From Staff Reports

Las Cruces Sun-News

LAS CRUCES - The Aggies have their eyes on the next level.

The NM State football team hosted its annual Pro Day Tuesday inside the Coca-Cola Weight Training Center and Aggie Memorial Stadium. Twenty-one players, including 16 from last year's squad, worked out and ran through position drills in front of 16 NFL scouts and player personnel directors.

Highlights from the day included running back Jason Huntley's blazing-fast 40-yard dash time and defensive back Shamad Lomax's impressive performance in the vertical jump. Defensive back Ray Buford Jr. showed off his quickness in the 20-yard shuttle, while running back Christian Gibson displayed his strength in the bench press.

Huntley, who did not receive an invite to this year's NFL Combine, proved that he belonged with the best Tuesday. His time of 4.37 in the 40-yard dash and broad jump of 131 inches (10 feet, 11 inches) would have both ranked first among running backs at this year's NFL Combine.

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The All-American's vertical jump of 39.5 inches would have ranked third among running backs at the Combine. His marks in the bench press (21), three-cone drill (7.19) and 20-yard shuttle (4.25), meanwhile, would have all ranked in the top 10 among players at his position.

Lomax's 39-inch vertical jump would have ranked eighth among all defensive backs at this year's Combine. Buford Jr. clocked a time of 4.21 in the 20-yard shuttle, which would have ranked ninth among all defensive backs at the Combine.

Gibson knocked out 24 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. The mark would have ranked third among running backs at this year's Combine.

NM State's draft hopefuls will now spend the next few weeks working out privately and interviewing with teams leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft. This year's draft is scheduled for April 23-25 in Las Vegas, Nevada.