San Diego State’s McFadden and Escobar invited to NFL Combine
By Matt Welch
The list of invitees for this year’s NFL Combine have been released and the San Diego State Aztecs have two players on the list. Leon McFadden and Gavin Escobar were both invited.
Dec 20, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs tight end Gavin Escobar (88) attempts to elude BYU Cougars defensive back Jordan Johnson (6) in the 2012 Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
Gavin Escobar is a projected third or fourth round pick in April’s draft. He’s ranked as the 3rd best tight end at the combine. In the 20112 season, he caught 42 passes for 543 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also averaged 12.9 yards per reception. For his career he has 122 catches for 1,646 yards and 17 touchdowns. His biggest game of the season, statistic wise, came against North Dakota when he caught 5 passes for 117 yards and scored a touchdown. His personal biggest game of the season was against Nevada, though, when he caught the game winning 21-yard touchdown pass in overtime. He finished that game with 5 catches for 39 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Leon McFadden is a projected fourth or fifth round pick going into this year’s upcoming NFL Draft. He’s ranked as
Nov 12, 2011; Fort Collins, CO, USA; San Diego State Aztecs cornerback Leon McFadden (2) breaks up a pass intended for Colorado State Rams wide receiver Thomas Coffman (2) during the fourth quarter at Hughes Stadium. The Aztecs beat the Rams 18-15. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
the 15th best corner back in the draft. McFadden recorded at least one tackle in every game this past season, racking up 61 total tackles. He also recorded 3 interceptions, scoring on two of those, and defended 12 passes on the season. He returned one of those interceptions 96 yards for a touchdown against Fresno State.
The Combine can make or break a player’s draft stock. San Diego State’s players are hoping to see their stock rise with strong performances.
The NFL Combine is set to take place from February 20th-26th.