Although neither Arkansas State nor Central Arkansas had one of their former players get a call during NFL Draft weekend, a Red Wolf and a couple of Bears will get their shot as undrafted free agents.
ASU defensive end Joe Ozougwu signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an outside linebacker. Ozougwu, who transferred in after three seasons at North Texas, was second among all Red Wolves in both tackles for loss (16.0) and sacks (7.5) and was named the team's MVP.
One of UCA's standout receivers, Lujuan Winningham, inked a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In nine games, the 6-3 senior caught 53 passes for 840 yards and 5 touchdowns, ranking second in yards per game (93.3) behind only Tyler Hudson, who transferred to Louisville this offseason.
Winningham twice was named to the All-Southland Conference team, catching 20 touchdowns over 18 games during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
While Winningham's former quarterback, Breylin Smith, did not sign a contract, the Conway native will participate in minicamp with the New York Jets.
Smith spent six seasons with UCA, redshirting in 2016 and 2018. The 6-3, 210-pound quarterback's best season was his final one when he completed 220 of 341 passes for 2,884 yards with 26 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions.