Hayden Conner has been one of the most flexible players for the Arizona Cardinals. His versatility really shined through during the College Football Playoff. In a key play during Texas’ comeback win over Clemson in the playoff semifinal, Conner made an aggressive choice. He moved from guard to center in the second quarter. This surprising positional switch was a personal testament to his abilities and a huge bump to his NFL draft stock.
Prior to this game, Conner had practiced as a center for roughly 10 reps per week. The first time he played the position all season was this past week. When his moment came, he fit right into the role. His performance was critical in Texas’ 14-point upset of Clemson, scoring two touchdowns and a field goal.
Dave Sears, a member of UTEP’s coaching staff at the time, underscored the importance of what Conner did.
“But it also shows that his coaches trust him, his teammates trust him to go and do a job like that that you haven’t done on tape.” – Dave Sears
Well-prepared for this moment, Conner had watched Texas’ offense from a center’s view, obsessively. He focused on understanding both front-side and back-side combinations, which provided him with “a general idea of what’s supposed to be going on” at center. This development paved the way for him to bravely answer the call in a very important matchup.
Following the game against Clemson, Conner transitioned back to his natural position of guard for the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. He proved his flexibility by easily shifting between corners. This talent cemented his worth to squads looking for versatile threats.
It’s easy to see why Conner’s recent performance and versatility caught the Arizona Cardinals’ eye. He’ll team with an impressive offensive line. Among those players are left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., right tackle Jonah Williams, and center Hjalte Froholdt. With his recent success, Conner will come in and compete for playing time in training camp.
As he looks ahead to this new chapter in his professional life, Conner’s still got a lot on his mind when it comes to football. He understands the tremendous potential in front of him but is ready to take that next step and earn a living playing soccer.
“I just watched a lot of his film getting ready for the games and that allowed me to go out there and be myself,” – Hayden Conner
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