Central Missouri University jack-of-all-trades Zach Davidson also took part in drills. The former Mule was a Division II All-American tight end, also served as the team’s punter and has worked on long snapping for the NFL. Former Mizzou safety Joshuah Bledsoe took part in the measurements but sat out the on-field drills while recovering from a wrist injury he suffered in the Senior Bowl. He plans to return to Mizzou for another workout day April 12, pending medical clearance.
While Bolton has long been considered Mizzou’s best prospect for the 2021 draft, which starts April 29 in Cleveland, Gillespie might have boosted his stock the most Monday. Over the last three seasons, his 144 tackles are second only to Bolton’s 224 on the Mizzou defense.
All of MUs draft prospects could have returned to school for another season of eligibility, but Gillespie (5 feet 11, 207 pounds) believes his career has been on this track for years.
“It’s really been my mentality all throughout life,” he said. “I had coaches in high school, coaches in middle school, they all told me, ‘You’re one of those guys that I can see actually . . . sticking with football and making it somewhere.’ So I took that and I just ran with it the whole time.”
Bolton still figures to be Mizzou’s top candidate to become the school’s initial first-round pick since defensive end Charles Harris was one in 2017. Bolton, who measured at 5-11 and 237 pounds, said he’s had Zoom meetings with about three-fourths of the NFL teams, including the Bears, Chiefs and Steelers.