FCS PRO DAYS: Jacksonville State’s Pro Day Shines, Kyle Lauletta Impresses

On a busy Tuesday Pro Day for FCS schools, Richmond's Kyle Lauletta met with teams, Jacksonville State's three NFL Combine participants came back home, and schools like Youngstown State, Montana State and Northern Arizona saw special players emerge.

[divider]MORE: Compare Any Two FCS Players or Any Two FCS Teams[divider]

FCS PRO DAY – Monday's recap
​MCLAUGHLIN: The FCS' Top NFL Prospects Post-Combine
FCS PRO DAY SCHEDULE: More than 70 FCS schools are on the schedule

Jacksonville State had the largest contingent at an FCS Pro Day on a busy Tuesday, and as JSU assistant coach J.R. Sandlin put it, NFL teams from "coast to coast" were on hand to watch a team that had three NFL Combine participants and countless other all-americans and all-OVC standouts to evaluate.

Combine veterans Roc Thomas, Siran Neal and Darius Jackson are likely draft picks and opted to go with their combine numbers in most categories, although Thomas' 3-cone technique would have been Top 10 for running backs at the combine.

The most impressive measureables among the 13 JSU participants on Tuesday came from offensive lineman Dylan Cline and safety Jonathan Hagler, who combined to post six marks that would have been Top 10 for their position groups at the combine. Cline, who was measured at 6-foot-3, 288 pounds, was impressive in the bench (27 reps), the vertical jump (32 inches), the broad jump (9'3) and the 20-yard shuttle (4.67 seconds). He proved he was quick and athletic for a big guy, along with being strong. All of his marks would have been top quarter at the combine among offensive linemen.

Hagler was also impressive in the bench (21 reps) for a safety prospect and also leapt out of the building for the broad jump at 10-5. He showed his athletic prowess several different ways and like Cline, likely opened some doors. Other JSU products like OL Justin Lea and CB Reggie Hall were also solid in a group that had a lot of solid performances.

"It was just fun being back out there with my guys one last time," Hagler told HERO Sports after the Pro Day. "To be back out there with them on that field where we’ve accomplished so much the last few years and to do it in front of NFL scouts is all I could’ve ever asked for."

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At Richmond, much heralded quarterback Kyle Lauletta threw in front of a mob of NFL Scouts. With 27 teams represented, it wasn't as much about the measureables (which Lauletta did well at the NFL Combine last week) as it was about his throwing drills with several former Richmond receivers and other pass targets. Because Lauletta's top three receivers from 2017 were underclassmen, he didn't get to throw to his usual targets or the guys he worked out with at IMG Academy down in Bradenton from December through late February.

Lauletta wasn't the only Richmond Spider to perform well. Cornerback Tafon Mainsah took advantage of the crowd of scouts on hand to see Lauletta and impressed in the 40 (4.49 seconds), bench (18), vertical (39), broad jump (10-4), 3-cone (6.96) and 20-yard shuttle (4.00). All of those numbers would have stacked up well at the NFL Combine.

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Along with Richmond's large congregation, one Western Illinois wide receiver upstaged the Northwestern Pro Day, much like he upstaged the FCS in 2017. Jaelon Acklin proved he belonged in the discussion Tuesday when he measured in at 6-2/190 and then ran a 4.47 time in the 40-yard dash, and also turned in 38 inches in the vertical jump, 10-3 in the broad jump and a blazing quick 3-cone of 6.65 seconds. The 3-cone time would have been Top 5 at the NFL Combine and the vertical mark would also have been Top 10, with the 40 and broad being just a shade outside of the Top 10. Acklin has been questions from day one, but that may have changed. 

"The one thing I have done well with is things that I can control," Acklin told HERO Sports on Tuesday. "I can’t control being elected in an all star game or combine, but I can control what my times and stats are at the end of the day. My production, tape, and pro day numbers speak for themselves."

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At Northern Arizona, the big news came from LB Byron Evans and WR Elijah Marks — who is no stranger to some NFL buzz. Marks ran a 4.55 in the 40 and while that isn't an elite mark it is certainly rock solid for a WR, but then he went 36.5 inches in the vertical and 11.53 in the 60-yard shuttle, showing his athleticism. Marks, a 5-foot-11, 184-pound wide receiver prospect, will be one to watch. And Evans measured in at 5-11/227 and then went 35.5 on the vertical and 9-11 in the broad jump — which would have been Top 10 marks at the combine for linebackers, so he may have opened some eyes. O-lineman Eric Rodriguez also notched 28 reps on the bench press of 225 pounds, which would have been notable in Indy. NAU reports that all 32 teams were in Flagstaff (AZ) for the pro day, and another 10 CFL teams.

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At Montana State, the Bobcats joined with several D-II and NAIA prospects to have a Pro Day in front of NFL scouts from the Lions, Jets, Browns, Jaguars and Seahawks. The big winner appeared to be high-motor strong safety Bryson McCabe, who posted several combine-worthy marks in front of the scouts.

McCabe posted marks in the vertical jump (39.5 inches), 3-cone technique (6.75 seconds), 20-yard shuttled (4.06) and 60-yard shuttle (11.16). The last three show how quick McCabe truly is, and he ran a rock solid 40-yard dash time too in 4.56 seconds. He measured in at 5'11", 205 pounds. He undoubtedly will catch some pro attention because of his showing.

"I’m very excited about my performance; my hard work and training paid off," McCabe told HERO Sports afterwards. "Ive always dream of this opportunity to play in the NFL and it’s right In front of me. The response from the teams that were there … they were very happy about my performance. I had great conversations with all the teams that were there. They all just told me to keep training. I’m just excited for the opportunity and great training I had at the Pitt run by former NFL player Dane Fletcher."

Two other Bobcats performed well in the bench press, with DT Brandon Hayashi doing 29 reps of 225 pounds and LB Mac Bignell going 26. Both marks would have made some noise at the NFL Combine. Full results from Montana State's Pro Day can be viewed below.

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MCLAUGHLIN: This week's diary with Kyle Lauletta

Youngstown State had a contingent of eight players for its on-campus Pro Day, and 13 NFL scouts and 2 CFL scouts were in attendance to see some solid performances (see all 8 players' performances at the bottom of this story — seen best on a desktop, or swipe left-to-right on handheld devices).

Arguably the biggest winners for the Penguins were WR Damoun Patterson and TE Kevin Rader — who will go down in YSU history as the guy who caught the game-winning touchdown against Eastern Washington to put the Penguins in the national championship game last January. Rader notched an elite vertical jump (34 inches), broad jump (112 inches), 20-yard shuttle (4.37 seconds) and 60-yard shuttle (11.61) — marks that would have been top ten among tight ends at the NFL Combine. Patterson's 125-inch broad jump and time in the 60-yard shuttle would have been Top 10 numbers for WRs at the combine.

"I had a good workout overall as a whole, but there were 1 or 2 events where I wish I would have tested better," Rader told HERO Sports after the Pro Day. "Due to the fact that I put up much better times and numbers in those events. From the feedback I got from the scouts that were present. It seemed that they believe I had a good day and i was fluent and did a good job tracking the football while running routes."

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TUESDAY'S FULL RESULTS

(Many thanks to Montana State, Youngstown State, Northern Arizona and Jacksonville State for providing full results to HERO Sports)