NFL Draft: Northern Michigan OT Jake Witt Runs Sub-4.8
Everyone loves hearing about the diamond in the rough prospect. A player on the fringes of playing in the NFL but remains relatively unknown to the outside world.
Jake Witt of Northern Michigan falls into that category.
“Being a guy that’s going under the radar compared to a lot of other prospects,” Witt said he is thrilled with the opportunity to perform at the Central Michigan Pro Day.
“Just to know that I have a certain number of teams looking at my film and scouting me. Having that makes me feel better.”
NFL teams have vouched for Witt.
They deem him worthy, which is one of the finest gestures a small-school prospect can receive. Pro Day invites are difficult invitations. Scouts must stamp their seal of approval for them to attend from an outside school.
Witt spent one year at Michigan Tech prior to transferring to NMU.
The immediate switch from the hardwood to the gridiron was delayed with the Covid-19 pandemic in full effect. The hiatus gave Witt an incubation period to learn the game of football.
However, Witt wasn’t learning to play tackle. He was being groomed to play tight end.
“I was a tight end for two years on the team,” Witt said. “That was originally my natural position at my size. At the time, I was 6-foot-7, 265 pounds. With my previous basketball experience, my hand-eye coordination was good for the position.”
A valedictorian of his class, Witt averaged 27 points and 18 rebounds during his senior season in high school. The athleticism was there but the game of basketball and the position of tight end weren’t getting him noticed at the highest levels.
In 2021 with just three games left on the schedule, everything changed for Witt.
“Midway through the Ferris State game, we had an injury on the line,” Witt said. “We had to shift things around and I ended up having to play right tackle for that game.”
What became noticeable after his inaugural debut at tackle was his impact in helping shut down Ferris State edge rushing extraordinaire Caleb Murphy. In 2022 Murphy set an NCAA single-season record with 25.5 sacks and tied the NCAA record with 39 tackles for loss while Ferris State repeated as national champions.
Prior to stepping in at right tackle against Ferris State in 2021. Murphy had four sacks in the first half. The Ted Hendricks Award winner would be shut out against Witt in the final two quarters of the game.
That moment helped give Witt the confidence that this was a position that could not only serve him best but also the team. He would play right tackle for the remainder of the season before moving to left tackle in 2022.
A quick learner, Witt’s game is built on athleticism. That word gets tossed around loosely but when it comes to Witt, he is truly an exceptional athlete.
He has the numbers to prove it.
Standing 6-foot-7 with 34-inch arms and a broad jump of over 122 inches (according to Witt) at roughly 300 pounds, Witt has a unique skill set few can match. Zybec-electronic timed sub 4.8 in the 40 helps cement his ability with the rest of the offensive linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft class.
“What they are going to see on film or during a workout is my raw athleticism,” Witt said. “Having only played one year at this position, I’m raw as far as my skill set but I don’t have too many bad habits. I’m more or less a piece of clay they can mold and build on. I have a large frame and I’m very athletic for my position, which is something they will see right off the bat. My ability to get off the blocks, especially at the second level. “Right now, I’m 6’7 and 298-pounds and by the Pro Day, we are going to be in the 300 to 305 range. Just about 300 pounds right now.”
A graduate with a degree in exercise science, Witt is in tune with his body. He loves the weight room and keeping fit. It validates his combine prep numbers. The correlation between the two cannot be underestimated.
With his size and ability, Witt has positioned himself to be one of the top small-school prospects to watch as we build toward the NFL Draft.
