The 2025 college football season is over, but all-star bowls will be occurring over the next few weeks. The most prominent of these bowls are the Hula Bowl, the American Bowl, the East-West Shrine Game,
and the Senior Bowl. This post will focus on the Hula Bowl.
These events are used primarily as camps with a game at the end. Invited players get officially measured and weighed upon checking in. Then, there are a few days of practice with NFL coaches. The practice time for players is really at the heart of these events.
This is due to the time players and coaches can spend together honing their craft collaboratively. It gives players a chance to be evaluated by coaches who know the NFL game. What better way to understand where and how to improve than to hear it from the source? Receiving this feedback can give the players an edge as they head into their training for the NFL Combine or their respective Pro Day.
Finally, this gives players a chance to stand out. If a player was overshadowed on his team by other talented individuals, wasn’t featured in his offense, or, in the case of those in this article, played in a Group of 5 conference, they have the opportunity to open the eyes of the coaches with their play and jump onto the radar before draft time. While the combine and pro days are also good opportunities for this, the more chances coaches have to see one play and compete, the better position they put themselves in.
This year, three players from the Mountain West are participating in the Hula Bowl. Below, we will provide a brief description of each player and illustrate what kind of showing they need to improve their draft stock.
Note: Sometimes players are not on initial rosters and pop up during practices or the game. Due to this, some players may be on the roster but are not featured here. We relied on player or team accounts to announce their participation. They will be featured in the stock report following the game.
Hula Bowl Schedule:
Saturday, January 10, 2024
- 12:00 pm (Eastern time) CBS Sports Network
The Players:
TE Evan Svoboda (Wyoming)
The former quarterback transitioned to tight end during the tail-end of his career in Laramie, but that adaptability may be what affords him an opportunity in the NFL. The one name that immediately comes to mind is New Orleans Saints Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill. A quarterback during his time at BYU, he has done everything under the sun down in the Bayou, from throwing to catching, and even rushing. That mold is what Evan Svoboda needs to follow if he has a chance to see the field at the next level. His stats this season weren’t gaudy by any means, tallying 11 receptions for 92 yards and one touchdown. During his time behind center, he threw for 1,518 yards, five touchdowns, and ten interceptions. He also rushed for seven touchdowns and 329 yards on 139 carries, including a career-long run of 51 yards. What may win over general managers and coaches alike is the adversity that Svoboda had to face at Wyoming, with multiple coaching changes and a position move. With all of that, he not only remained a Cowboy, but did everything asked of him to help the program win games. At 6-5 and 250 pounds, the Arizona native isn’t going to wow you with his athleticism. However, if he can put on display a set of sure hands and a more-than-proficient blocking skill set, that could pave the way for a team to take a flyer on him come April.
OL Caden Barnett (Wyoming)
One of the enforcers along the offensive line during his time at Wyoming, Caden Barnett, was recognized at the end of the 2025 season with a Mountain West All-Second Team selection. He started all 12 games this past year and in 2024, while starting 10 in 2023. In all, he appeared in 48 games during his collegiate career, and hardly ever had to deal with a substantial injury that sidelined him. Barnett is a classic Cowboy offensive lineman who bullies smaller opposing defenders who attempt to skate by with their maneuverability. When he competes at the Hula Bowl, the biggest thing to watch for is how he maintains leverage later and later in reps, and if he is able to stay connected with defenders. Similar to Denver Bronco Frank Crum, Barnett could be a Day 3 draft pick that is given the chance to prove himself prior to September in an attempt to make the 53-man roster.
OL Jack Walsh (Wyoming)
It is an eerily similar story to that of Caden Barnett’s, but Jack Walsh had to take hold of the center spot in 2025 after spending multiple years at guard, where he earned All-Mountain West honors by various publications. His 2024 campaign was a highlight year as he recorded over 650 snaps, not giving up a single sack during that time. Walsh made his name known with over 20 pancake blocks, earning him a spot in Pro Football Focus’ Top-25 ranking for FBS guards in ‘24. He and Barnett will look to show their dexterity moving laterally within the trenches. Wyoming offensive linemen have a certain stereotype associated with them – big, lumbering guys who specialize in north-south blocking, not so much when it comes to shifting and staying in front of defenders. For Walsh in particular, having a chance to snap the pigskin to various quarterbacks at the Hula Bowl and show his ability to be a serviceable body would certainly help his cause.
Note: The weaknesses or questions describing each player below aren’t necessarily the views of the contributors or the site, but rather what could be questions or concerns NFL scouts, talent evaluators, or the media have about them, which are still worth discussing as they can have ramifications.
