Antonio Gandy-Golden left the NFL Combine looking to build on an impressive performance that would push him up the draft board.
That preparation changed with the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, but Gandy-Golden has maintained a positive outlook through the whole process. The Liberty receiver, part of Panini's "Road to Rated Rookie" series, has adjusted to the "new normal" of draft preparation.
For Gandy-Golden, that meant moving back to Liberty to work out after his training facility in Florida closed.
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"I've been able to do everything that I normally would except having my trainer with me every day," Gandy-Golden told Sporting News.
Gandy-Golden was a consistent two-year producer with the Flames. He tallied 71 catches for 1,037 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior in 2018 before nabbing 79 catches for 1,396 yards and 10 scores under first-year coach Hugh Freeze in 2019. The 6-4, 223-pound receiver ran a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and also got 22 reps on the bench, second best among the receivers at the workout.
Sporting News' latest seven-round mock has Gandy-Golden going No. 117 overall in the fourth round to the Buccaneers. There are earmarks that suggest Gandy-Golden could be a middle-round sleeper, and his approach to marketing himself since the NFL Combine hasn't hurt either.
Gandy-Golden said he has been in touch with all 32 teams via video conferences, and he talks to one or two teams a day.
"A lot of these teams I did meet at the Senior Bowl and the Combine, so they know a little bit about me and have talked to me before," told SN. "It's basically a normal conversation. There's nothing weird, I would say. It's actually kind of fun. You get to see a different side of some of these guys, and there are a lot of laughs."
In Gandy-Golden's documentary series, he talked about a love of puzzles and solving Rubik's Cubes. "It's very unique because no one will solve it the same way twice," Gandy-Golden said. He might be talking about his game, too.
Gandy-Golden learned from a year under Freeze, and that started in the opening game against Syracuse.
"We were on the phone a lot," Gandy-Golden said. "We were talking constantly about things that were going on with the field. That was something new for me — just being able to talk to the coach directly and telling him what I was thinking and seeing."
Gandy-Golden had the first of seven 100-yard games last season against the Orange, and that physical play was a hallmark during his college career. That is something Gandy-Golden believes will translate at the next level.
"I can bring good size on the outside and a lot of physicality in every aspect of the game," he said. "Overall, bringing up the morale and the energy of the team. I feel like I am a fun guy to be around and I make football fun."
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Gandy-Golden plans on watching the draft with his mother and twin brothers, and will comply with all the social distancing measures taken before the draft. That won't take away from the moment when he's drafted. What will he feel when he lands with a team?
"A lot of excitement and a lot of relief," Gandy-Golden said. "In that moment, it's going to be a lot different when you actually know."
Gandy-Golden worked with the Panini "Road to Rated Rookie" series along with Georgia's D'Andre Swift, Alabama's Jerry Jeudy, Utah State's Jordan Love and Arizona State's Eno Benjamin, and has signed several cards in the Prizm Draft Picks series, which is available now. That experience helped normalize the draft prep process for the soon-to-be-rookie. "It was awesome," Gandy-Golden said. "It started a few months ago with our connection and it's been amazing. They've been a great group and a lot of fun to work with."
