Hawaii football: Russell Wilson, John Ursua building bond before preseason games

Fresh off signing a record four-year, $140 million contract extension, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson hosted a mini-training camp for a handful of teammates at his house in San Diego.

Among those who headed to Wilson’s residence for the excursion was former Hawaii wide receiver John Ursua, who was taken in the seventh round by the Seahawks in April. Wilson documented the experience on his official YouTube channel, where Ursua made a couple of memorable appearances.

In the first episode, Ursua and Wilson teamed up to go 14-1 in an around the world competition on Wilson’s basketball court. Ursua was a prep basketball star at Cedar High School in Utah and was whispered to have almost joined the Rainbow Warrior basketball team. His basketball talent is evident here, even in friendly competition.

In the second episode, Ursua gets even more camera time and introduces himself to the YouTube audience. Even Wilson had some nice things to say about the rookie:

“John’s been awesome,” Wilson said. “He’s a guy who caught a lot of touchdowns and made a lot of plays in college. He’s quick, super-athletic and he’s my homie — 14-0 on the basketball court, that’s all I know.

“John’s one of those guys who’s a really, really special person, really special player, and really special competitor and athlete. He’s a playmaker.”

Despite Wilson’s kind words, Ursua does face stiff competition to make the final 53-man roster, which will be announced before the regular season. Ole Miss’ DK Metcalf and West Virginia’s Gary Jennings are both receivers the Seahawks selected before Ursua, who was picked in the seventh round.

The Seahawks are carrying 12 receivers on their training camp roster and NFL teams generally don’t keep more than six on their 53-man rosters. The Seahawks open preseason play against the Broncos on Aug 8.

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As for current Rainbow Warriors who also have pro potential, quarterback Cole McDonald was mentioned by Yahoo Sports as one of 10 off-the-radar prospects who could become first-round picks in 2020. Of McDonald’s stock, Eric Edholm of Yahoo said:

“McDonald flashed tremendous upside as a gunslinging passer as a sophomore, throwing for 3,875 yards and 36 TDs with only 10 picks. The 6-2, 205-pound McDonald also ran for 359 yards and four scores. … If there’s a passer who could rise up the draft boards this fall, it could be McDonald. He’s a project to be sure, but he has tantalizing upside with a better 2019 season. The Air Raid offense in which he operates is no longer considered verboten in NFL circles, and there are enough (Patrick) Mahomes-esque elements in McDonald’s game to get some team lathered up.”

McDonald was eligible for the 2019 NFL Draft as a third-year sophomore last fall.