Nebraska Pro Day Notebook: Cam Jurgens steals the show

Nebraska offensive lineman Cameron Jurgens only ran the 40-yard dash (4.92 seconds) and did the bench press (25 reps) at the NFL Combine last month.

On Tuesday at NU’s Pro Day in Lincoln, the 28 teams in attendance got to see much more of the Beatrice native, and he did not disappoint.

The 6-foot-3, 303-pound Jurgens jumped a 33-inch vertical and a mark of 9-11 in the broad jump. His mark in the broad was just behind the top offensive line number at the combine of 10-1. The top overall offensive lineman vertical at the combine was 36 ½ inches.

Of those 28 teams in attendance, four specifically brought their offensive line coaches to get a closer look at Jurgens as he effortlessly moved through different drills.

HuskerOnline also learned that the Dallas Cowboys are expected to bring in Jurgens for a private visit in the coming days.

It’s safe to say of NU’s top draft prospects for 2023, Jurgens has arguably put his name at the top of the list, and his work on Tuesday helped his cause even more.

- Sean Callahan

After leaving Nebraska in December, it’s been over three months since JoJo Domann has been back around the Husker football program.

Tuesday’s Pro Day was his first time back after spending the last eight years in Lincoln.

“It was good to be back in Nebraska,” Domann said. “I couldn’t anticipate the emotions that were going to come up, but it was just all joy and happiness, which I definitely think helped propel my performance today. Honestly, I’m glad it’s over and done with. We took care of business, and now it’s time for the next step.”

Domann had a solid day of work, running 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 15 reps in the bench press, and jumping 36.5 inches in the vertical.

Domann was hoping to improve his NFL Combine time of 4.62 seconds in the 40 and run somewhere in the 4.5s, but he didn't have the run he would’ve liked.

“I had a little hitch in my giddy-up,” Domann said. “It’s not even how fast you are moving; it’s how efficient you are moving. I think I missed a couple of cues out there today.”

The other question Domann continues to get asked is about his overall position fit. He remains very open to anything at this point.

“Every team asks me, 'what do you think you will play?' I just say, ‘I’m planning to play wherever you want me to play, and learning and developing those skillsets based on where I’m needed.’ That’s kind of been the back and forth,” Domann said.

“I’m really just looking for the right fit and someone who believes in me and is going to give me the right opportunity. Somewhere that I can go in and develop roots and help a team win a championship.”

- Sean Callahan

As one of four former Nebraska players invited to the 2022 NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month, Cam Taylor-Britt already accomplished one of his most important offseason goals going into Tuesday’s Nebraska Pro Day.

The 5-foot-11, 196-pound defensive back ran a blistering 4.38 in the 40-yard dash, silencing many of the skepticism he’d heard about his speed.

That’s why Taylor-Britt’s primary focus in his return to Lincoln was to better showcase his overall athleticism in the field drills, as NFL teams had told him he needed to improve his transitions and explosiveness in and out of breaks.

Taylor-Britt said he’d heard from multiple NFL teams during the pre-draft process, particularly the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While he had a decision to make with another year of college eligibility available, Taylor-Britt said the past three months had cemented that he made the right choice to jump to the next level.

“Most definitely it did,” Taylor-Britt said. “Especially the Senior Bowl and Combine, even training with some of the guys that are so-called high-caliber guys, it just boosts you to go even harder.”

- Robin Washut

For the past three months, Austin Allen had to shift his focus from just being a football player.

In preparing for the NFL Combine and then Nebraska’s Pro Day, the former NU tight end had specialized his training for 40-yard dashes, three-cone drills, and 225-pound bench presses.

For the most part, he was satisfied with the numbers he put up in Indianapolis, though he would’ve liked to have run better than his 4.83 40.

So on Tuesday, the 2021 Big Ten Tight End of the Year focused his attention on the bench press (which he did not complete at the NFL Combine) and ran routes. He said his bench reps were lower than he’d like, but that was no surprise.

