Senior Bowl 2023 All-Star Game

    Weigh-in Jan. 30th – Practices – Jan 31-Feb. 2 – Game Sat, Feb. 4, – Mobile, Al

The National team defeated the American team, 27-10, in the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama.

In the 74th annual premier all-star contest, the game capped off a week-long job interview, including a weigh-in and three days of practices, for over 100 prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft. They were mainly comprised of top senior and 4^th year junior eligible prospects who showcased their talent in front of hundreds of scouts and personnel men. Unfortunately, over 30 prospects opted out of the Senior Bowl with the majority of the players not injured.

QB Jake Haener of Fresno State won the MVP award off a fine performance directing the National team to a victory. He connected with wideout Michael Wilson of Stanford on a deep TD in a contest with limited big plays. Runner Evan Hull of Northwestern shined in the ground game, displaying both quickness and power to move the chains.

 Draft Insiders’ February Newsletter will have extensive evaluation of Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine and NFLPA All-star games and New Top 150, Three Round Mock Draft – Out this week

  Frank Coyle has been a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl

 February 28 – March 6 – NFL Scouting Combine – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, In.

Senior Bowl 2023 Highlights All-Star Postseason

*** Senior Bowl Game – Feb. 4, 2022 Mobile, Alabama ***
– Hancock Whitney Stadium – 1:30 pm CT- NFL Network –
   Weigh-in- Practices – Mon. Jan 31st thru Thurs. Feb. 4th

For Complete Senior Bowl info including updated Roster additions – Go to https://www.seniorbowl.com/
 
Draft Insiders’ February Newsletter will have extensive evaluation of Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine and NFLPA All-star games and New Top 150, Three Round Mock Draft – Out next week

Frank Coyle is a longtime member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy, Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski, Jim Thorpe, Fred Biletnikoff and Eddie Robinson awards annually for 30 years. He was a 20-year Scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl.

Pro Prospects to Watch

Frank Coyle/ Head scout
Offensive Players

QB Tyson Bagent          6-3, 213 – Shepherd
QB Clayton Tune           6-2, 216 – Houston
QB Jake Haener            6-0, 208 – Fresno State
RB Tyjae Spears           5-10, 204 – Tulane
RB Camerun Peoples    6-2, 215 – Appalachian State
RB Chase Brown           5-9, 215 – Illinois
WR Rashee Rice           6-0, 200 – South Alabama
WR Andrei Iosivas         6-3, 212 – Princeton
WR Michael Wilson       6-2, 216 – Stanford
WR Ronnie Bell             5-11, 192 – Michigan
WR Jonathan Mingo      6-1, 226 – Ole Miss
WR Trey Palmer            6-0, 193 – Nebraska
WR Michael Wilson       6-2, 216 – Stanford
WR Jayden Reed          5-11, 191 – Michigan State
TE Luke Musgrave        6-5, 255 – Oregon State
TE Josh Whyle              6-6, 260 – Cincinnati
OT Jaeylin Duncan        6-5, 298 – Maryland
OT Asim Richards         6-4, 307 – North Carolina
OT Blake Freeland         6-7, 312 – BYU
OT Ryan Hayes             6-7, 305 – Michigan
OT Dawand Jones        6-8, 375 – Ohio State
OT/OG Cody Mauch      6-5, 305 – North Dakota State
C John Schmitz             6-3, 306 – Minnesota
OG O’Cyrus Torrence    6-5, 337 – Florida

