Gophers QB Max Brosmer practicing wristband mantra at NFL scouting combine

INDIANAPOLIS — The moment Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer walked into the circus that is Hall J at the Indianapolis Convention Center during NFL scouting combine week, he stopped to take it all in.

He took a breath. Surveyed the room. Committed to being present.

It’s the practice of a mantra he writes on his wristband for every game: “Be where your feet are.”

That feeds in to Brosmer’s No. 1 goal at the combine this week, which doesn’t involve a 40-yard dash time he wants to hit or some other numerical value.

“My first goal is to be as vulnerable as possible,” Brosmer said Friday morning. “Let teams know exactly what they’re getting in me and be a competitor. And just have fun doing it. I think a lot of people get stuck because you’re not in the moment as much. But really enjoy the moment, that’s my goal.”

Brosmer said he believes that’s what coaches and scouts are looking for out of prospects during interviews, adding that if a prospect changes himself for a certain team he wants to end up with, it probably won’t end up a fit.

A part of Brosmer’s journey he speaks openly about is how few offers he had when he was a two-star prospect out of high school in 2019. He ended up spending four seasons playing for New Hampshire before transferring to Minnesota for the 2024 season.

“We talk about creating a crack on your shoulder. In a positive way,” Brosmer said. “Not making you hard, but making you humble and understanding where you came from to promote growth in your career. And for me it’s just a different path.”

Fifteen quarterbacks were invited to this year’s combine, including Brosmer’s Big Ten peers Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), Will Howard (Ohio State) and Kurtis Rourke (Indiana).

Brosmer said he will only throw during on-field workouts Saturday.

Gophers wide receiver Daniel Jackson said what he’s most hoping teams learn about him this week is that he’s intelligent.

He talked separately Friday about how much of a chess game wide receiver and defensive back matchups can be, putting that knowledge of the game he wishes to impart on teams on full display.

Jackson explained how even the smallest nuances and tendencies in an opponent’s hand or foot placement can affect a matchup, along with bigger distinctions like if they’re an inside — or outside — shade defensive back.

When asked as a follow-up if he’d rather dictate the action with a defensive back or react to them based on what he knows about their game, Jackson said it’s a mix of both.

“Sometimes you’ve gotta read and react a few times, but then at some point you should be able to control the pace and make the DB play at your pace if it’s a faster pace or a slower pace,” Jackson said. “You’re able to control that. You know what you’re doing; they don’t.”

Jackson and Gophers defensive back Justin Walley, who’s also at the combine, were regular competitors in these types of chess matches at practice, he said.

Jackson’s intelligence is something that made him stand out to Brosmer during their season playing together. Brosmer connected with Jackson 75 times for 863 yards and four touchdowns.

“The best part about Daniel’s game is his ability to see coverage really quickly and diagnose it as a receiver,” Brosmer said. “He’s so keyed in on how the motions work, what coverage and what flavor we’re getting that week on downs and distances in different situations. It’s cool having a receiver out there thinking the same way I am on a consistent basis.”

Gophers edge rusher Jah Joyner finished with a top five time in the 40-yard dash among his position, which ran Thursday evening.

His official time is logged at 4.6 seconds, just shy of the 4.5-second goal he said he wanted to hit Wednesday. The fastest in the edge rushing group was Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., who ran a 4.47.

Jackson said he saw that speed all the time going against Joyner in practice.

“He hawks guys down from behind all the time,” Jackson said. “Jah’s an extreme athlete.”

Among defensive tackles, Oregon prospect Derrick Harmon, who the Vikings met with this week, tied with two others for the fifth-fastest 40.

He was one of three defensive tackles over 300 pounds to break the 5-second mark. Indiana’s CJ West and Toledo’s Darius Alexander were the other two. All three ran a 4.95.

Linebackers also ran Thursday, though Minnesota’s Cody Lindenberg skipped as he recovers from hernia surgery.