“I’ve got long, skinny arms, so I wasn’t expecting a great number on that,” Allen said. “They needed to see a number down on paper so that there were no red flags.”

Allen knows the biggest question surrounding his NFL stock is his strength, as teams have told him they’d like to see him add more muscle to his 6-8, 253-pound frame.

Now with the testing portion of the offseason complete, Allen said he was excited to get back to his regular football routine while continuing to bulk up heading into next month’s NFL Draft.

“The whole process has its own on and off switches,” Allen said. “I went down to Florida in January, and you’ve got to turn off football skills and start turning on 40 and pro agility. It’s nothing football-wise. Then once the Combine is done, you’ve got to turn back on your football skills. It’s a lot of getting your body right for certain situations.

“So now it’s all getting into football shape. Once April 30th rolls around, they’ll call you for rookie minicamps a week later, and you’ve got to be in the best football shape of your life.”

- Robin Washut

Despite an impressive senior season at Nebraska and being one of the breakout players at the 2022 East-West Shrine Game, Samori Toure was not among the former Huskers invited to the NFL Combine.

That’s why Tuesday’s Nebraska Pro Day was one of the most critical points of the wide receiver’s football career.

Above all else, the former Montana transfer said he wanted to showcase his speed, as he’d heard there were questions about how fast he could run. With a top 40 time of 4.43, Toure felt he answered those criticisms.

“It was definitely important,” Toure said. “This was one the most important days of my life probably so far. Everything was on the line, and I feel like I showed out.”

Though he only spent roughly nine months in Lincoln, Toure said his one season at Nebraska accomplished everything he had hoped.

“That’s the whole reason I came here, was to put myself in a better position to make it to the NFL,” Toure said. “I feel like that all worked out how I wanted it to… Just being a part of a big-level team in the Big Ten, playing against Big Ten competition. Training table, facilities, all of that helped prepare me.”

- Robin Washut

Damion Daniels returned to Lincoln for Nebraska’s Pro Day with his own personal cheering section.

His brother, former Husker captain Darrion Daniels, was accompanied by former NU draft picks Carlos and Kahlil Davis on Tuesday.

Damion was happy with his overall Pro Day performance, though he did not participate in the bench press due to a chest contusion. His trimmed-down frame stood out as much as anything, as he said he weighed in at 302 pounds.

That’s the lightest he’s been since he was a sophomore in high school.

By shedding that weight - about a 20-pound drop from last season - Daniels said NFL teams are looking at him now as both a nose tackle and a 3-4 defensive end.

“They’ve said they could see me taking up bodies and eating up space, and some see me as a three-technique because they see me affecting the quarterback that way,” Daniels said. “Just playing anything from zero to three tech.”

Daniels’ decision to jump to the NFL this offseason was one of the most surprising for Nebraska, but he said he felt confident that he made the right choice.

“Conversations like that are really tough, especially not knowing what the future holds,” Daniels said. “I’ve spent my last five years in Nebraska, and this is a part of my life now. Leaving this place was like leaving a part of me. I just can’t want to see what the future holds for me.”

- Robin Washut

***Levi Falck was disappointed he dropped one pass but said that if coaches go back and watch his film, they’ll see that doesn’t happen often. He said it was a benefit to only have him and Toure at receiver so he could get a lot of reps.

As an underrated NFL draft prospect, Falck said he is willing to play football anywhere at the next level, whether in the XFL or somewhere else.

“My goal is to play football for as long as I can, and that’s what I love, and that’s what I’m going to do,” Falck said, who ran a 4.63 in the 40-yard dash.

***Ben Stille said teams could see him playing inside and outside on the defensive line, just like he did at Nebraska. Stille said he could be flexible and adapt to what the team needs.

Stille, an Ashland, Neb. native, said he was happy with his 5.00 40-yard dash time. He said he thinks he surprised the scouts with his pro-ability score and showed he moves well.

He officially weighed in at exactly 300 pounds. That’s the most he’s weighed during an official weigh-in. When Stille came to Nebraska from Ashland-Greenwood, he said he weighed 245 pounds.