Nine Players to Watch at the XFL Combine
July 25, 2023 - XFL (XFL) News Release
The XFL Combine starts Tuesday as around 200 players will descend on Arlington for the chance to prove themselves in front of all eight XFL teams. The players, split into position groups, will take part in both skill training and weight room tests.
Many participants were selected from the 1,400-plus athletes who participated at the XFL Showcases over the summer, with other players receiving invites based on recommendations from the XFL's Directors of Player Personnel.
Here are nine players to watch at the XFL Combine this week in Arlington.
Wide Receiver John Ursua
Ursua was the No. 236 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks out of Hawaii. He played in three games during his rookie campaign with one catch made for 11 yards and a first down. He spent the next season on the practice squad before an ACL tear wiped out his 2021 season. With the Rainbow Warriors, Ursua was a dynamic wideout threat who had an incredible redshirt junior campaign in 2018. He snagged 89 catches for 1,343 yards and 16 touchdowns, which led the country.
Offensive Lineman Jake Brammer
Brammer spent four years in college as a starting right tackle, first for North Texas and then at Vanderbilt. With the Mean Green, Brammer first made four starts in 2018 along the offensive line before settling into the starting right tackle role full-time as a redshirt sophomore. He earned an All-Conference USA second-team honor in 2020 and an All-Conference USA honorable mention in 2021. For his final year of eligibility, he transferred to the Commodores. He started 11 games at right tackle for the SEC program.
Quarterback Henry Ogala
Ogala started his college career at Division II Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. He was the starting quarterback for the team in 2018, finishing the season with 1,683 passing yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions on 58% passing. The 6-foot-1 Ogala then transferred to Western Illinois. He didn't play much over the next three seasons until getting a chance during the 2022 season. Ogala was 41 of 82 throwing the football for 367 yards with four touchdowns.
Defensive Lineman Christian Mejia
Mejia spent the last six years at Washington State as a defensive lineman, emerging as a starter over his final two years with the Cougars. He made 16 starts in 2021 and 2022, totaling 49 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. He also made an impact defending the ball in the air, notching an interception and knocking down three passes during his senior year. Mejia changed his body tremendously in college to fill out his role on the defensive line, gaining about 100 pounds from the time he left his Hawaii home to the time he finished his time on the Palouse.
Defensive back Camron Harrell
Harrell was a dynamic kick returner and solid defensive back the past few years at Southern Miss. A nickel corner, Harrell had 92 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 10 passes defended and two interceptions during his time with Golden Eagles. In 2021, he was the All-Conference USA first-team return specialist as he averaged over 25 yards per return. For his Southern Miss career, Harrell averaged 25.5 yards per return with two house calls. Harrell started his college career at Iowa before transferring to the College of DuPage and then Southern Miss.
Running Back KeShawn Williams
While at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Williams dealt with injuries that limited his overall impact. But when he was healthy, the 5-foot-10 back was a key playmaker for the Golden Lions. Williams finished the 2017 season with 125 carries for 703 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 32 catches for 332 receiving yards. It was a breakout season for Williams. While he was effective whenever he touched the field afterward, he was never healthy enough to put in the same volume compared to 2017.
Offensive Lineman Hunter Kelly
Kelly spent his first four seasons of college football at Penn State before transferring to Charlotte, where he emerged as a two-year starter. He started at left guard and center before nailing down the starting center spot for the 2021 season. That was the best year of his college career, earning honorable mention all-conference honors as he helped lead an inexperienced offensive line group. Kelly has been playing this summer with the Massachusetts Piratesof the Indoor Football League.
Linebacker Vandarius Cowan
Cowan was a highly-touted linebacker coming out of high school in Florida, ranking as a four-star prospect and top-100 recruit. He went to Alabama and won the College Football Playoff National Championship. After leaving the team, Cowan went to West Virginia and spent four years in Morgantown. He notched 38 tackles during his 16 games with the Mountaineers. Cowan wrapped up his college career this past season at Maryland.
Wide Receiver John Humphrey
Humphrey started his college career at Oklahoma in 2015, where he earned the Sooners' Scout Team Player of the Year award. He then transferred to Arizona State and sat out the next season. He came back in 2017 with 13 catches for 177 yards. An injury forced him to sit out another season before he once again transferred to Nevada for his final season. Humphrey provided depth at receiver and as a kick returner for the Wolf Pack.
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