Gushiken Dazzles During 2026 Ole Miss Football Pro-Day: ‘I’m willing to do what it takes to achieve whatever I set out to do’

OXFORD, Miss. — The Ole Miss Rebels held their annual Football Pro-Day on Wednesday, and while some were looking to improve on their stock from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, others were making their first official pre-draft impressions to scouts.

Included in that list is former Ole Miss safety Kapena Gushiken, who spent his final season of college football in Oxford after transferring from Washington State.

While Gushiken may have been making his first impression to the NFL scouts and representatives in attendance at the Manning Center, his greeting to them was astonishing to the eyes and the stat sheet.

Gushiken put on a show on the field with some great performances in the defensive back drills, but what really caught everyone’s attention was the opening drill of the day, the forty-yard dash, where he flew for a 4.35-second forty.

His impressive day was far from over, however. He then headed into the gym where he repped 225 pounds on the bench press for 17 reps, before finishing off the metric drills with a 41-inch vertical jump.

While his day on the field was over, he spoke with the media following his outstanding performance.

Kapena Gushiken assessing his performance

He quickly followed up on what Pro Day means to his future.

“Honestly, really important.” Gushiken said.

Kapena Gushiken on the importance of Pro Day

Extending on the importance of the day, later on in his press conference, the Hawaii native added that the day was just like any other when asked about how he refrained from adding pressure to himself after missing out on a Combine invite.

“I think I told myself going into it that’s just another day, just trusted in my preparation, made sure I did everything that I could leading up to this point, and the work has already been done. So, it’s just coming out here and executing.”

But the most important discussion was when he was asked about what makes him stand out as a prospect.

Kapena Gushiken

The defensive back also noted that some NFL teams are officially in the mix, including his mention of both the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals, as well as noting some conversations with undisclosed teams.

Gushiken’s day was mentioned by his fellow Hawaiian native and former teammate, De’Zhaun Stribling, another Rebel who flew up draft boards during his testing at the Combine and Pro-Day.

De’Zhaun Stribling on Gushiken

Gushiken and the other sixteen members who took on Pro-Day await the decision on their future as the NFL Draft begins on April 23, extending through April 25.