The 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23 and will take place in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Until then, players are doing what they can to gain attention from NFL scouts and talent evaluators at the NFL Scouting Combine and other events. However, one unknown star emerged at the HBCU Showcase recently: Defensive tackle Uar Bernard, who is from Nigeria.
Bernard is from a small village in Nigeria and is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway this season. His performance and measurements at the HBCU Showcase turned plenty of heads.
I could not believe what I was reading.
— Van Lathan Jr (@VanLathan) April 3, 2026
6’4 306 lbs
4.63 40
39 in vertical leap
SIX PERCENT BODY FAT. https://t.co/FApeGdXZ7w
306 pounds and 6% body fat. https://t.co/0CxFshSNsV pic.twitter.com/GFaHbvoZKc
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) April 3, 2026
DID YOU SAY 306 LBS?!? 🤯🤯
— Cameron Sparks (@Cam3ronSparks) April 3, 2026
Uar Bernard is not from this planet https://t.co/gCjlh1IUYB pic.twitter.com/olDxefYeC5
There's a 6'4.5 defensive tackle from Nigeria in the NFL's international program named Uar Bernard. He weighed 306 pounds, had 35 3/4" arms, ran a 4.66 40 with a 1.60 10-yard split, had a 39-inch vertical leap, broad jumped 10'10, and did 31 reps of 225 bench
— Full Command (@FullCommandShow) April 3, 2026
I'm lost for words pic.twitter.com/HLatglDRih
As Bruce Feldman of The Athletic pointed out, Bernard is 6-4 1/2 and 306 pounds. He posted a vertical jump of 39 inches and a broad jump of 10-10, which is 14 inches more than any player at his position in the NFL Scouting Combine.
And, Bernard ran a 4.63 40-yard dash.
Jordan Luallen, who has been training Bernard ahead of the NFL Draft, was amazed at what the Nigerian DT did at the recent HBCU Showcase.
“Hands down, he is the most explosive athlete I’ve ever seen in my life. He broad jumped 10-10, and it was effortless. At 306 pounds. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Luallen said, via Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.
Bernard is 21 years old and played basketball before being advised to consider football, and now he is becoming a hot name ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Bernard could be a Day 3 pick, especially with the way he performed and measured at the recent HBCU Showcase.
