Orhorhoro Backs Up ‘Real Dog’ Claim with Dominant Combine
By: Cameron Burnett March 1, 2024

Ruke Orhorhoro described himself as a real dog during his media availability at the 2024 NFL Scoutiing Combine. He said “a lot of people bark” but he went on to bite in his performance on the field Thursday.

The five-year Clemson defensive tackle also said to turn on the tape, but now NFL scouts will be just as intrigued by his numbers at the combine. All the spotlight is on the 40-yard dash and the 6-foot-4, 294 pound lineman ran it in 4.9 seconds. On top of that, his 1.69 second 10-yard split is another strong mark for his position and size.

Looking at his day as a whole, he set himself apart among the defensive linemen in the class as well as in the history of this testing. According to Kent Lee Platte’s RAS (Relativve Athletic Score), he had the No. 21 combine performance by a defensive tackle out of 1,620.

Orhorhoro already drew eyes with the 40-yard dash but his explosives in the vertical and broad jump were just icing on the cake. Matching that with his Tigers career on the football field, he’s made a strong impression ahead of the NFL draft.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid and Matt Miller named the top risers based on combine performances and none other than Orhorhoro was named among the group.

Orhorhoro made a statement Thursday in an interior defensive line class that has a lot of question marks in the second and third tiers. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, he ran a 4.90 in the 40 and jumped 9-foot-8 in the broad jump — both standout numbers for him. He was an early Day 3 prospect, but I could see him going inside the top 100 after that workout. And for NFL teams that play a multiple defensive front, Orhorhoro (five sacks in 2023) is a logical fit since he can play all over the line.

There’s differing opinions about Orhorhoro’s stock, and that’s the nature of the draft. What is certain is that dog mentality showed up on the field and in the combine, which bodes will for him heading into April.