Purdue Running Back Zander Horvath Posts Impressive Pro Day Performance
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Zander Horvath is one of several Purdue football players that stands as an NFL Draft hopeful. He's a player that fell short of earning an invite to the scouting combine but continued to train in preparation for making the jump to the professional level.
And he didn't disappoint in front of the eyes of scouts representing 30 NFL Teams during the team's Pro Day on Tuesday.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound running back looked to showcase his versatility and athleticism, attributes he possesses in spades. Horvath, who is not projected as a high draft pick, will play any position to make an NFL roster when the time comes.
"I'm completely open to everything," Horvath said. "I mean, even coming in here, I came in as a walk-on and had play special teams, fullback and running back. So I'm used to being all over, but it really depends on the team.
"I think it might be a little bit of fullback, a little bit of running back. I think for me, because I'm not a top pick, special teams is going to be crucial."
With the Boilermakers, Horvath ran the football, protected the quarterback in a spread offense and proved to be a reliable security blanket by showing great hands out of the backfield.
Horvath caught 30 passes for Purdue during a shortened 2020 season, going for 304 yards. He also led the team with 442 yards on the ground and found the end zone twice.
In his final season with the Boilermakers, Horvath suffered a lower-body injury during the team's second game of 2021. He returned in time to play in Purdue's final six contests, including a matchup with Tennessee in the Music City Bowl.
Horvath ended the year rushing for just 320 yards on 91 attempts, but managed to score a career-high three touchdowns while also adding 17 receptions for another 108 yards.
Originally, Horvath was recruited as a linebacker by the Indiana football program coming out of Marian High School in Mishawaka, Indiana. Instead, he chose to enroll at Purdue as a walk-on in 2017.
It's a decision that Horvath feels was for the better.
"I think it worked out pretty well," Horvath said. "I thought about that, how it would have turned out. But I think it's pretty well the way I've been doing it now, so I'm happy with my choice."
During Purdue's Pro Day, Horvath recorded 31 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press, which was more than any of the running backs who attended the NFL combine.
The number would have tied the second-most repetitions among all players who benched at the event, regardless of position. Only four players reached 30 repetitions at the combine, and all of them were offensive linemen.
Horvath also looked to post a 40-yard dash time that proved he had enough speed to play at the next level. Unofficially, his time was 4.57 while running in sub-freezing temperatures when factoring in wind chill.
"Taking into consideration the weather and everything too, just muscles getting tight out there, I think still did pretty good," Horvath said.
All it takes is for Horvath to catch the attention of one team in order to potentially hear his name called during the 2022 NFL Draft. The event is scheduled for April 28-30 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Purdue has had two players drafted in each of the last two years, and Horvath might be one to help continue the trend of Boilermakers being selected.
"Benefit of the doubt, I think I will," Horvath said. "But my thoughts and what scouts and teams want can be completely different. So we'll see how that goes, just wait and see."
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