Shirtless Ben Cleveland 40 dominates what social media is saying about Georgia football Pro Day
Ben Cleveland didn’t have the bench press number he wanted, as his 30 reps came up well short of the record 49. But the long-time Georgia offensive lineman still managed to make a splash on social media, thanks to an impressive 40-yard dash.
According to Matt Stinchcomb of the SEC Network, Cleveland clocked in with a 4.85 40-yard dash on Wednesday. And he happened to do so shirtless and at 343 pounds.
Not sure what’s more impressive, this man @BenCleveland74 running 4.97 at 343 lbs or CB Tyson Campbell running in the 4.2’s. pic.twitter.com/lE5Ji4VBHL
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 17, 2021
“I don’t know why I took my shirt off,” Cleveland said.” Why not?”
Cleveland also joked that a squirrel diet helped him improve his weight this offseason.
The run by Cleveland got a number of people talking on social media on Wednesday afternoon.
Big Ben Cleveland ran a 4.85 40 yard dash👀👀👀 wow @BenCleveland74 👏 #wheels pic.twitter.com/8RHKaSPq4J
— Ryne Rankin (@Bigrank38) March 17, 2021
When Ben Cleveland pulls on a sweep play… 👀 https://t.co/9Bn56aEbBd pic.twitter.com/nQGAIMySoi
— Kirb Stomp (@KirbStompUGA) March 17, 2021
Ben Cleveland (Offensive lineman)
ran a 4.8 today at the Georgia Bulldogs Pro Day. pic.twitter.com/w6COiW6Ytp
— 𝐂𝐅𝐁𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝟐𝟒𝟕TM (@CFBLive247) March 17, 2021
I know you guys saw Mike Tomlin standing close to Ben Cleveland while he’s doing drills.
Makes you wonder 🤔 pic.twitter.com/FUusUzVxat
— Sir Ax (@AXactlyAx) March 17, 2021
Ben Cleveland did 30 bench reps and ran a 4.85 40-yard dash 😳
That man is a UNIT… and most mock drafts have him sliding to the middle/late rounds 😱
Anyone needing help on the interior of their offensive line is going to get an absolute steal with Cleveland on day 2. https://t.co/hyoVkJXU3E
— Kevin Keneely (@KevinKeneely1) March 17, 2021
DID HE BENCH YET?!? https://t.co/1ExUgZXL6U
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 17, 2021
Cleveland’s former head coach, Kirby Smart, has long been aware of Cleveland’s feats of strength. Smart has known the now grown Cleveland since he was a ninth-grader from Toccoa, Ga.
Related: Georgia’s ‘Big Ben’ Cleveland, even bigger, faster and stronger now
“He’s been around here a long time, and anybody who picks Ben—it’s just hard to find size, and there’s just a certain criteria for size—and he meets all that criteria,” Smart said. “It’s hard to move, get around, and it’s a passing league, so when he pass probes, he’s a hard man to get past and does a great job of that. I’m excited to see what he does.”
Cleveland was a multi-year starter for Georgia at right guard and earned First Team All-SEC honors as a senior.
The mammoth Georgia offensive lineman wasn’t the only one to turn heads on Wednesday, with Eric Stokes also excelling in drills. He followed up his 4.25 40-yard dash with two more sub 4.3 40-yard dashes. He also added in a 38.5-inch vertical jump.
Stokes certainly made himself some money on Wednesday, possibly pushing himself into the first round.
Top performances from Georgia pro-day (NFL scout times):
Azeez Ojulari
💰26 bench (with 34 3/8 arm)
💰10-7 BJ
💰4.66/4.62 (1.60/1.61 10-yd)Monty Rice
💰4.60/4.57 (1.67/1.64 10-yd)Eric Stokes
💰38.5 VJ
💰10-8 BJ
💰4.25/4.29 (1.56/1.50 10-yd ‼️)Mark Webb
💰36.5 VJ
💰11-4 BJ— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 17, 2021
From a scout at UGA
Eric Stokes 4.28
Tyson Campbell 4.37
Azeez Ojulari 4.63— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 17, 2021
"Speed-wise, it was just another day." 😏@GeorgiaFootball's Eric Stokes averaged a 4.30 40-yard dash 💨 pic.twitter.com/sNxjyDaFVF
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 17, 2021
Make that another ✅: Eric Stokes solidified time he ran last week, clocking an unofficial 4.25 in the 40 here at @GeorgiaFootball Pro Day. Fellow CB Tyson Campbell looked fast too, w/ an unofficial 4.39. (Per multiple scouts, all of whom miss official combine timer Mark Gorsuch)
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) March 17, 2021
GEORGIA pro day today…
Expecting Azeez Ojulari to put on a show at EDGE but keep an eye on CBs Tyson Campbell and Eric Stokes.
Campbell has fringe Rd1 potential and Stokes is a super solid top 50 pick.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 17, 2021
Many in the NFL scouting community also shared their thoughts on Georgia players though out the day. Some of those include Azeez Ojulari, Monty Rice and Richard LeCounte.
Azeez is EDGE2 for me. Speed for days!! https://t.co/tb8gwP4rV2
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 17, 2021
A 127" broad jump for Azeez Ojulari is in the 97th percentile among EDGE rushers since 2000. https://t.co/N7C9gxE8iX
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 17, 2021
No time yet, but here is Ojulari's 40 pic.twitter.com/4zv6MiZxzs
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 17, 2021
UGA safety Richard LaCounte didn't run well today (high 4.7's) but he's a really good player on tape. His eyes/instincts help him play much faster than this time. It's hard to dismiss a number like this but I believe he's going to be a good pro.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 17, 2021
Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert at Georgia pro day watching mid-round ILB prospect Monty Rice run a 4.5 40. pic.twitter.com/cxxyZjyXdX
— Dale Lolley (@dlolley_pgh) March 17, 2021
4.5s on Monty Rice’s (@RiceMonty) 40 times at #UGAProDay. 💨 👀
I’ve been saying for awhile now that Monty was going to test even better than teams thought he would! #NFLDraft
— Michael Perrett (@PerrettM) March 17, 2021
Georgia CB Tyson Campbell didn't have a draft-board-breaking day, but did flash the athleticism most scouts expected he would at his Pro Day. At 6-1, 193 pounds, he ran 4.39 and 4.44 (per one scout's watch), posted a 34.5-inch vertical, and a 10-4 broad jump.
Good upside there.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 17, 2021
So far, Tyson Campbell has looked really good in the positional drills at the Georgia Pro Day.
Just a very natural athlete.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 17, 2021
The former Bulldogs will officially learn their new homes starting on April 29, as that is the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Ojulari and Stokes seem like the best bets to be first-round picks. The Bulldogs have a player go in the first round in each of the past three NFL drafts.
“I just want them to feel good that they had a good experience at Georgia and that the Coach Smart staff has been there for me and has promoted me to get this opportunity to go do what I want to do,” Smart said. “I want to be there for these guys long beyond today when they get done playing.”
More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation
- Under construction: Georgia secondary rebuilding, returning corners getting first shot
- Georgia’s Richard LeCounte flashes at Pro Day, ‘told the truth’ to NFL teams
- Azeez Ojulari demonstrates why he’s the first player NFL teams ask Kirby Smart about
- Georgia football 2021 spring practice updates, injuries and news
- Tony Mitchell: Nation’s No. 1 CB says he could definitely call UGA “home”
- ESPN releases Georgia G-Day broadcast info, Alabama A-Day gets top billing
- Jamaree Salyer shares his thought on left tackle position, early impressions of Amarius Mims, Broderick Jones
- What we learned from Georgia’s first 2021 spring practice