Defensive Players
DE Isaiah Foskey          6-5, 262 – Notre Dame
DE Keion White             6-5, 280 – Georgia Tech
DE Karl Brooks             6-3, 303 – Bowling Green
DT Nesta Jade Silvera   6-1, 307 – Arizona State
DT Keeanu Benton        6-3, 312 – Wisconsin
DT Jerrod Clark             6- 3, 343 – Coastal Carolina
LB Daiyan Henley          6-1, 230 – Washington State
LB Ivan Pace Jr.            5-10, 231 – Cincinnati
LB DJ Johnson             6-4, 260 – Oregon
LB Eku Leota                6-3, 255 – Auburn
LB Will McDonald IV      6-4, 241 – Iowa State
CB Kyu Blu Kelly           6-0, 193 – Stanford
CB Darius Rush             6-2, 196 – South Carolina
CB Riley Moss              6-1, 192 – Iowa
CB Tyrique Stevenson   6-0, 204 – Miami
CB Julius Brents            6-3, 202 – Kansas State
S Sydney Brown            5-10, 213 – Illinois
S Demarco Hellmas       6-1, 213 – Alabama
S Jammie Robinson      5-11, 194 – Florida State
S Daniel Scott               6-1, 210 – California
S JL Skinner                  6-4, 211 – Boise State

Senior Bowl Announces 2023 Coaching Staffs
New ‘Coach Up’ Format Elevates Experience

Bears Offensive Coordinator Getsy and Raiders Defensive Coordinator Graham to Coach Senior Bowl Squads
Coaches from teams selecting Nos. 1 and 7 in 2023 NFL Draft to lead teams for top pre-draft All-Star event.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl today announced that Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy (American team) and Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham (National team) will serve as head coaches for the 74th annual Reese’s Senior Bowl to be played on Saturday February 4, 2023, at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama.  All three days of practice will be televised on both NFL Network and ESPN and the game itself will be aired live on the NFL Network at 1:30 CT.  The Bears have the top overall pick, and the Raiders own the No. 7 selection in the 2023 NFL draft.

Senior Bowl 2023 Invitations – https://www.seniorbowl.com/accepted-invites/

This year marks the first time in the Senior Bowl’s rich history that two full staffs from NFL clubs will not be coaching the game. Under a new arrangement to promote professional development, NFL Football Operations has implemented a “coach up” format where coordinators and assistant coaches are placed into elevated or different roles from the ones they currently hold with their respective clubs.  Head coaches and general managers from all non-playoff teams had the opportunity to nominate assistant coaches and those candidates were then selected by a group comprised of league office executives, representatives from the General Managers Advisory Committee, and Senior Bowl leadership.  In total, at least one coach from all 16 teams that submitted nominations were chosen and six clubs had multiple coaches appointed to this year’s American and National rosters (New Orleans Saints 4, Washington Commanders 4, Chicago Bears 4, Las Vegas Raiders 3, Cleveland Browns 2, and Pittsburgh Steelers 2).

In addition to the head coach appointees, the following individuals were selected as coordinators for the American and National squads:

American
Offensive Coordinator – Atlanta Falcons Quarterbacks Coach Charles London
Defensive Coordinator – New England Patriots Defensive Line Coach DeMarcus Covington

National
Offensive Coordinator – New Orleans Saints QB Coach/Pass Game Coordinator Ronald Curry
Defensive Coordinator – Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Backs Coach Grady Brown

The Reese’s Senior Bowl is coming off consecutive record-breaking drafts with 106 players selected each of the past two years, which has represented over 40 percent of the entire past two draft classes. Over the past four drafts (2019-2022), 87.2% of the players wound up making an active 53-man NFL roster at some point during their rookie season. Those four rosters have included many of the NFL’s brightest young stars, such as: QB Justin Herbert (Chargers), QB Daniel Jones (Giants), QB Mac Jones (Patriots), DS Jeremy Chinn (Panthers), WR Brandon Aiyuk (49ers), QB Jalen Hurts (Eagles), DB Kyle Dugger (Patriots), WR Terry McLaurin (Commanders), OL Chris Lindstrom (Falcons), WR Deebo Samuel (49ers), OL Elgton Jenkins (Packers), RB Tony Pollard (Cowboys), DL Montez Sweat (Commanders), LB Logan Wilson (Bengals), RB Najee Harris (Steelers), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots), WR Devonta Smith (Eagles), OL Creed Humphrey (Chiefs), RB Dameon Pierce (Texans), WR Christian Watson, OL Zion Johnson (Chargers), QB Kenny Pickett (Steelers), DS Jalen Pitre (Texans), and CB Tariq Woolen (Seahawks).

