NORMAN — When Jonah Laulu approached the Everest Training Center for OU’s Pro Day early Tuesday morning, a bolt of excitement shot through his body.

After missing out on an invite to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in February, the former Sooners defensive lineman was ecstatic to finally showcase his athleticism in front of professional scouts. His numbers didn’t quite pop in 2023 as he finished with just 11 total tackles, including three for loss and a sack in three starts, so nailing Tuesday was crucial for his future.

“It’s been really exciting,” Laulu told The Oklahoman on Tuesday. “I just think it’s crazy because all these scouts are here and they actually get to lay their eyes on me and see me in person, see how I move as a bigger guy. Just training, I’ve been looking forward to getting through this, man, because I’ve been wanting to show what I can do for sure.”

In what was otherwise a low-key pro day for OU’s standards in recent years, Laulu stole the show with his unofficial metrics. He finished with a 9-foot, 10-inch broad jump and a 36-inch vertical, both of which would’ve ranked first among defensive tackles at the combine.

He also showcased his speed in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drills. His 40-time ranked No. 6, his 20-yard shuttle ranked No. 3 and his three-cone came in at No. 2 among defensive tackles at the combine.

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“I’m not mad I didn’t go to the combine, it makes sense,” Laulu said. “I didn’t have some crazy season, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t play football. I can still play football and it gave me more time to get ready, so I’m not even mad about it. Everybody wishes to go to the combine and all that stuff, but it’s OK. 

“I had friends that went there and I kind of just lived through them vicariously. I was living through them, asking them, FaceTiming them about how their experience was, and I mean, I feel like I didn’t miss out, so I’m still happy to do what I did today.”

Laulu quickly stood out among OU’s participants and he was pleased with his overall results. While he wasn’t as happy with his 40-time, his overall numbers are sure to get the attention of scouts around the league. 

Laulu has spent the past three months relentlessly training like a track athlete at BUILT4IT, a gym in Dallas that specializes in developing athletes for the next level. Kavon Frazier, the gym’s founder and chief executive officer, was impressed with Laulu’s consistent mindset and work ethic.

“He’s really professional and that’s one of the first things we noticed,” Frazier told The Oklahoman. “I’ve seen all types of guys when they first come in and guys that are more so frontrunners who are excited at the beginning, but then when Week 4 or 5 comes, they get burned out and start to hit a wall. 

“Jonah never hit that wall. He came in very excited and very humble at the same time and he just kept being very consistent all throughout training. He put in the work and obviously he reaped the results.”

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Not getting invited to the combine allowed Laulu to buckle down and get his body ready to showcase to scouts. He built a bond with the gym’s director of performance Jaid Taylor and was one of the hardest workers at the facility.

Laulu enjoyed getting to train with different collegiate and professional athletes from around the country and apply some of what they do to his own game.

“We all come from all these different places and we had different coaches,” Laulu said. “We’re taught different things and it’s just cool to compare and contrast how we were taught, how we trained at our schools and how they went about things over there compared to how they did things over there. I just had a great experience and I definitely would go back there again for sure when I have off time if I’m with a team in the offseason.”

Laulu spent two seasons at OU after transferring from Hawaii following the 2021 season. The Las Vegas native appeared in 26 games with the Sooners, including six starts. 

He also spent time playing the defensive end position as well as playing in the interior of the Sooners’ defensive line, making him more attractive to NFL teams looking for players who can adapt to playing multiple positions.

“They definitely helped my development as a defensive lineman and a football player,” Laulu said. “Just the way Coach (Brent) Venables thinks, his defense and how he attacks people. I just learned how he thinks. I think it definitely made me a better player and just the way I think about things and go about football.

“It also definitely helped me as a defensive lineman, going from defensive end to interior defensive line and just showcasing my ability to play both. I can play on the edge, I can play on the inside and I think teams will see that. I’ll have a better opportunity to make a team, make a 53-man roster, so I’m just excited to see what happens next. I don’t know what’s about to happen.”

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Following his final drills Tuesday, Laulu turned to walk out of the indoor facility with his parents, but stopped to check his phone first. 

Nothing yet. 

Still reeling from the performance he displayed, Laulu couldn’t stand still. That’s life for most players that weren’t invited to the combine and are hoping to break through at the next level. 

For now, Laulu is focused on himself, laying low and continuing to work out every day so he’s ready if his phone rings.

“Just think about being home, you have no job and you’re just chilling and working out every day, waiting to be called by someone to tell you they’re hiring you,” Laulu said. “Imagine you have no job and you just sent out 32 job applications. You’ve just got to be ready to drop everything and go. And if it doesn’t work out, you come back and wait for the next call.”

Frazier is a six-year retired NFL veteran who knows what it takes to suit up and go through the grind that is the next level. He said Laulu reminds him of former LSU standout Breiden Fehoko, who went undrafted and will enter his fifth season in the NFL in the fall.

There’s no doubt in his mind Laulu is built for the NFL because of the consistency he leads in his life.

“He’s going to play a long time in the NFL,” Frazier said. “He definitely turned some heads, he’s going to start getting a lot of calls and he’s going to get a lot of visits.”