In the vertical and broad jump, Wagner finished in the middle of the pack among all offensive linemen. One thing not seen on TV is the interviews that teams conduct with prospects at the combine. Here, Wagner most likely excelled with prospective teams. During his time at Notre Dame, it was well documented that off the field, Wagner was very impressive. Notre Dame's AD Pete Bevacqua even said he would not be surprised if he became president one day. His team also elected Wagner to be a captain during the 2025 season, another indicator of his leadership.
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