TXST FOOTBALL
The Texas State Bobcats had 16 former players perform in front of 26 NFL scouts at the annual Texas State Pro Day in the hopes of making an impression and playing at the professional level.
Head Coach G.J. Kinne was proud of all of his players “I have mixed feelings because I wish they were all back,” Kinne said. “They are a bunch of really good players. These NFL scouts are really impressed by what they saw. They tested really well. A couple of guys may have risen up in some draft boards in some guys’ eyes, and [they had] a lot of questions about some kids; so that’s always good to see.”
Of the 16 players, offensive lineman Nash Jones is the favorite to become the first Texas State football to be drafted since David Mayo in 2015.
After the Bobcats’ bowl win over North Texas in January, Jones immediately began his training.
“I’ve been trained up there at Built4It in Prosper, and it was a great experience,” Jones said. “The guys know what they’re doing. Jay, Chico, all the guys up there, they were doing a great job, working two-a-days like how it would be in the fall. They were just trying to help me put on the performance out here.”
Prior to the Pro Day, Jones was invited to play in the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl along with other senior players declaring for the NFL Draft.
For Jones, the ability to test his skills against other players, especially from Power-Four conferences, was worth the experience.
“That was so fun being able to go out there and test my mettle against everybody out there,” Jones said. “We’re at the Sun Belt and people talked down about us because we’re a non Power-Four team, so getting to be able to go up against Power-Four teams and those big guys, knowing that I belong in that area and that space. Being able to perform was really good.”
At Texas State’s Pro-Day, Jones finished with 29 reps on the bench press and jumped 30” on the vertical.
After having several good conversations with the NFL scouts both at the Shrine Bowl and Pro Day, Jones feels motivated to continue his push towards the NFL.
“I’m hard on myself,” Jones said. “I see the film, and I don’t see anything good. I just see all the bad things I did, so just see all these scouts out here, telling me that I had a good year and they liked the film. … It’s really good motivation for me to keep going because this is not where I wanna stop.”
Another player looking to make his case to the scouts was quarterback Jordan McCloud.
McCloud was proud of all of his teammates for having a good showing in front of the scouts.
“It was amazing all glory to God,” McCloud said. “We came out here; all of us had fun. We did what we’re supposed to do out here. The receivers, quarterbacks, tight ends, running backs, we had great connection out here just like last season.”
Heading into the pro day, McCloud was focused on improving his throws deep on the field, which is needed at the professional level.
“Just being balanced on all of my throws,” Mc-Cloud said. “I’m not trying to be anybody who I’m not. [Just trying to] focus on my long ball, and I did that today.”
One of the receivers looking to earn the notice of the scouts is wide receiver Joey Hobert.
Much like his teammates, Hobert started training after the bowl game while also being a new father.
“I felt good,” Hobert said. “It’s been a minute since we were running routes like that. I felt we were in season again. It felt good being able to train for these few months that we’ve been off and coming out showing out for a bunch of scouts.”
Juggling the challenges of training for the pro day while being a new father was a difficult task for Hobert, but he powered through knowing what a successful pro day would mean for his family.
“Having a newborn was a big thing,” Hobert said. “She was born in February, and so that one was a weird place where I could go train in another state. But I didn’t know exactly when I would be back, with the original due date being March 4, and it was early February.
“So it’s picking and choosing like, yeah, I can go train somewhere, but overall I’m 100% in this for my family and for my future family and whatever comes and happens with her. It added a little extra motivation on days like today, thinking about your brand new daughter.”
The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24 through April 26.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
