Alas, every college football player can only play so long.
The Austin native is now off to the NFL, where he hopes to make just as much of an impact as he did for his hometown team. This week’s NFL Scouting Combine marks a major step in his journey to the professional level, and he’s simply brimming with confidence along the way.
“I’m hoping to prove that to myself really, but also prove to everybody that I’m the best safety in this draft for sure,” Mukuba told reporters. “I know guys come up here and say that, but I actually believe it and mean it.”
Mukuba is currently the No. 6 safety on ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s big board, trailing South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori, Georgia’s Malaki Starks, Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts, Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman Jr. and Penn State’s Kevin Winston Jr. He’s also the No. 111 player overall, which would place him around the fourth round of the draft.
Still, that confidence is exactly what many teams like to see in a player, and it’s not like it’s without merit. Throughout his entire collegiate career, which included three seasons at Clemson before transferring to Texas, he’s been a difference-maker for high-level teams, and he feels he can be just as productive at the professional level.
Mukuba will reportedly skip some drills at the combine, instead opting to do them at Texas’ pro day on Mar. 26. When he does perform, though, he should impress a good number of teams with his skills.