VERMILLION — Aidan Bouman has already left his legacy at the University of South Dakota, as one of the most productive and winningest quarterbacks in Coyote football history.
Next stop, the NFL?
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On Thursday at USD's Pro Day, the big southpaw took the next step towards the next level, displaying his talents alongside eight teammates and a handful of Division II hopefuls in front of eight NFL scouts at the DakotaDome.
That's a smaller collection of scouts than have made the trip to South Dakota in past years, but, admittedly, there's no Tucker Kraft, Mason McCormick or Myles Harden this time around.
But all it takes is one scout or one team to like what they see, and the Coyotes' all-time leading passer felt good about what he showed on Thursday.
"I feel good, feel solid," Bouman said. "You know I'm always going to be a perfectionist, think that things could have gotten better. But, you know, the guys ran great routes. I feel like I put it on them most of the time, let them make a play with it."
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Will Lester of South Dakota Tech and Aidan Bouman of USD listen to instructions from a Green Bay Packers scout on March 26, 2026 at the Coyote Pro Day at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
Bouman turned heads just by walking into the facility on Thursday, as he looked notably leaner after what he called 80 days of sacrifice. Working on his body and diet, the 6-foot-5 Bouman weighed in at 218 pounds. He was listed at 250 pounds when he was began his career at Iowa State.
Bouman has never been what anyone would call a dual-threat quarterback, and he has no illusions about changing that perception, but he is set on proving to interested teams that what he lacks in pure speed he makes up for with good footwork and body control, and that his size can certainly be a strong point as well.
Bouman clocked a 4.9 time in the 40-yard dash and overdelivered in agility and cone drills.
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Then came time to throw, and while Bouman left a bit too much air under a couple long throws over the middle he showed impressive zip on his short throws, delivering consistently tight spirals and placing several throws perfectly on out-routes to the sideline. Later, he threw some on-the-money deep balls to finish strong.
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USD quarterback Aidan Bouman touches the line as he runs an agility drill during Pro Day on March 26, 2026 at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
Bouman has drawn criticism in some circles for his delivery, with some opining that he throws from too low of an arm slot, and that's something he made a point to address in the weeks leading up to Thursday and carry over in front of the scouts.
"Mechanically, I've always just been striving to get better," the former Buffalo, Minn., standout said. "I knew that my arm slot was a little bit lower than probably it should be. So I was definitely working on keeping that a little bit higher, involving the lower half a lot more. I'm a lot more explosive than I've really ever been. So kind of connecting those two halves of things helped me a lot."
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USD tight end Zach Witte runs the 40-yard dash at USD Pro Day on March 26, 2026 at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
Bouman is a long shot to get drafted, but that didn't stop his dad, Todd Bouman, from playing 14 years in the NFL for six different teams. Todd didn't even have a Pro Day coming out of now-defunct Division II St. Cloud State, and that certainly gives Aidan something of a road map to work to try to build his career.
"The person that can give him a real insight of that is his father, right," said new Yotes coach Matt Vitzthum. "I mean, he was an absolute NFL journeyman, and he did have to do that at St. Cloud State, you know?
"Todd was incredible," Vitzthum said. "He was running around making plays and tearing people up, just like Aidan was doing here. But, you know, you do have to really kind of find your role, and I think that's why in the NFL you see so many of the same guys hang on for so long as second- and third-string guys. Once you build that trust around the league that you can handle a playbook, that you can handle coming in in a short amount of time, I think those guys are really, really precious in the NFL, and I really think Aidan can really grasp onto one of those roles."
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Scouts from the Lions, Packers and Vikings watch USD Pro Day on March 26, 2026 at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
Others who tested on Thursday included Coyotes Almarion Crim and Adrian Hawkins (OL), Carter Hooper and Mo Newsom (DL), DeJuan Lewis (DB), Nate Ewell (LB), Jack Martens (WR), Zach Witte (TE) and kickers Will Leyland and Zeke Mata, as well as former Coyote running back Mike Mansaray, who finished his career at Valparaiso.
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Martens showed good hands and footwork. Hawkins moved well for a big man and Ewell had a good day as well. Mansaray had the most impressive physique of anyone in attendance, and showed the athleticism to back it up.
Augustana wideout Isaiah Huber ran the fastest 40-time of the day at 4.41, while USF receiver Isaiah Emannuel also had a good day. Black Hills State's Jayson Rouse, an All-RMAC offensive tackle, showed surprising mobility.
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Augustana wide receiver Isaiah Huber crosses the finish line of the 40-yard dash at USD Pro Day on March 26, 2026 at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
"Nate Ewell ran really, really well," Vitzthum said. "Nate's been kind of probably an under-the-radar person for us. There's always been a backer next to him that maybe has more stats. But he ran really well in the 40. I think Mo Newsome, just who he is, that's a big human, moving around the way he does, did well on the bench. Obviously, Adrian Hawkins was a staple in there for us, did a nice job. I think when the ball came out, you saw Jack Martens, right? What he was for us all four years, every year he's here, Mr. Consistent.
If the ball's going to hit Jack's hands, he's going to come down with it. So, yeah, all of our guys, I think they would all be proud of the way they perform, but all of them as competitors want more and think they could have probably done better in the same breath."