D1 Combine Training Returns To Prepare College Athletes For The 2026 NFL Draft | D1 Daily
After over a decade-long hiatus, D1 Combine Training is back at D1's corporate headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee. The program is for collegiate football players as they prepare their bodies for the NFL Scouting Combine and their college pro days ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
The program is led by Clif Marshall, D1's senior director of coaching and pro training. He has more than 20 years of training experience at both the collegiate and professional levels of football.
Throughout the program, over 20 college football players will be training twice daily at D1 Cool Springs to perform athletic drills like the 40-yard dash, broad jump, bench press, etc. The program started Monday, Jan. 5, and will run to early March.
D1 Combine Training: 2026 Participants
Eli Blakey - Safety - Miami (OH)
Jordan Brunson - Running Back - Miami (OH)
Tim Coutras - Safety - Tennessee Tech
Caleb Francl - Safety - Washington State
Theron Gaines - Linebacker - Tennessee Tech
Nate Glantz - Quarterback - Lindenwood
Derrick Graham - Left Tackle - Tulane
Jordan Guerad - Defensive Tackle - Louisville
Parker Hughes - Linebacker - Middle Tennessee State
Quincy Hughes - Offensive Tackle - Wofford
Rohan Jones - Tight End - Arkansas
Jayden Loving - Defensive Tackle - Wake Forest
Landon Robinson - Defensive Tackle - Navy
Tamon Lynum - Cornerback - Pitt
JaMichael McGoy - Cornerback - UT Martin
Pete Nygra - Offensive Lineman - Louisville
Jadon Pearson - Linebacker Fresno State
Maximus Pulley - Defensive Back - Wofford
Daniel Rickert - Outside Linebacker - Virginia
Shakur Smalls - Cornerback - Arkansas
Elijah Tau-Tolliver - Running Back - Michigan State
Keaton Wade - Outside Linebacker - Colorado
Zaydin Wood - Defensive Tackle - Vanderbilt
Editor's Note: More information about the athletes will be published in future installments of the D1 Daily.
Ex-NFL Player Sam Acho Shares His Experience
Marshall brought proof of his training on the first day: former NFL player Sam Acho. Marshall trained Acho 15 years ago and helped him start his 9-year NFL career. Acho now looks to help other rising football players kickstart their career, as he spoke to the athletes prior to training.
“Start with this; number one, y'all made the right decision,” said Acho, who was in Nashville to call Monday night's Division I-FCS championship game for ESPN. “Over the next six to eight weeks, you're going to be sharpening one another. These next six to eight weeks could change the trajectory of the rest of your life.”
Acho was a fourth-round draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he knows the importance of the work being done before the combine.
“You're with the best coach at the best facility with a group of people who care about you deeply,” he said. "Don't wait until draft day to see what's going to happen, decide it right now. Make a decision with your brothers, your new teammates, your new staff, your new coaches, to be the best in the world.
