After an injury-marred junior season at BYU that was mostly unsatisfying until the last few games, running back Aidan Robbins surprised a lot of folks on Dec. 12 when he declared for the 2024 NFL draft.
At least one BYU offensive coach publicly questioned the decision, saying the 6-foot-3, 235-pound transfer from Louisville and UNLV could benefit from another year in college.
“I am absolutely thrilled. I don’t live my life with any regrets. Very happy about the decision I made and I am just making the most out of every opportunity.”
— Aidan Robbins after Thursday’s Big 12 Pro Day
But after participating in the inaugural Big 12 Pro Day Thursday morning at the Ford Center at the The Star in Frisco, Texas, the first conference-wide scouting combine in the country, Robbins was even more pleased with where he’s at.
“I am absolutely thrilled,” he told the Deseret News. “I don’t live my life with any regrets. Very happy about the decision I made and I am just making the most out of every opportunity.”
Robbins participated in every drill available, and was “pumped” with the way he performed. Official results had not been made available at press time, but the BYU football account on X reported he posted a 4.60-second time in the 40-yard dash on one of his two runs, the event that most scouts were interested in seeing from the big back.
Robbins said a few scouts told him they had him “in the low 4.5s.”
“I feel like I could have taken down maybe a few milliseconds on my 40,” Robbins said. “However, it is a slower track out here. But I am very pleased. I got what I prepared for. I prepared hard and did a lot better — my times were a lot better than what I started at a couple months ago, I know that much.”
According to the BYU football account on X (formerly Twitter), Robbins posted a 9-foot, 9-inch broad jump and did 21 bench presses (225 lbs.).
Before Robbins ran Thursday morning, BYUtv’s “Sports Nation” program reported that players were calling the surface at the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility “soft” and “spongy.”
“For sure, it is,” Robbins said. “So I just think if it was a bouncier surface I would have gotten down to 4.4 or so. But it is what it is.”
After making the decision to turn pro a couple weeks after rushing for 182 yards against Oklahoma and 74 against Oklahoma State, Robbins returned to his hometown of Louisville and worked out with Corey Taylor Sports Performance the past few months.
“I have been training with Corey since I was 12 years old,” Robbins said. “We do nothing but work at that place and that has prepared me for this moment.”
As for drawing NFL interest, Robbins said he interviewed with the Ravens Wednesday night and had been approached by scouts from the Cowboys, Saints, Jaguars, Browns and Bills by midday Thursday, “just to name a few.”
Robbins’ 2023 BYU teammates Isaac Rex (tight end), Deion Smith (running back), Eddie Heckard (cornerback) and Kamden Garrett (cornerback) also participated in drills on Thursday.
Friday will be reserved for meetings and interviews, while the six other former Cougars in Frisco this week will take the field Saturday: punter Ryan Rehkow, offensive lineman Paul Maile, defensive lineman Atunaisa Mahe, defensive lineman Jackson Cravens, linebacker AJ Vongphachanh and linebacker Max Tooley.
Rex, BYU’s all-time touchdown receptions leader for a tight end (24), was one of the first players to do his thing Thursday morning and reportedly did 24 reps on the bench press. According to BYUtv’s Spencer Linton, who was on-site, Rex’s “unofficial” time in the 40 was in the 4.80 to 4.85 range.
“I did pretty good on the bench. The 40, it is weird, because everybody (scouts with stopwatches) has different times,” Rex told BYUtv. “Not really sure what I got exactly. I caught the ball well, showed my stuff, and feel like I did well on my agility things. It was definitely a fun time.”
Rex, who had 112 catches for 1,385 yards and 24 touchdowns in five years in Provo, said he has been working out in Miami after playing in the Hula Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl.
He gave himself a ‘C’ grade for his performance Thursday.
“I feel like I could’ve have done a little bit better. But that is just life,” Rex said. “I feel like I am a good football player and I feel like I can perform and help out a team.”
BYU’s other running back who performed Thursday, Colorado transfer Deion Smith, posted a 10-foot-5-inch broad jump and a 40 time of 4.58 seconds, according to the BYU football account on X.
The same account reported that BYU cornerback Garrett ran a 4.47 40. Garrett’s former teammate at Weber State, Eddie Heckard, has been recovering from foot and back injuries and was limited in what he could do Thursday.
In all, 137 prospects from 12 of the 14 Big 12 schools were scheduled to participate over the course of the three-day gathering. Players from Texas and Oklahoma, which are headed to the SEC, did not participate. More than 130 NFL and CFL scouts, general managers, personnel directors and other team representatives were at the event, the Big 12 said.
