3 Houston Football Players Who Starred at Pro Day Besides Tanner Koziol
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It's approaching NFL Draft season, and that means college programs have recently conducted their Pro Day for the draft-eligible players to showcase their physical talents. The athletes who didn't get an opportunity at the NFL Combine got one at Pro Day.
The Houston Cougars Pro Day was on March 27 and more than 15 players participated. After a turnaround 10-win season for Houston football and a Texas Bowl win, the Cougars have significantly more NFL talent than the year prior.
While there are some big names among the expected draft talent for Houston, such as Tanner Koziol, Latrell McCutchin Sr., and Dean Connors, there were a couple of other athletes who put together a great Pro Day performance. They certainly caught the attention of any scouts in attendance.
Three Houston Cougars Who Stood Out at Pro Day
Marc Stampley II, DB
The senior defensive back transferred to Houston after three seasons at Georgia Southern. The Fayetteville, Ga. native was a three-star recruit out of high school and made 22 starts in 38 games played with Georgia Southern. Stampley II had 125.0 tackles, 19 passes defended and 5 INTs in his three years with the Eagles.
As a Cougar, Stampley II played 13 games and made seven starts at the STAR position. He was an East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 selection and one of four Cougars to snag multiple interceptions. Stampley II made 28 total tackles, two interceptions, one sack and three passes defended.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound corner did well on Pro Day. He ran a 3-cone drill in 6.69 seconds, which is elite for a corner. That shows his great agility. His 20-yard shuttle was solid at 4.31 seconds, and his vertical jump was 35 inches. Stampley's broad jump was also 9'10".
Zelmar Vedder, DB
The senior defensive back was another transfer and spent three seasons at Sacramento State before coming to Houston. He also played one season at Modesto Junior College. Vedder made it onto the Academic All-Big 12 team and played in all 13 games for Houston. He posted five multi-tackle games, making a stop in 11 of 13 games.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound corner made 19 total tackles, forced one fumble and had seven passes defended. Vedder put on a show in his Pro Day. The Manteca, CA native ran a great 20-yard shuttle time of 4.19 seconds, which is considered high-level. His broad jump of 10'10" was elite and matches NFL Draft caliber talent.
Vedder's vertical jump of 39.5 inches is excellent and is a number of a high level NFL prospect. Besides that, he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash, which is good speed.
Matthew Wykoff, Guard
The senior guard was also a transfer, and came to Houston after two seasons at California. The Magnolia, Texas native went to Texas A&M in his first season and made it onto the 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team. Wykoff had 24 starts and 41 career games played before he returned back home this year.
Wykoff was a Big 12 All-Academic Team member and played in all 13 games while making 11 starts at guard. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound guard was the only starting Cougar lineman who did not allow a quarterback hit and one of three Cougar linemen who did not allow a sack.
Wykoff put together a good performance at Pro Day and ran a 7.63-second 3-cone drill, which is considered excellent. His vertical jump of 28 inches is also around the NFL Combine range. Wykoff's 29 225-pound bench reps are just about average for NFL prospects.
It's likely all three of these Cougars' helped their case for a potential NFL contract down the road.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.