The Minnesota Vikings hosted several players for tryouts on Thursday afternoon, according to the NFL’s transaction wire. South Dakota quarterback Aidan Bouman, Elon wide receiver Chandler Brayboy, Southern Methodist defensive back Brandon Crossley, and Northwestern wide receiver A. J. Henning were all brought in for a visit.
Breaking Down The Vikings Tryouts
Bouman has family ties as he is the son of former Vikings quarterback Todd Bowman. The younger Bouman had a productive college career for the University of South Dakota. He is USD’s all-time leading passer with 9,278 passing yards and 68 touchdowns. He has also earned tryout opportunities with the Green Bay Packers in addition to the Minnesota Vikings.
Brayboy spent the entire 2025 season on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. Over the course of this preseason, he recorded two catches for 17 yards. He was cut by the Jaguars during roster cuts on August 30.
Brayboy had a productive collegiate career at Elon. During his final year, he recorded 979 receiving yards with eight touchdowns. The playmaker also proved to be a solid kick returner. He had one game where he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns at the collegiate level.
Crossley spent the 2025 season with the New England Patriots. While with the Patriots, he was on the practice squad. He joined the team as an undrafted free agent and signed a futures contract in February. The corner played with the Patriots in the preseason but was waived during final roster cutdowns.
Henning had a productive college career. He played for the Michigan Wolverines from 2020-2022 before transferring to Northwestern for his final two seasons in 2023 and 2024. The playmaker recorded 129 passes for 1,219 yards and eight touchdowns in 57 games. Much like Brayboy at the collegiate level, Henning was a dynamic special teams player. He earned All-Big Ten second-team honors in 2022 as a punt and kickoff returner.
One Tryout Has Vikings Family Ties
The Bouman signing may sound particularly familiar to Vikings fans. His father was Todd Bouman. The elder Bouman played from 1997-2010. He began his journey by signing with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 1997. The quarterback played in Minnesota through 2002. He also played for the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, and Baltimore Ravens.
The elder Bouman threw for 681 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions during his time at the Vikings. His best season came in 2001. That year, he played in five games and started three. He recorded 681 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. The main reason Bauman played extensive time that year was because Dante Culpepper sprained a ligament in his left knee during a game against the Bears. Culpepper attempted to play through it against the Pittsburgh Steelers but aggravated the knee and was out of the lineup. The injury resulted in season-ending arthroscopic knee surgery.
This was where Bauman was able to throw for 348 yards and four touchdowns. The Vikings were able to win that game by a 42-24 margin over the Titans. Bauman won NFC offensive player of the week honors for his efforts. He ended up starting three consecutive games.
Overall, these are an interesting mix of tryouts. There are family ties, as well as dynamic kickoff and punt returns. Time will tell if they will make the roster, but this could be a feel-good story nonetheless.
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