Statement from Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy:
“Everyone at the Senior Bowl is excited about this new coaching format since it connects our players to half the league’s teams behind the scenes during the week.  Both Luke Getsy and Patrick Graham have tremendous reputations around the league and the young men in our game will undoubtedly leave Mobile as better football players after spending the week with these excellent staffs.”
 
Statement from Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy:
“I am extremely honored to be selected as the head coach for the American Team in the 74th Senior Bowl.  It is a privilege to be able to work alongside my peers from around the league and to be able to lead this special group of men that are the future of the NFL.  Thank you to everyone at the Senior Bowl for this awesome opportunity and I look forward to a great week in Mobile.”

Statement from Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham:
“It is a true honor to be selected as head coach of the National Team for the Senior Bowl.  I look forward to meeting and working with these talented young players and getting to know them on an individual and collective basis during Senior Bowl festivities.  To be able to evaluate and cultivate relationships with these young men as they begin their professional journeys is an invaluable experience and I sincerely thank Jim Nagy and the Senior Bowl for this tremendous opportunity”.
 

All-Star Game Schedule Begins This Weekend

The upcoming postseason All-Star season is here with the schedule posted below. We will have scouts at these events attending – weigh-ins, practices, interviews and games. These games will be the final chance to see prospects in game action prior to the NFL Combine and vital Pro day workouts. We will have extensive coverage on web page at  www.draftinsiders.com along with player evaluation in our Feb. Newsletter and Yearbook 2023. 

 All-Star Game Schedule – January- February 2023      

January 8 – CGS Small School Invitational – Fort Worth, Texas
1/8 – Podyum Bowl – Miami, Florida
1/11 – College Gridiron Showcase – Fort Worth, Texas
 
1/14 – Hula Bowl – Orlando, Florida – CBSSN
1/21 – Tropical Bowl – Orlando, Florida
1/28 – NFLPA Collegiate Bowl – Pasadena, Ca – NFLN
 
2/2 – East-West Shrine Bowl – Las Vegas, Nv – NFLN
2/4 *** Senior Bowl Game – Feb. 4, 2023 Mobile, Alabama ***
– Hancock Whitney Stadium – 1:30 pm CT- NFL Network –
                             Weigh-in- Practices – Monday Jan 30th thru Thursday Feb. 3rd

For Complete Senior Bowl info including updated Roster acceptances
Go to https://www.seniorbowl.com/
 
February 28 -March 6 – NFL Scouting Combine (Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN)

 Frank Coyle is a longtime member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy, Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski, Jim Thorpe, Fred Biletnikoff and Eddie Robinson awards annually for 30 years. He was a 20-year Scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl.

Senior Bowl 2023 Game – Invitation List
The Reese’s Senior Bowl 2023

The Reese’s Senior Bowl is widely regarded as the preeminent college football all-star game. It is the longest continual-running all-star game has taken place in Mobile, Alabama the past 73 years.  More than 900 NFL personnel, including key decision-makers from all 32 teams, and over 900 media members from around the country were credentialed last year. This past April, the game produced a record-tying 106 total picks for the second straight year, representing 40 percent of the entire NFL Draft 2022, including 45 of the top 100 players selected.

2023 Senior Bowl All-Star Game

Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023, 1:30pm CT
Where: Mobile, Alabama
Stadium: University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium
Television: NFL Network

Game

The 2023 Senior Bowl includes athletes from every level of college football. These are the best-of-the-best from around the country and will represent many levels of play and multiple conferences. Players will fill the roster spots that form the National and American squads for the nation’s premier all-star game. Over 100 of the country’s best collegiate football players will fill the two rosters directed by two current NFL coaching staffs. This roster will be updated weekly through January 2023 with NFL coaching staffs announced after coaching changes have been made following the 2022 season.

