BOONE, N.C. — Training in Atlanta, Appalachian State teammates
Colby Gossett,
Beau Nunn and
Eric Boggs traded friendly barbs with Penn State draft prospects about the upcoming season opener between their alma maters.
The Mountaineers and Nittany Lions will square off Sept. 1. By that time, several App State alums who were seniors on a title-winning 2017 team will be focused on their development as NFL rookies.
The NFL Draft begins Thursday night in Texas, and the 6-foot-5, 311-pound Gossett has impressed scouts so much that he's in position to become the first Sun Belt Conference offensive guard ever selected. Strong pro days in Boone from Nunn (offensive tackle),
A.J. Howard (safety), Boggs (linebacker) and others raised the possibility of multiple Mountaineers being picked or signing as undrafted free agents.
App State, which ended last year with eight players on NFL rosters, is coming off a 9-4 season in which it won a Sun Belt championship and shut out Toledo in the Dollar General Bowl.
"When I get asked questions (about App State) from scouts, I always say the biggest thing is the physicality we play with and it's what our coaches preached," Gossett said. "App State instilled physicality in our minds. We've always wanted to be the baddest dudes on the field. I can take that with me and apply it to my game."
Gossett is projected as a mid- to late-round pick in this year's draft, which begins with the first round Thursday night, continues with the second and third rounds Friday and concludes with the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds Saturday. He plans to watch the final day of the draft with family and friends in his home state of Georgia.
A two-time member of the All-Sun Belt first team thanks to his production at right guard, Gossett made 46 straight starts for App State before appearing at both the prestigious Reese's Senior Bowl in January and the NFL Scouting Combine a month later. His 32 reps in the bench press ranked ninth among all Combine participants, one example of the strength, athleticism and skill that have made him a coveted prospect.
"I feel like the Senior Bowl really helped me out a lot," Gossett said. "Going against that high level of competition down there, they get to see it when we played teams like Georgia, Wake Forest, Tennessee or Clemson, and being lined up against an Alabama guy or an LSU guy every play, they could see how I can really hold my own. You have to prove it there."
Gossett's role in a run-oriented, zone-blocking offense helped App State rank among the nation's top 25 rushing attacks in each of his four seasons as a starter, but the Mountaineers were also in the top 20 nationally in fewest sacks allowed during each of those four seasons. He recorded 76 knockdown blocks, including 21 pancakes, and gave up no sacks as Appalachian ranked No. 2 nationally in sacks allowed last season despite totaling 356 pass attempts.
Gossett actually worked at left tackle and Nunn at left guard when they joined Appalachian State's program as true freshmen in 2013. Nunn opened his redshirt freshman season as the starting left guard, but the Mountaineers made several changes after going 1-4 to begin their FBS debut, as Nunn shifted to right tackle,
Parker Collins stepped in at left guard and Gossett became the starter at right guard.
Gossett and Nunn became stalwarts on the right side of the line, although Gossett did start six games at right tackle after an injury sidelined Nunn for the last half of the 2015 season. Gossett made two more starts there for the same reason late in the 2016 season, but Nunn played all 13 games at right tackle and Gossett spent all 13 games at right guard in 2017.
Gossett said he began to understand that the NFL was a legitimate possibility during his redshirt sophomore season, when his 89.6 grade from the PFF College Football site ranked second nationally among all FBS guards, and his dream will become a reality this weekend.
"I guess you can say it's been stressful and fun at the same time," Gossett said. "With me and Beau and Boggs training at the same place in Atlanta, it was nice to be able to hang out with those guys a little bit more, train and go toward the same path and try to accomplish the same dream."
A list of the 11 players who participated in App State's Pro Day:
Eric Boggs, LB
Caleb Fuller, DE
Colby Gossett, OG
A.J. Howard, S
Zy Letman, WR
Ike Lewis, WR
Beau Nunn, OT
Tee Sims, DE
Devan Stringer, OLB
Rashaad Townes, OLB
T.J. Watkins, WR
