NCAA Football: Akron at Tennessee — Bryan Lynn-Imagn Images

The Akron Zips held their Pro Day in March, with seven prospects taking part in activities.

The Akron Zips held their Pro Day on March 19th, with seven confirmed participants engaging in on-field exercises.

For our reports, we’ve pulled raw numbers from Draft Scout and RAS.football to assemble the RAS cards, which are used with express written permission of RAS’ creator Kent Lee Platte.

OT Josh Blanchard

Elevator Pitch:

Blanchard is a swing tackle with starting experience at both left and right tackle dating back to his tenure at USF. Blanchard utilized a redshirt season in 2023 upon arrival in Akron, and in his lone season of service for the Zips, Blanchard started 11 of 12 games at the left tackle spot. Blanchard earned an invitation to the SPIRAL Tropical Bowl after the season for his play on-field.

Draft Projections:

Lower-league tryout

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot-four
Weight: 287 lbs.
Arms: 35 and one-half inches
Hands: nine and one-quarter inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 5.50 seconds
10-yard split: 1.85 seconds
20-yard split: 3.19 seconds
Shuttle: 5.06 seconds
Three-cone drill: 8.65 seconds
Vertical jump: 28.5 inches
Broad jump: eight feet, eight inches
Bench: N/A (choice)

Relative Athletic Score:

HB Jordan Castleberry

Elevator Pitch:

Castleberry spent three seasons at UT-Martin (where he had 508 career rushing yards) before transferring for the final time in his journeyman career to Akron. (He spent 2019 at Michigan and 2020 with Maryland.) In his lone season as a Zip, Castleberry was a primary special teamer, with five kickoff returns and five punt returns.

Draft Projections:

Lower-league tryout

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: five-foot-five
Weight: 182 lbs.
Arms: 28 and three-eighth inches
Hands: eight and six-eighth inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 4.77 seconds
10-yard split: 1.63 seconds
20-yard split: 2.76 seconds
Shuttle: 4.57 seconds
Three-cone drill: 7.25 seconds
Vertical jump: 31 inches
Broad jump: nine feet, four inches
Bench: 17 reps at 225 lbs.

Relative Athletic Score:

SAF Sean Conroy

University of Akron Athletics

Elevator Pitch:

Conroy was a four-year contributor to the Zips on special teams, taking a redshirt in 2023. He finished his career with 10 total tackles, including a career-best six tackles in 2021.

Draft Projections:

Lower-league tryout

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: five-foot-nine
Weight: 196 lbs.
Arms: 30 and one-eighth inches
Hands: eight and one-half inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 4.68 seconds
10-yard split: 1.63 seconds
20-yard split: 2.77 seconds
Shuttle: 4.70 seconds
Three-cone drill: 7.69 seconds
Vertical jump: 32 inches
Broad jump: nine feet, six inches
Bench: N/A

Relative Athletic Score:

DL Nate Kapongo

Elevator Pitch:

Kapongo, a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, played his final college in Akron in 2024 after transferring in from FCS Maine. Kapongo saw action in all 12 games, starting 10 games as a inside/outside versatile defensive lineman, finishing with 37 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, a sack and two recovered fumbles. At Maine, Kapongo had 60 tackles for 6.5 TFLs, two sacks and a blocked kick in three seasons of service.

Draft Projections:

NFL rookie tryout or lower-league roster spot

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot-three
Weight: 287 lbs.
Arms: 35 and three-eighth inches
Hands: 10 and one-quarter inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 4.88 seconds
10-yard split: 1.75 seconds
20-yard split: 2.79 seconds
Shuttle: 4.82 seconds
Three-cone drill: 7.95 seconds
Vertical jump: 30.5 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet
Bench: N/A

Relative Athletic Score:

DB Paul Lewis III

Elevator Pitch:

Lewis was another graduate transfer the Zips pursued in the offseason, and perhaps the biggest fish they managed to reel in, as he brought with him multiple placements on the all-Ivy League roster. Lewis’ lone season was enough to leave an impression in MAC circles, earning third-team all-MAC honors after a campaign which saw 77 total tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, five pass break-ups, and one each of forced and recovered fumbles. The all-MAC honor marked his third-straight placement on a post-season list, with first-team all-Ivy honors in 2023 and second-team all-Ivy honors in 2022.

Draft Projections:

NFL rookie tryout; lower-league roster

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot-one
Weight: 202 lbs.
Arms: 33 and one-eighth inches
Hands: nine and one-quarter inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 4.50 seconds
10-yard split: 1.62 seconds
20-yard split: 2.72 seconds
Shuttle: 4.39 seconds
Three-cone drill: 7.00 seconds
Vertical jump: 36 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, two inches
Bench: 13 reps at 225 lbs.

Relative Athletic Score:

EDGE Kabbash Richards

University of Akron Athletics

Elevator Pitch:

Richards was a specialty edge rusher in his two seasons at Akron, totaling 10 tackles. The 2024 campaign was his best, with nine tackles— including 5.5 TFLs and two sacks— in 12 games. Richards arrived from East Mississippi CC, where he had 20 tackles and four sacks in 2022, and was previously at FCS Eastern Kentucky from 2020-21 (50 tackles, 10 TFLs, three sacks, forced fumble in 19 games.)

Draft Projections:

Lower-league tryout

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot-four
Weight: 235 lbs.
Arms: 32 and five-eighth inches
Hands: nine and one-eighth inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 5.29 seconds
10-yard split: 1.85 seconds
20-yard split: 3.15 seconds
Shuttle: 4.97 seconds
Three-cone drill: 8.10 seconds
Vertical jump: 27.5 inches
Broad jump: eight feet, seven inches
Bench: N/A

Relative Athletic Score:

OT Da’quan Thomas

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: AUG 31 Akron at Ohio State

Elevator Pitch:

A former North Carolina Central standout, Thomas transferred to Akron to play FBS football once again after starting his career as a walk-on at Florida. Thomas would go on to play in 11 games for the Zips in 2024, making three starts. At NC Central, Thomas was a starter at right tackle for 32 contests over three seasons.

Draft Projections:

Lower-league tryout

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot-two
Weight: 285 lbs.
Arms: 33 and one-half inches
Hands: nine and six-eighth inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 5.47 seconds
10-yard split: 1.87 seconds
20-yard split: 3.22 seconds
Shuttle: 5.15 seconds
Three-cone drill: 8.38 seconds
Vertical jump: 22.5 inches
Broad jump: eight feet, two inches
Bench: N/A