There are plenty of differences between the college and pro games for NFL rookies to sort out, including the placement of the hash marks on the field.
Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase got his first taste of that at the team’s rookie minicamp. The fields are the same width at both levels, but college hash marks are 40 feet apart while there’s just 18 feet, six inches of space between them in the NFL.
Chase said that he thinks having more space outside the hash marks will be a benefit to his game.
“The NFL hash marks are a lot tighter, so we have more space in the slot now. In college, we would be almost outside by the numbers, and that would make tighter space for the outside and the inside receivers. There’s much more space now,” Chase said, via the team’s website. “It’s going to take time to get used to, but I actually like it. It feels like the field is way wider, bigger and I think that’s actually better.”
Anything that helps Chase thrive in the NFL will be welcomed with open arms by the Bengals and they’ll likely be working to find ways to make sure Chase can be a threat over the whole field come the fall.