A trio of Texas Tech standouts were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday as Dylan Cantrell, Keke Coutee and Nic Shimonek will all take part in the annual event Feb. 27-March 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Television coverage will be provided throughout the combine on NFL Network.
Tech accounted for three of the Big 12 Conference’s 29 total invites to the combine, which ranked tied for fourth among league schools. Approximately 326 prospects have been invited to this year’s NFL Combine, which serves as the annual job interview process for top college players.
Potential draftees are asked to participate in a series of drills during the combine such as the bench press, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump and shuttle run, while also undergoing a rigorous slate of meetings with team executives and doctors from all 32 teams.
Cantrell was among the most versatile players in the country over his Red Raider career as he often switched between the slot and outside receiver positions. He recorded the best season of his career this past year as he caught 71 passes for 816 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with one more touchdown on the ground.
A native of Whitehouse, Texas, Cantrell closed his career with 158 catches for 1,873 yards and 18 touchdowns. He combined for 1,491 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air the last two seasons alone after returning from an injury that forced him to redshirt the 2015 season.
Cantrell joined with Coutee to form one of the most dangerous receiving duos in the country this past season as the duo combined for over 2,000 yards. Coutee accounted for 1,429 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns of his own en route to being named a semifinalist for the prestigious Biletnikoff Award.
Coutee, who declared for the draft following his junior season, recorded 2,424 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns over his three-year career as a Red Raider, which began as a true freshman in 2015. His 1,429 receiving yards this past season ranked second all-time at Tech, trailing only Michael Crabtree’s total from the 2007 campaign.
Shimonek, meanwhile, took advantage of his lone season as a collegiate starter, throwing for 3,963 yards and 33 touchdowns while completing an impressive 66.5 percent of his passes to lead the Red Raiders to an appearance in the Birmingham Bowl. He ended the year ranked ninth nationally in passing touchdowns and 11th for passing yards.
The trio plus several other Red Raiders will have another opportunity to impress NFL scouts on March 23 when Tech hosts its annual Pro Day event inside the Football Training Facility and on the Jones AT&T Stadium turf.
COURTESY OF TEXAS TECH ATHLETICS
