Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Four Wake Forest NFL Prospects Highlighted 2021 Deacon Pro Day
4/1/2021 2:10:00 PM | Football
Scouts from the last 25 Super Bowl champions attended Wednesday’s Session
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest Football welcomed representatives from every NFL division to the turf of McCreary Football Field House on Wednesday for 2021's edition of Wake Forest Pro Day.
Defensive end Carlos "Boogie" Basham Jr., wide receiver Sage Surratt, quarterback Jamie Newman and placekicker Jack Crane all got the chance to showcase their skills in front of scouts and player personnel from the last 25 Super Bowl Champions.
With COVID-19 granting many Demon Deacons an extra year of eligibility, head coach Dave Clawson noted that many more Deacons will have a shot at the NFL in near future. But for the four players working out today, it was just one more example of the type of development Wake Forest can provide football players. Basham, Surratt and Newman all entered as three-star recruits as freshmen, while Crane was a walk-on out of high school at his first school, Washington State.
"We've had 24 players sign NFL contracts in the last three years and very few of them came here ready-made," Clawson said. "We have put these guys in a position to go chase their dreams. That is one of our goals and it is one of the things we share in recruiting."
Basham is currently projected to be the highest slotted player in the draft of the four who participated in Pro Day, with most evaluations pegging him as a late first-round or early second-round pick. Both Surratt and Newman stand a good chance of being drafted in the middle rounds, with Crane showcasing his 60-yard range as a potential late-round flier at kicker.
All four players had big moments throughout both the workout and the day's media session.
Boogie Basham Crushs Combine Drills to Continue Climb Up Draft Boards
The defensive line prospect had an incredible day on the turf of McCreary Football Center, running a best 40-yard dash with a time of 4.59, an impressive time given Basham's 6-foot-5, 275 pound frame.
"It was about as good a 40-time as you could hope for," defensive line coach Dave Cohen said.
So happy to see Boogie crush his pro day !! All his hard work had paid off ...his future success is limitless !!! https://t.co/5inx7nHCTJ
— Dave Cohen (@CoachCohenWake) March 31, 2021
The performance in both the 40-yard dash and the L-cone drill (7.13 seconds, or "blazing fast," per The Athletic's Bruce Feldman) in particular earned audible oohs and ahs from the scouts at field level that could be heard even on the ACC Network Extra broadcast. Basham also performed well in the vertical jump (34 inches) and short shuttle (4.25 seconds) drill.
"It was very important to me," Basham said of his workout. "Me being my size and moving like that, that doesn't come around too often. For me to be able to go out there and do it today, it was a blessing."
Boogie was movin' @Almighty_Basham x #ProDeacs 🎩 https://t.co/vBF3vtQ7bM pic.twitter.com/b3530QMNY5
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) March 31, 2021
Basham is currently projected as a late first-round, early second-round pick, with the versatility to play defensive end, defensive tackle and even outside linebacker in 3-4 sets. He said he's already had conversations with position coaches from the Buccaneers, the Chargers and the Bills, who are drafting around that time.
Boogie Basham 6'3 274 4.64 (via @JimNagy_SB)
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) March 31, 2021
Wow.
Since 2000, some DL weighing more than 270 and running sub 4.70:
Aaron Donald, Mario Williams, Justin Houston, Everson Griffen, Will Smith, Myles Garrett... Elite company.
Outside of his measurables, visiting NFL reporters noted his 23-game tackle for loss streak that continued into October of 2020, which Dave Clawson was happy to highlight.
"He's athletic, he understands balance, and he was a decent high-school basketball player," Clawson said. "That whole way of feeling a tackle and being athletic enough to feel the leverage and weight distribution and rip off then get in space, he's athletic enough to get a guy on the ground."
Coming to a backfield near you 🔥@Almighty_Basham x #ProDeacs 🎩 pic.twitter.com/1Wg3aOUh4C
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) March 31, 2021
Sage Surratt Shows "Box Out" Ability in Field Work
Sage Surratt got a chance to show off his receiving ability with field work, demonstrating the sure hands that earned the receiver All-ACC First Team honors in 2019.
The Lincoln, N.C. native also competed in a variety of combine drills, including the bench press and short shuttle in his first public appearance at McCreary Football Field House since the redshirt junior opted out of the 2020 football season.
