Pro day notes: Standouts, quick hits from workouts across the Mitten
All five FBS programs held pro days this past week, with a number open to media for viewing and interviews.
Assorted Michigan FBS institutions — The five FBS football programs hosted pro days this past week, starting with Eastern Michigan on Tuesday and circling back to Ann Arbor for a pro day at Michigan on Friday.
Pro scouts from across the NFL and CFL were in attendance to evaluate the dozens of prospects, traversing the Mitten to five sets of workouts in four days time.
The full accounting of pro day participants for the five programs are linked here:
Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Michigan State had workouts open to the media, along with interview availability, and Michigan had various players available for interviews.
Here are some takeaways from the week of workouts.
Four workouts that stood out
Sefa Saipaia Jr., LB, WMU: The NFL legacy — his dad, Blaine, played eight years for various franchises — is coming off a strong season for the Broncos and looked good in front of scouts on Thursday morning. Saipaia looked fast in the three cone drill and on point is his positional workout. Saipaia only spent one year at the FBS level and is 5-foot-11, both things working against him in the draft process. But his workout certainly helped his cause.
Michael Heldman, Edge, CMU: Along with a 40 inch vertical and 29 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, Heldman ran in the high 4.6s/low 4.7s in the 40 and put in strong times in the short shuttle and three cone. His positional workout was good, too, and he got some run repping coverage drops as a 3-4 outside linebacker, moving well in space and displaying some hands to intercept passes. He’s CMU’s best prospect in this draft and showed why.
Matt Gulbin, C, MSU: Gulbin went to the NFL Combine but didn’t work out as he was recovering from the injury that kept him out of the 2025 season finale. He did, however, interview in Indianapolis. That meant Thursday afternoon in front of scouts was a big box to check, both for his athletic testing and to show he was healthy. Gulbin seemed to pass on both fronts. His time at center and knowledge the position requires aided him in interviews, he said, though he’s willing to play there or at guard in the NFL.
Zach Vaughan, LT, WMU: The second former Wake Forest OL — Gulbin is the other — here, Vaughan started five games for the Broncos at left tackle, mostly to end the season. He’s a long shot in the draft, ultimately, but he’s got the requisite size at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, and looked quick on his feet at the WMU pro day. Vaughan is ultimately probably a UDFA or rookie minicamp invite guy, but he seemed to help his stock this week.
Joe Labas pulling double duty
The Central Michigan quarterback threw Wednesday at Central Michigan’s pro day and then again on Thursday at Michigan State’s, stepping in for the Spartans to throw to Jack Velling, Omari Kelly and Elijah Tau-Tolliver, mainly.
It served as another chance to get out in front of scouts, something his agent put him on to.
Labas said he got together with Kelly and the others for some throwing sessions in the days leading up to the pro day, so they weren’t entering the workout blind.
And on the whole, Labas looked good both days. He laid out some nice deep balls for Kelly on Thursday, something he self-critiqued on Wednesday, noting he wanted to put some more width on the throws.
Jack Velling also looked good during his route running and receiving work, making at least one acrobatic catch and another that he initially bobbled before recovering his own error to haul it in.
Quick hits
- No power, no problem: The power went out during the weight room testing portion of the Western Michigan pro day, but things went on in the Donald Seelye Athletic Center, where emergency backup lights and natural light were enough to allow proceedings to continue. It did make for an at-times eerie soundscape, though the birds chirping — and apparently an owl hooting — made up for it.
- Broncos show up for teammates: WMU head coach Lance Taylor praised the Broncos currently on the team for how they showed up and cheered on their former teammates working out on Thursday, getting raucous during the weights, especially.
- Omari Kelly’s special teams value: Along with working out at receiver, Kelly went out and caught punts in front of scouts, something he did for the Spartans in 2025. His value on special teams could be a differentiator for Kelly in what is a very deep receiver class.
- Jonathan Decker worked out at OL: Decker played on the defense line in his time at Central Michigan, and went through defensive line workouts at the pro day. But he played both sides in high school and worked out as an OL, too, and looked solid.
- Cade McNamara back in Ann Arbor: The former Michigan quarterback, who led the Wolverines to a Big Ten title and CFP berth in 2021, came back to throw at the Michigan pro day. It was a good opportunity for McNamara to get in front of NFL scouts after going to Iowa and then ETSU.
- So were Tavierre Dunlap, Raheem Anderson: The former Michigan running back transferred to Eastern Michigan for the 2025 season, and worked out at the Eagles’ pro day earlier in the week before getting back out in front of scouts on Friday at Schembechler Hall. The same was true for Anderson, who went to WMU and started the back half of the season at center after beginning his career at Michigan.
- Don’t forget the CFL: A number of scouts from the Canadian Football League also got out to the various pro days, a reminder that the NFL isn’t the only option to play professional football, either.
Read more Mitten Football pro day coverage
Andrew Graham
Andrew Graham
More to come from Mitten Football tomorrow
Working on a standalone story about Nadame Tucker and Western Michigan as it relates to the pro day, but also the Bronco program as spring football begins in Kalamazoo this week.
Also, if time allows, a news round up from the first week of spring practice before the second gets whirring away on Tuesday.
