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Ole Miss Football Defensive Back Generating Historic Buzz After Impressive Pro Day

The Rebels navigated the program's Pro Day on Wednesday at the Manning Center, former defensive back stole the show early.
Zack Nagy|
Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Mississippi Rebels safety Kapena Gushiken (14) celebrates an interception against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Mississippi Rebels safety Kapena Gushiken (14) celebrates an interception against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Ole Miss defensive back Kapena Gushiken entered Wednesday's Pro Day in Oxford with an opportunity to boost his 2026 NFL Draft stock with the former Rebel quickly turning the heads of NFL decision-makers in attendance.

Gushiken didn't start the day as the headliner at the Manning Center, but the fast-rising defensive back certainly left a strong impression on those in attendance.

He went from bench pressing 225 pounds 17 times to running a 4.35 40-yard dash - then posting a vertical jump of 41 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet amid a significant testing portion.

"I think it was a good day," Gushiken said. "There were some numbers I definitely wanted to hit, but outside of that looking at it from a big picture, I thought I did pretty well. It was really  important, honestly. I care a lot about football and this journey I've been on.

"I definitely took the process very serious."

"I told myself going into it that it was just another day," Gushiken added. "I just trusted in my preparation and made sure I did everything I could leading up to this point. The work has already been done, so I was just coming out here and executing."

The 6-foot, 185-pounder from Pukalani, Hawaii made his way to Ole Miss prior to the 2025 season after a strong career with the Washington State Cougars.

During his time in Oxford, Gushiken recorded 55 tackles while adding a forced fumble, one interception and five pass break-ups during his lone campaign in the Magnolia State.

Now, the fast-rising defender is coming off of a strong Pro Day performance with social media buzzing following the impressive run.

"I took a lot of pride in really just getting one percent better every day and I feel like my journey can speak to that, starting from junior college and then moving up to the Pac-12 and then making it to the SEC," Gushiken said.

"I'm really just focused on wherever this journey takes me and continuing to grow as a player and as a person."

More Ole Miss News:

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Ole Miss Football Recruiting Buzz: Rebels Poised for Massive Run of Commitments

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Ole Miss Rebels On SI, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Rebel Football, Baseball, Basketball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving Ole Miss athletics. Nagy has covered the Southeastern Conference for over half a decade after being born and raised in New Orleans (La.).

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