🐰 x 💪#ProDeacs 🎩 pic.twitter.com/4W4AumKD4W
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) March 31, 2021
Surratt revealed in media interviews he had spoken with scouts from the Bucs, Rams and Chargers in his pre-draft process. Assembled media personnel highlighted Surratt's ability as a possession receiver, with offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero calling Surratt "a true weapon against press coverage." Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy denoted Surratt as one of the draft's best red-zone threats for passes on the goaline during the ACC Network Extra broadcast.
"I feel like boxing out is a timing thing," Surratt said. "I played all types of sports growing up, so I feel like being able to play a lot of sports contributes to that. The joke in my family is where I get my hands from. Because my dad was a DB, so I feel like that's just a gift from God."
Surratt was sure to highlight in his media session how Wake Forest molded him into the football player, but also the person he is today.
"I felt like the elite academics we have and playing Power-5 football is what stuck out to me," Surratt said. "Having a chance to play early, and be with these guys.
"Coming to Wake Forest, I felt like I was coming to a place with a strong culture. We have a winning culture here, guys that come in and want to compete and work hard. So I felt like coming to Wake Forest, you're going to be part of a winning program and be around guys that will push you to be better."
Newman Tosses Dimes in Field Work
Signalcaller Jamie Newman returned to turf for the first time in Winston-Salem since the Graham, N.C. native transferred to Georgia and opted out of the 2020 season.
Newman, in large part thanks to his 2,868 passing yards and 3,442 total offense yards during his final season at Wake Forest in 2019, earned an invite to the Senior Bowl after the 2020 season. Newman finished the all-star game in Mobile, Ala. with 118 yards on 10-of-14 passing and one touchdown, posting the best completion percentage and yards per completion out of any quarterback in the game.
Newman got a chance to toss passes to many of his former teammates including Surratt and Ian Driscoll, in front of dozens of scouts, as offensive coordinator Warren Rugiero highlighted Newman's running ability and deep ball touch as tools NFL teams would be interested in.
"Not a lot of people get the opportunity to make it this far in the process," Newman said. "So, I just feel like I'm blessed, being at Graham High School where football is an emphasis. Making it out of there and just giving myself an opportunity to even try to get to the next level is just a true blessing. And it comes from my family instilling hard work and faith in me, and definitely the people I've surrounded myself with. Coach Clawson, my teammates, Warren Ruggiero, just learning everything I could from each person that I ran into in my life. So it's just a blessing to me."
Newman has spoken with all 32 NFL teams thanks to his participation in the Senior Bowl. He revealed he's since spoken extensively with the Steelers' head coach Mike Tomlin, offensive coordinator Matt Canada and the general manager Kevin Colbert during the pre draft process.
As he continues to work towards draft day, Newman hopes to work on his intermediate throws to become a more complete quarterback at the next level.
"Being more consistent with my intermediate game is one of the biggest things I want to work on, because the game is always played within 10 to 15 yards as a quarterback," Newman said. "One of the things I feel like I do better than anybody in this draft is throw a great touch deep ball. Always being able to show my arm strength is something that has always come natural to me, but definitely took work. That's just me, that's one of the biggest parts of my game, that deep ball throwing."
Jack Crane demonstrates his powerful kicks
Placekicker and kickoff specialist Jack Crane earned the opportunity to showcase his strong left leg on Wednesday, demonstrating his prowess in earning touchbacks throughout a kickoff session at the beginning of Pro Day.
The Voice of the Deacons, Stan Cotten, had to keep a close eye on kicks at the start of the Pro Day broadcast, as Crane's follow through placed his kickoffs mere yards away from where Cotten and Larry Sorensen were set up.
Placekicking wise, the Sammamish, Wash. native made field goals from as far as 60 yards out during his workout in front of scouts.
The graduate transfer from Washington State drilled 36 touchbacks on 61 kickoffs for the Deacs last fall, while also going a perfect 7-for-7 on PATs. He started at placekicker for the Deacs' appearance in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
🎯🎯🎯@Jack_Crane2 x #ProDeacs 🎩 pic.twitter.com/RYPpGfRRZW
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) March 31, 2021
