Ole Miss Pro Day Draws 38 NFL Scouts to Oxford Manning Center

Kapena Gushiken had one shot to change his draft trajectory, and he made it count. The safety, who was not among the five Ole Miss players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, ran the fastest 40-yard dash of the day at an unofficial 4.35 seconds on Wednesday at the Manning Center, posting an 11-foot broad jump and a 41-inch vertical in front of 38 scouts and personnel from roughly 30 NFL teams.

Those numbers would have ranked among the top five safeties at the 2026 NFL Combine, with his broad jump ranking first, according to Ole Miss athletics' own comparison against every combine safety. His 3-cone time of 6.77 seconds also would have ranked first at that position; his 4.22 shuttle and 17 bench reps each would have ranked second.

"There were definitely some numbers that I wanted to hit today, but looking at it from a bigger picture, I thought I did pretty well," Gushiken said. "Today was really important for me. I care a lot about football and this journey I've been on. I knew how much was riding on today and how it'll help me moving forward."

Gushiken transferred from Washington State before his lone season at Ole Miss in 2025, a journey that also included time at Saddleback College. He played in all 15 games for the Rebels that season, earning 12 starts.

While Gushiken provided the day's breakout story, the five Ole Miss players who did attend the NFL Combine in February used Wednesday to add to their resumes. Wide receivers De'Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III, offensive lineman Diego Pounds, defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, and tight end Dae'Quan Wright all got additional work in front of scouts. Stribling, who started all 15 games for the Rebels in 2025, ran the shuttle and 3-cone drill and worked through position drills. Wallace, who ran a 4.54 40-yard dash at the Combine, shifted focus to throwing drills at the Manning Center.

Wright took a different approach entirely. The tight end worked only on catching passes from Walker Howard, skipping the speed and footwork drills his teammates ran. The Clarion Ledger reported Wright measured at 6-foot-8, 330 pounds, making him one of the larger players in the entire draft class, and placed him as a projected fourth-round pick. He is the only Ole Miss player currently ranked among ESPN's Mel Kiper's top 10 at his position.

Harris, meanwhile, did not participate in the on-field workout at Pro Day, according to the Clarion Ledger. The defensive tackle drew national attention at the Combine when he was asked about his relationship with former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.

In total, 16 players participated in drills at the Manning Center, according to Ole Miss athletics and multiple outlets, though the Clarion Ledger and TheRebelWalk each reported 17 participants. The full list included Tyler Banks, Trace Bruckler, Tahj Chambers, Logan Diggs, Andrew Jones, Percy Lewis, Sage Ryan, Carter Short, Damien Taylor, Jayden Williams, and Wydett Williams Jr., alongside Gushiken, Stribling, Wallace, Pounds, and Wright. A representative from a Canadian Football League team also attended.

The NFL Draft begins April 23 in Pittsburgh.