SEC

SEC lineman runs faster 40-yard dash than Odell Beckham Jr. did at NFL Combine

Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive end Montez Sweat (9) ran a 4.41 at the 2019 NFL Combine.
Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive end Montez Sweat (9) ran a 4.41 at the 2019 NFL Combine. aslitz@herald-leader.com

The University of Kentucky boasts Josh Allen, one of the most prolific edge rushers in this year’s NFL Draft, but another SEC lineman blew up social media Sunday afternoon.

Montez Sweat, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound defensive end out of Mississippi State, ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash, setting a modern record (since 2003) at the NFL Combine among all lineman. His time was faster than that ran at the combine by New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who ran a 4.43.

Sweat in 2017 and 2018 was an All-SEC First Team selection by the Associated Press and coaches. He 22 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss in only two seasons with the Bulldogs, whom he joined after a junior college stop following a transfer from Michigan State.

Mississippi State is UK’s permanent rival out of the SEC West Division. The Bulldogs went 1-1 against the Wildcats with Sweat on the field; he recorded a total of 13 tackles (seven solo) and four sacks against Kentucky.

This story was originally published March 3, 2019 at 1:02 PM.

Josh Moore
Lexington Herald-Leader
Josh Moore covers the University of Kentucky football team for the Lexington Herald-Leader, where he’s been employed since 2009. Moore, a Martin County native, graduated from UK with a B.A. in Integrated Strategic Communication and English in 2013. He’s a fan of the NBA, Power Rangers and Pokémon. Support my work with a digital subscription
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