Takeaways from UNC football's 2025 Pro Day ahead of NFL Draft

UNC’s 2025 Pro Day took place on Monday morning, giving 17 prospective draftees opportunities to showcase their potential to NFL scouts and executives from 31 of 32 teams.

Among them was running back Omarion Hampton — North Carolina’s crown jewel in the 2025 NFL Draft. Other players worked to prove that teams should take a chance on them. 

Six out of the 17 players who participated in UNC’s Pro Day earned invites to the NFL Combine earlier this month: Hampton, tight end Bryson Nesbit, rush Kaimon Rucker, defensive lineman Jahvaree Ritzie, linebacker Power Echols and defensive back Alijah Huzzie.

Players received their updated measurements, followed by tests of speed, agility and balance, such as the 40-yard dash, rotations between vertical and broad jump as well as the 3-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle run.

After a season full of injuries, many UNC standouts made their returns to the field for the first time since the 2024 season, including Rucker and Nesbit. Huzzie did not participate in Pro Day activities after an ACL injury sustained in the Shrine Bowl on Jan. 30. 

Here are four standouts from UNC’s Pro Day:

Omarion Hampton 

Hampton displayed his explosive speed and run style at the 2025 NFL Combine, recording a 4.46 40-yard dash — ranking 12th — and 38-inch vertical. At UNC’s Pro Day, he stuck with these numbers, looking to showcase his receiving ability. 

“That's definitely one of the things I wanted to put on tape and everything like that," Hampton said. "Showing that I can catch the ball at the backfield, I can pass the check, do everything to be a three-down back."

The Clayton, N.C. native is ranked No. 2 among running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., and is projected as a borderline first-rounder. Hampton would be the first UNC running back to go in the opening round in 40 years. But the work isn’t done for Hampton quite yet.

“[I] just still gotta keep working, stacking days, take it day-by-day," Hampton said. "Keep going out here, keep getting better and eventually it will take care of [me]."

Jahvaree Ritzie 

Ritzie’s name buzzed all around the indoor practice facility after he recorded a 36-inch vertical. At 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds, he exhibited smooth lateral movement with ease and crushed his blocking drills. 

After suffering a hamstring injury at the NFL Combine in February, Ritzie said his biggest goal for Pro Day was to finish it in good health. He worked to display more of his arsenal up and down the defensive line to scouts. 

“I'm able to be more agile than what it looks like on film, considering my position,” Ritzie said. “I was at defensive tackle this past year, so I was going straight a lot, doing a lot of inside movement. I was able to showcase a little bit more with the position drills — that I'm able to do a lot more bending."

Kaimon Rucker

Rucker also did not participate in tests and limited his involvement in drills after spending the offseason recovering from a cracked fibula. He joined Ritzie in positional drills toward the end of Monday’s showcase, and said he didn’t experience any pain. 

The former UNC defensive standout participated in the bench press and team interviews at the combine. Despite injury rehab, Rucker said he has kept a positive mindset, “smiling the whole time” throughout the process. 

“Going into the Draft, man, I just want to get picked up,” Rucker said. “You know what I mean? So, it's an opportunity, not only for me [but] to celebrate with my family and friends as well. They've all played a crucial role in my life and so it's only right for me to allow them to celebrate this journey with me.”

Bryce Baker

While former UNC quarterback Jacolby Criswell was initially slotted to throw at Pro Day, incoming 4-star recruit Bryce Baker ended up taking the reins after Criswell was unable to make it, according to Inside Carolina. Criswell announced his transfer to East Tennessee State in January.

Baker spent the morning dishing out dimes to Nesbit and Hampton, among others, making an impression on NFL scouts. 

The more Baker settled in, the more scouts vocalized their praises.

“He's next up, man,” offensive guard Willie Lampkin said. “I feel like Bryce is going to take us there, take UNC to the championship. I feel like he's going to be a name, a household name at UNC for years to come.”

The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from Apr. 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 

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