Mar 2, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA;Minnesota offensive lineman Airentae Ersery (OL13) during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Gophers' Aireontae Ersery makes a statement at NFL Combine

Originally posted on Minnesota Golden Gophers on SI
By Tony Liebert | Last updated Mar 2, 2025 2:52 PM ET

Offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery was one of six Gophers invited to this year's NFL Scouting Combine. Ranked 25th on Bruce Feldman's annual 'freaks list' before the 2024 college football season, Ersery had a lot of hype heading into the athletic test, and he might've over-delivered.

The 40-yard dash gets all of the headlines at the combine, and Ersery ran a 5.01-second time. That is the fastest mark by an offensive lineman who is at least 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds since 2003.

An unofficial 5⃣.0⃣1⃣ for @Aireontae_69 on his first attempt in Indianapolis!

#NFLCombine on @nflnetwork #RTB #SkiUMah #Gophers pic.twitter.com/1Jd2jiEhdZ
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) March 2, 2025

Ersery's big day of athletic testing didn't stop there. He recorded a 9'3" broad jump and 29.5-inch vertical jump. The Relative Athletic Score (RAS) has become a popular metric to combine all of the athletic tests, and he scored 9.89 out of 10, which ranks 16th-best out of 1,379 offensive tackles since 1987.

Aireontae Ersery is a OT prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.89 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 16 out of 1379 OT from 1987 to 2025.

Splits projected, times unofficial.https://t.co/ltbb6cnGRY pic.twitter.com/HgFLaoZGjc
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 2, 2025

Most mock drafts and big boards had Ersery on the first-round fringe before the combine. He has three years of impressive production on the field and his tape speaks for itself, but his athletic testing could be exactly what he needed to catapult into the first round.

Related: Results tracker: How are Gophers players doing at the NFL Combine?

Minnesota hasn't produced an offensive lineman to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since Brian Williams in 1989. John Michael Schmitz was a second-round pick in 2023, but Ersery seems like their best chance to break a 35-year drought.

Ersery is currently the sixth-best offensive tackle and 61st-best player on ESPN's latest big board. After his performance this week in Indianapolis, he has firmly entrenched himself in first-round pick discussions.

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This article first appeared on Minnesota Golden Gophers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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