MarshallƵs Mike Green, the 2024 Sun Belt football player of the year, certified himself as a first-round NFL prospect during this weekƵs Senior Bowl practice.
Once considered undersized for an NFL edge, measured at 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds on his final Thundering Herd roster, Green weighed in at 251 pounds at the event.
He put every ounce of it to work in running over Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. on the second day of practice, flattening him to the ground in a 1-on-1 drill in less than three seconds and creating a viral clip.
Green has since withdrawn from the game and will focus on his draft preparation.
PFF called Green one of the biggest draft stock risers in its recap of the second day of practice.
ƵOnce viewed as a late first-round prospect, his stock is likely rising after back-to-back standout performances in Mobile,Ƶ it said.
An mock draft on Jan. 29 had Green selected at No. 28 by the Detroit Lions. Yahoo Sports did the same in its fifth iteration on the same date.
PFF placed Green on the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 22 in a mock by Max Chadwick on Jan. 27.
CBS Sports released an updated mock draft that selected Green at No. 16 to the Arizona Cardinals on Jan. 29.
Where does Green go in simulations?
PFF also promoted its online mock draft simulator with Green being selected as the No. 8 pick to the Carolina Panthers.
For fun, hereƵs where Green goes in 60 simulations of NFL mock drafts using three websites. These are not official projections and are done using the far-from-scientific method of refreshing each simulator 20 times and tracking the picks.
In each program, the Kansas City Chiefs, projected as pick No. 32, were selected if forced to pick a user option. Green was never available during any simulations in which a user pick was necessary.
Each breakdown is sorted by highest pick with the number of occurrences in parenthesis.
PFF: No. 8 to Carolina (2), No. 9 to New Orleans (3), No. 10 to Chicago (3), No. 11 to San Francisco (2), No. 12 to Dallas (2), No. 13 to Miami (5), No. 14 to Indianapolis, No. 15 to Atlanta, No. 17 to Cincinnati.
Average draft position through 20 simulations: 11
Most common position: No. 13 to Miami
Pro Football Network: No. 23 to Green Bay, No. 24 to Minnesota, No. 27 to Green Bay via trade, No. 28 to Detroit (5), No. 29 to Washington (3), No. 30 to Buffalo (2), No. 31 to Philadelphia, No. 32 to Detroit via trade, not selected in first round (5).
Average draft position through 20 simulations (using 33 if not selected): 29
Most common position: No 28 to Detroit
Fanspeak: No. 8 to Carolina (3), No. 9 to New Orleans (2), No. 10 to Chicago, No. 13 to Miami (2), No. 15 to Atlanta, No. 16 to Arizona (4), No. 20 to Denver (2), No. 22 to Los Angeles Chargers (2), No. 24 to Minnesota, No. 25 to Houston, No. 31 to Philadelphia.
Average draft position through 20 simulations: 16
Most common position: No. 16 to Arizona
Top three landing spots among all drafts: Miami Dolphins (7), Detroit Lions (6), Carolina Panthers or New Orleans Saints (5)
MenƵs soccer Herd adds transfer talent
MarshallƵs menƵs soccer team has been active in the transfer portal this week as the Herd picked up three new signees ahead of national singing day this week Ƶ Dan Karsten, Carl Romberg and Kirill Pakhomov.
Karsten, an incoming sophomore winger, played at Lipscomb last season and was named the A-SUN freshman of the year. He had six goals to tie the team lead and had 14 shots on goal in 36 strikes.
Karsten played youth soccer for Hertha BSC of U19 Bundesliga Ƶ the highest level of U19 soccer in Germany. He scored eight goals and had six assists in the 2023-24 season.
Romberg was named a Junior College Division I All-American midfielder by the United Soccer Coaches Ƶsociation in 2024. He was also an NJCAA first-team All-American. His team won 17 straight games in a 17-1-2 season.
Romberg had seven goals and 11 assists in 20 games with 19 starts as a sophomore, totaling 25 points.
Pakhomov is a rising junior from Oklahoma Wesleyan. He had eight goals and six assists in 20 games and was the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Oklahoma Wesleyan competes at the NAIA level.
Softball coaches drafted to AUSL
Marshall softball fans have a new team to root for.
Marshall softball coach Morgan Zerkle and assistant coach Sydney McKinney were drafted into the Athletes Unlimited Softball League in its inaugural draft on Wednesday.
Both were drafted to the Bandits, one of four teams in the league that will begin play in 2025.
Zerkle was selected in the seventh round with the 27th pick as an outfielder. McKinney was selected as an infielder in the ninth round with the 33rd pick.
Vanderheyden named player of the week
Senior Emma Vanderheyden was named the Sun Belt womenƵs tennis player of the week on Wednesday, announced by the conference.
Vanderheyden finished the week with a perfect 4-0 record in two matches, going 2-0 in No. 1 doubles and 2-0 in No. 2 singles.
She took her singles contest against Eastern Kentucky in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, for a match-sealing victory.
She then did the same against Bellarmine in singles, 6-2, 6-2.
Marshall hosts Wake Forest on Sunday at 10 a.m. at the 7827 Tennis Center in Barboursville.
