Gophers' Mohamed Ibrahim at home as underdog in strong NFL draft class

INDIANAPOLIS – Gophers running back Mohamed Ibrahim shrugged off the question like he has so many Big Ten defenders through his program-record 53 rushing touchdowns.

This is a supposedly deep draft class for running backs. Are you being overlooked?

"Yeah, but I mean that comes with the territory," Ibrahim said from the NFL scouting combine. "I was never the guy even coming out of high school. I was never the guy so I kind of just got to go out there and prove myself every time."

Ibrahim, a former three-star recruit, proved himself as one of the best runners to ever play for the University of Minnesota. While Ibrahim's name leads many school records, you won't see him atop many draftnik rankings like Texas' Bijan Robinson, who is being touted as the best prospect since 2018's second-overall pick Saquon Barkley, or speedy Texas A&M runner Devon Achane, who ran for 1,102 yards in the SEC last season.

Seven running backs clocked 4.4-second 40-yard dashes or faster, led by Achane's 4.32 seconds, during Sunday's on-field drills that concluded the combine. Ibrahim sat out the 40-yard dash, and the vertical and broad jumps, participating in only position drills. His next chance to run in front of NFL scouts is March 15, the Gophers' pro day.

"Really deep," NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of the draft class. "I have got 13 running backs that I gave top three-round grades. Those are starter-level players, which means not all those guys, because of the value of the position, are going to go in the third round. Some of these guys are going to go in the fourth and fifth round this year."

One of those late-round picks could be former Maple Grove star Evan Hull, the Northwestern running back who said his junior year of high school — 2,177 yards and 19 touchdowns — sparked the beginning of his NFL pursuit. Hope was always there.

"Something I've dreamed about ever since being a little kid and putting on a helmet for the first time," Hull said.

Ibrahim, who measured 5-foot-8 and 203 pounds last week, made his mark by rarely being knocked backward through 867 college carries. That heavy workload, combined with being on the older side for an NFL rookie at 24 years old, are among questions about his pro future.

Winston DeLattiboudere, Ibrahim's friend and former teammate who was hired as the Gophers defensive line coach in January, shared a warning.

"I've heard the conflicting reviews," DeLattiboudere said last week, "but doubt him at your own risk."

DeLattiboudere and Ibrahim share Baltimore roots. They quickly formed a bond when they were on the Gophers campus together in 2017. During their first practices, DeLattiboudere, the former defensive lineman, recalled starters trying to tee off on the young Ibrahim, who then ran for the scout team. They couldn't discourage the freshman.

"He plays in a fashion that inspires you," DeLattiboudere said.

The latest example came in November during the Gophers' 13-10 loss to Iowa.

Ibrahim took 39 of his 320 carries — third-most in the FBS last season — against the Hawkeyes, including 14 totes on a 16-play drive that ended with a fumble. He finished with 263 rushing yards, marking his Gophers-record 19th consecutive game with over 100 rushing yards.

"You couldn't take him out of that game," Gophers center John Michael Schmitz said. "Coaches tried taking him out of that series and he ran the ball from one end zone to the next end zone, and he loved it the whole way."

That relentlessness has been a topic among NFL evaluators, who Ibrahim said have asked him about everything from football smarts and pass protection to his short-yardage dominance in college.

"Don't let your feet die," Ibrahim said. "Just keep driving your feet and you're gonna fall forward for four [yards]. Then you look up at the end of the game and you got 50 yards after contact."

Asked about his running style, Ibrahim categorized himself bluntly.

"Dominate another team, taking their soul over the time of the game," he said. "That kind of thing."