Despite it being a glorified orientation, these young Colts players turned the most heads in an otherwise quiet event.
Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Seth Henigan warms up on the sidelines during the first half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images The Indianapolis Colts' rookie minicamp is in the books following the weekend. The coaching staff and front office had its first look at their 2026 draft class, a group made up of eight draft selections and 12 undrafted free agent signings. It's technically still a camp, but don't confuse this minicamp with a training camp.
This was more of a glorified orientation of sorts, but there are still some winners to be had from the brief two-day introduction. Let's break down who stood out most. The Indianapolis Colts desperately need to find a complementary back alongside Jonathan Taylor, and these two additions fit a bill larger than we've seen in their running back room as of recent.
Head coach Shane Steichen is looking forward to what they can bring to the table as bigger, more physical backs.
“Look, when we watched the tape, those guys were good players. And Seth was a really good player. He is a big back, physical, runs really hard, always falls forward. Brings a lot to the table from a physicality standpoint," Steichen explained.
"Same thing with Vaughn. Those two guys are big, physical runners that I think will help us. ” Either of McGowan and Vaughn would beef up a Colts' running back whose biggest rostered player outside of Taylor is 2025 fifth-round pick DJ Giddens .
The two former SEC linebackers turned undrafted free agents have already made a strong first impression on Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds, with Weeks standing out most.
"With West , we were like, I know for a fact he's going to make an impact on special teams because he's big and fast and he's done that before," Dodds explained their initial line of thinking regarding a player of his profile. "He's looked good out here. He's moving even better out here than he was on the LSU tape. Kinda excited about that linebacker room -- with Weeks and Tahj Chambers both.
"thanks to his combination of special teams potential and baseline production for an option on the bottom of the depth chart, especially the former. “Yeah I think Tommy Manning, our tight end coach, does a hell of a job with that. I believe Tommy was here with Mo his first year. So, he’s been through that process – our tight end coach – and he did a hell of a job with Mo.
And now he’s back here coaching Mo and now he’s got another one in Carson to do the same thing. So, we’re excited about Carson and his abilities," Steichen explained the line of thinking behind taking a shot on Towt. Towt has been given the exact mentor that Alie-Cox had in TEs coach Tom Manning.
The next step is determining whether or not he has any legitimate football skills, and Steichen explained the he does after getting a good look at him during minicamp.
"He’s done some good stuff. I know we’re routes on air and stuff right now, but he’s got some good movement skills. He catches the ball well. So, it’ll be good to get him going and get him in pads and blocking and all of that stuff.
” Towt is 6'5", 250 lbs, so there's definitely a solid canvas to work with. Now it's up to the combined mentorship of Mo Alie-Cox and Tom Manning to replicate their previous success story. Henigan may have technically been a prospect from the 2025 draft class, but the fact he has stuck around since being signed to the practice squad late last season is noteworthy.
The Colts had been trying to trade 2023 fourth-overall pick QB Anthony Richardson Sr. throughout the offseason thus far, but after failing to find a trade partner in the NFL Draft, he remains on the roster for the foreseeable future. An earlier Richardson exit would've slotted Henigan in as the de factor emergency third quarterback, but instead he remains the practice squad's go-to guy.
Nonetheless, Henigan still being in the mix, and being provided reps along the way, is important for his outlook. Noah Compton is the Publisher of Indianapolis Colts On SI. Noah is from the Indy area and has been covering the Colts since 2022, including stops at FanSided, The Blue Stable, and SBNation. One Colts UDFA Most Likely to Make Roster Following Rookie Minicamp
Please follow us on Google to support usUnited States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Morgan Wallen Walks Out With Caitlin Clark at Indianapolis Stadium ConcertCaitlin Clark joined Morgan Wallen in his concert walkout in Indianapolis on the May 10, 2026 stop of the country star's Still the Problem Tour.
Read more »
Biggest Packers Winners and Losers After Draft, Free AgencyHere are five winners and five losers following an offseason of change for the Green Bay Packers.
Read more »
Biggest Winners of Jaguars Rookie MinicampWhich members of rookie minicamp truly stood out for the Jacksonville Jaguars over the course of the weekend?
Read more »
Biggest Winners of Denver Broncos Rookie MinicampRookie minicamp doesn't offer much material to identify risers and fallers, but there were some clear winners at Denver Broncos HQ this weekend.
Read more »