USD Hosts Multi-School NFL Pro Day, Giving 17 Regional Prospects Rare Scout Exposure

Eight NFL scouts arrived at the DakotaDome on March 26 for the University of South Dakota's pro day, where 17 athletes from six regional programs ran combine-style drills in one of the most geographically spread-out small-school showcases of the late-March evaluation window.

Quarterback Aidan Bouman was the clear focal point. The left-handed signal-caller walked into the facility visibly transformed after a months-long intensive preparation block, and the stakes were personal: Bouman leaves USD as the program's all-time leading passer, and as the son of longtime NFL quarterback Todd Bouman, he had every reason to make the workout count. "I shouldn't say relieved it's over, but it's just an intense time period the two and a half months leading up to this, the training, the nutrition, the sacrifices you make," Bouman said after completing his drills. Among the evaluators watching the position work was a representative from the Green Bay Packers.

Bouman worked through routes and technique drills alongside eight Coyote teammates, while athletes from the University of Sioux Falls, Augustana, South Dakota Tech, Valparaiso, and Black Hills State filled out the remaining spots on the field. That multi-school format is the defining feature of USD's pro day for this region. Programs at that level rarely draw scouts to campus independently, and a host school coming off an FCS playoff semifinal appearance and a conference title carries enough credibility with personnel departments to put real evaluators in the building.

The full combine battery ran from the bench press through the 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jump, shuttle drills, and position-specific technique work for both skill players and linemen. For the Division II contingent in the group, executing cleanly in those drills in front of live evaluators can shift a name from a passive UDFA watchlist to an active post-draft call. Teams that attend late-March pro days are often locking in their priority free agent targets for the days immediately following the draft, and an on-site read of a player's first-step burst or lateral quickness in shuttle splits can provide what film review alone cannot.

The indoor DakotaDome setting worked in everyone's favor, providing consistent footing and eliminating the weather variables that can inflate or suppress testing numbers at outdoor regional workouts.

The downstream recruiting value of hosting scouts is also something USD's staff can use on the trail. Getting NFL personnel on campus sends a concrete message to prospective athletes at every level that professional reachability does not disappear when you choose a smaller program. In a region where FCS and Division II schools compete intensely for overlapping recruiting pools, that argument lands differently when scouts are literally standing on your field.