Photo: O'Cyrus Torrence; Credit: Zach Goodall
By now, one looking up top offensive linemen for the upcoming NFL Draft has come across Florida's O'Cyrus Torrence aplenty.
The massive interior line prospect has been billed as a road grader who more than holds his own in pass protection, too, with hints at a strong floor up and down any evaluation.
But Torrence and UF head coach Billy Napier alike, after the former's strong Pro Day performance on Thursday, hinted at the progress still to be made in between SEC dominance and the NFL this fall for the consensus All-American.
"He's a proven player," Napier said. "He played really well at the Group of Five level for three years and then came to this league. And then, you know, held his own. So I think you're getting a guy who can hit the ground running. Really good in the run game, pass game and also has leadership traits, good communicator, high character, smart football player.
"So, very dependable, very consistent, tough, durable and some freaky, freaky physical traits as well.”
Napier suggested on Wednesday that Torrence is considered the consensus top interior offensive lineman in the upcoming draft by pro personnel. The physical traits have been well-discussed and now the league is learning more about the person — and leader — as Napier referenced.
One element where the physical and mental comes together has been near the top of the priority list for Torrence. His weight, dropping some 20 pounds since the height of the 2022 season, came from keeping up with the position in the league itself.
“It’s just something I wanted to do," Torrence said of the weight loss. "I look at most guards in the league at my position. Most of them are. like, the low 330s, and I played in the mid 340s. I just knew, like, this is something that’s going to come up eventually, so why not just confront the problem fully before anybody else makes me?"
"I already started to lose the weight so I can be more fluid and comfortable in my sets and things like that to help me out.”
Torrence checked in at 330 pounds on Thursday, a strong sign less than a month before the selections begin in Kansas City.
Coupled with his staggering 2022 campaign, the 18th highest grade overall per Pro Football Focus, versatility was also on the list of desirable traits he hoped to showcase in front of droves of NFL personnel.
“I feel like I’m going to have a lot. I know I can play multiple positions on the line," he said. "I’ve played left guard, right guard and right tackle in games. I’ve practiced center, like in practice and stuff, never in the games. The only position I haven’t played is left tackle, but I’ve played left guard so it can’t be too much different.
"I feel like I have a lot of opportunity for where my team needs me.”
Torrence, Thursday, also confirmed formal meetings with at least 12 NFL organizations to date — Pittsburgh, Washington, Jacksonville, Baltimore, the New York Jets, Las Vegas, the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee, New Orleans, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Rams — with more of course scheduled over the coming weeks.
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