UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley received an invitation to the 2015 Reese's Senior Bowl, but was one of the notable omissions from the game's roster earlier this month.
Many scouts and evaluators thought he could have helped his case significantly when it came to the 2015 NFL Draft by competing in the event, and the signal-caller explained the reason for his absence Friday.
"The main decision was about being healthy and being at 100 percent in order to play in those games," Hundley said during an appearance on Super Bowl Live. "After the bowl game, I sat down and talked with my agent, my family, and I just wasn't there yet. I think that's the thing you have to think about before the game."
Hundley is training with several other potential first-round draft picks, including USC's Leonard Williams, not too far from the site of Super Bowl XLIX in Phoenix. He mentioned that although he left Westwood for a future in the league, he was not surprised to see Bruins head coach Jim Mora stay at UCLA instead of jumping with him to the NFL this offseason.
Things grew even more interesting when the topic of the NFL Scouting Combine was brought up. The dual-threat quarterback, who had more than 600 yards rushing in each of the past two seasons, revealed that he's aiming high when it comes to his 40-yard dash time.
"I'm putting it out there," Hundley said. "4.55 range."
Hundley certainly showed off in college that he has some wheels, but that time would be quite notable for his position.
In the last nine combines, just eight quarterbacks have been clocked in the 40 at 4.55 or less. Most notably, Robert Griffin III ran a 4.41, Colin Kaepernick recorded a 4.53 and one of this year's Super Bowl quarterbacks, Russell Wilson, clocked in at exactly 4.55.
Hundley has just a few more weeks to prepare for the Feb. 17-23 combine. NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks ranks the former Bruins star as the third-best quarterback in the draft and many believe Hundley can solidify that status behind Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston in the coming months.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
