It’s the time of the year for the underwear Olympics at the post-season bowl games. At each of these games and at the NFL Combine the players with NFL dreams will be measured and weighed and scrutinized to the eighth of an inch. While what the players do on the field is most important things such as the length of a linemen’s arms or the hand size of quarterback could lead to some teams double checking and second guessing.
The measurements listed on the school websites and the game day programs are usually inflated or deflated in some way. We had the official measurements from the players at the East West Shrine Bowl last week. This week we received the Senior Bowl numbers. I took a look at those numbers and here are ten that stood out.
American Team
Tariq Woolen DB UTSA – arm length 3348
Woolen was a player who was listed on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list prior to the collegiate season as a player having exceptional athletic ability. His measurements at the Senior Bowl backed that up. He was the tallest cornerback at over 6’3” and the heaviest at 205 lbs. but the number that stood out was his arm length. He could matchup with any receiver with that kind of length. From what I’ve read he really is fast too.
Kingsley Enagbare EDGE South Carolina – arm length 3500
Coming off the edge while rushing the passer, players are going to face the long arms of the usually much bigger offensive tackles. Not many pass rushers are able to match them with length but that is no problem here. Enagbare checked in with 35 inch arms which is very helpful with his power pass rushes. He’ll make it difficult to throw over to the outside as well.
Tariq Carpenter SAF Georgia Tech – weight 225 lbs.
You can never have too many Tariq’s on a list. This is the second showcase Bowl for Carpenter. He played in the Hula Bowl in January and got added to the Senior Bowl shortly after. He weighed in as the heaviest safety in the group and added the longest arms (33 3/8 inches) and longest wing span (80 5/8 in.). He had over 200 tackles in college and that length helped him with 17 pass break ups.
Tre Turner WR Virginia Tech – weight 179 lbs.
Turner was not the lightest receiver. That honor went to Calvin Austin III of Memphis (173 lbs.). Turner however is nearly six inches taller than Austin. Add that to the fact that this wide receiver was used to run the ball often in his career (53 carries) makes his weight interesting to withstand hits. He averaged over seventeen yards per catch as well. He could be a versatile player for an NFL offense.
Braxton Jones OT Southern Utah – arm length 3600
Next up we have a big man from a small school in the Big Sky conference. Jones by all accounts had a dominating career playing in the FCS. He measured the longest of the offensive lineman with 36 inch arms and a wing span over seven feet. Not bad for a guy who is 6’5”. He’ll get a chance to take on some of the best in the FBS this week so we’ll see if he can use that length to his advantage.
National Team
Brian Asamoah II LB Oklahoma – wingspan 8000
Athleticism is his trademark and he had a very productive season for the Sooners. By the “normal” standards he is an undersized linebacker measuring at six feet even and 222 lbs. but that didn’t hinder him on his way to 80 tackles this season. Maybe it was his reach that helped. An 80 inch wing span is 6’8” and measuring eight inches longer than his height is impressive.
Desmond Ridder QB Cincinnati – hand size 1000
There is a lot to unpack with the quarterback group including three of them barely over six feet tall and Ridder coming in at just 207 lbs. I’m going to go with hand size as he was the only quarterback of the five that got measured (Kenny Pickett didn’t have his hands measured) to reach ten inches. He also easily had the longest arms at almost 33 inches. Some teams value hand size so this is positive for him.
Charlie Kolar TE Iowa State – Arm length 3448
Kolar is a guy who has looked impressive particularly as a receiver and has the frame and size to hopefully become a good inline blocker. He was the tallest and heaviest of the tight ends but his length stood out. He has good hands size and 34 1/2 inch arms with an over 82 inch wing span. That length is a benefit on the field and helpful in the end zone evidenced with 23 career touchdowns. Tight end is not a need but I am a fan of Kolar.
Perrion Winfrey DL Oklahoma –arm length 3548
The Steelers are always on the lookout for defensive lineman that fit the 4i/5 technique. There are usually a few prospects each year that are really good fits and length is a big proponent. Watch how Cam Heyward uses his strength and length to push around offensive linemen and you get the idea. Winfrey fits that mold with 35 1/2 inch arms on his nearly 6’4” frame. He has played up and down the Sooners defensive line.
Daniel Faalele OT Minnesota – Everything
You’re not going to find many players on the field bigger that this guy. He opted out of the 2020 season and is a former rugby player. Can you imagine trying to tackle him with no pads? Imagine a 6’8”, 381 lb. behemoth running at you at top speed. Yikes! He also had 11 inch hands, 35 3/8 inch arms and a wingspan over 86 inches. In a word, he is ginormous. If he can round out his game he could be a major asset at right tackle.
