Wednesday saw a large contingence of NFL scouts converge on the Manning Center in Oxford.
Ole Miss held its Pro Day for NFL hopefuls to attract the attention of an NFL team or two. For some, Wednesday was just a repeat of the Scouting Combine last month. For others, this was their one and only shot to showcase why a team should draft them.
One such player was Kapena Gushiken. The Rebels’ safety didn’t get an invite to the combine in Indianapolis. So, Wednesday was his one opportunity to lay down some impressive measurables.
And he delivered.
Gushiken posted a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, a 41-inch vertical jump, an 11-foot broad jump and 12 bench press reps at 225-pounds. For a 6-foot, 185-lbs. safety, those are great numbers.
“I think it was a good day,” Gushiken said. “There were some numbers I definitely wanted to hit, but looking at it from a big-picture standpoint, I thought I did pretty well.”
WELCOME TO THE KAPENA GUSHIKEN SHOW 🍿🤯
Vertical: 41”
Broad: 11’
40: 4.35
Bench: 17@kapslockbrah x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/SY1WmiBgha— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) March 18, 2026
The number Gushiken said he was most happy with was his bench press reps.
“I hit 15 during training, but today I got 17, maybe even 18. With the adrenaline, it helped me get a couple extra reps,” he said. “I’ve jumped higher before on the vertical, but I’ll take 41 inches. For the broad jump, I hit 11 feet — that was a goal of mine, and you don’t see a lot of people jumping 11.”
For the 40-yard dash, Gushiken took the “shoot for the moon because even if you miss, you land among the stars” type of approach.
“My goal was to get into the 4.2s, maybe even the 4.1s,” he explained. “You aim high and hope to land somewhere close, so I was just shooting for the stars there.”
The Hawaii-native played just one season at Ole Miss, but made an impact. He had 55 tackles, five pass break ups, a forced fumble and an interception against Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinal. But that one season helped put him in a place to potentially be drafted.
“The strength staff did a great job developing us, both physically and mentally. And with the coaches, I felt really prepared going into every game,” Gushiken, who began his collegiate career at Washington State, said. “Being around those guys in the building, I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my last year anywhere else. I definitely chose the right place.”
Now comes the hard part of the draft process: waiting for draft day. For Gushiken, that wait will likely extend to the draft’s third day (rounds 4-7). But he said he is talking to some teams.
“I’ve been talking with the Colts and the Bengals, along with a few other teams in smaller conversations,” Gushiken said. “We’ll see what happens.”
In the end, Gushiken just wants to keep playing football.
“I’m hungry, passionate and I love the game of football,” he said. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make a team. Whether that’s special teams, a rotational role, or anything else, it doesn’t matter. I just want to get my foot in the door and make an impact.”
Whatever happens on draft weekend, Gushiken has positioned himself about as well as anyone could after one season in Oxford. The rest is out of his hands, but he’s clearly done his part.
