When class of 2022 Westview wide receiver Darrius Clemons was a freshman in high school he attended a camp at the University of Washington.
Despite a stumble at the start, the young playmaker posted a 4.51 40-yard dash, but knew he could run faster.
Clemons got his chance Saturday at the MVP Combine at Les Schwab Sports Park in Springfield, Oregon.
And he delivered.
After back-to-back 4.42 40-yard dash times, Clemons ran a remarkable 4.37 on his third attempt – a time that would’ve been the third-fastest among receivers at the NFL combine this year.
“It was my third time running it and the first two times were 4.42 and I knew I could run faster,” he said. ”It felt faster, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that fast.”
Already considered a four-star prospect, Clemons doesn’t have many holes in his game, but some have questioned his top-end speed, so he made it a focal point of his training over the past few months with Aaron Woods at “Grind Time.”
“I can’t begin to speak about everything he’s done for me as a coach, friend and mentor,” Clemons said. “Everything I do is a testament to the workouts he has be do and the type of work that happens inside the walls of Grind Time.”
Grind Time athletes accounted for several of the camp’s top times, highlighted by Clemons’ 4.37 and class of 2022 Beaverton athlete Kyron Albright’s 4.46.
Clemons already holds 20 scholarship offers, highlighted by Arizona State, California, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Stanford, Utah and others, but more are likely to be on the way with his new verified 40-yard dash time.
— Andrew Nemec | [email protected] | @AndrewNemec