Invitation List

School                          Name                          Position
California                      Daniel Scott                      DB
Florida State                 Jammie Robinson          DB
Illinois                           Devon  Witherspoon     DB
Illinois                           Sydney Brown                 DB
Maryland                       Jakorian Bennett           DB
Stanford                       Kyu Blu Kelly                   DB
Virginia                         Anthony Johnson          DB
Illinois                           Jartavius Martin             DB
Virginia Tech                 Chamarri Conner           DB
Florida State                 Fabien  Lovett               DL
Mississippi State           Cameron Young            DL
Northwestern                 Adetomiwa Adebawore  DL
TCU                              Dylan Horton                 DL
Texas Tech                   Tyree Wilson                 DL
Wisconsin                     Keeanu Benton              DL
Baylor                           Siaki Ika                        DL
Louisville                      Yaya Diaby                   DL
North Dakota State        Hunter Luepke              FB
Appalachian State         Nick Hampton               LB
Auburn                          Eku Leota                     LB
Auburn                          Owen Pappoe               LB
Iowa State                    Will McDonald IV           LB
Jackson St.                   Aubrey  Miller Jr.           LB
Texas                           DeMarvion Overshown   LB
Tulane                           Dorian  Williams            LB
Washington State          Daiyan  Henley              LB
Central Florida              Alex Ward                     LS
Brigham Young             Blake Freeland              OL
Maryland                       Jaelyn Duncan              OL
Michigan                       Ryan Hayes                  OL
North Dakota State        Cody Mauch                  OL
Old Dominion                Nick Saldiveri                OL
Oregon                         Alex Forsyth                 OL
Syracuse                      Matthew Bergeron         OL
TCU                              Steve Avila                   OL
UT-Chattanooga            McClendon Curtis          OL
Maryland                       Chad Ryland                 PK
Michigan State              Bryce Baringer              PT
Rutgers                         Adam Korsak                PT
Houston                        Clayton Tune                 QB
Shepherd                      Tyson Bagent                QB
Appalachian State         Camerun Peoples         RB
Illinois                           Chase   Brown               RB
Kentucky                      Chris Rodriguez Jr.        RB
Texas                           Roschon Johnson         RB
Oregon State                Luke Musgrave             TE
Utah                             Dalton Kincaid               TE
TCU                              Derius Davis                 WR
Iowa State                    Xavier Hutchinson         WR
Michigan                       Ronnie  Bell                   WR
Michigan State              Jayden Reed                WR
Ole Miss                       Jonathan Mingo             WR
SMU                             Rashee Rice                  WR
Stanford                       Elijah Higgins                WR
Stanford                       Michael Wilson              WR
Princeton                      Andrei Iosivas               WR
Virginia                         Dontayvion Wicks         WR
Brigham Young             Puka Nacua                 WR

Senior Bowl 2022

The 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl game produced one of the better classics in recent years. In a game that was dominated by the pass rush, the National team beat the American team, 20-10. The New York Jets coaching staff directed the victory over a squad led by the Detroit Lions.

Draft Insiders’ February Newsletter will be out this week. It will have an extensive section on each All-Star game plus new Top 125 Prospects and Two Round Mock Draft

Pitt QB Kenny Pickett showed a hot hand with a perfect 6-of-6 passing for 89 yards and a TD pass to Baylor’s Abram Smith. Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder threw a pair of TD passes to tight ends, Trey McBride and Jake Ferguson on 4 of 5 passing. He also showed fine running skills. Liberty QB Malik Willis rushed for a game-high 54 yards on just four carries. He had a fine week passing, but only average during the game.

The National squad overcame 14 penalties by putting strong pressure on the American team QBs.  They registered 8 sacks with an additional five pressures.

This was the second year the All-Star classic was held at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama.

Senior Bowl 2022

The Senior Bowl All-Star classic fields an outstanding roster again this year. It is considered the most prominent college football all-star game in the United States and is the most critical stage in the NFL Draft process. The first game was played on January 7, 1950, featuring two squads made up of all-star NFL Draft prospects playing at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Florida. The following year, the game moved to Mobile, AL, where it is still played today.

In 2021, a new era in the Senior Bowl’s history began with the game moving to Hancock Whitney Stadium on the South Alabama Jaguars’ campus. Throughout its history, the Senior Bowl has produced over 55 players that went on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The game is unique among college all-star games as the teams are coached by NFL staff. Former MVPs of the game include the likes of Dan Marino, LaDainian Tomlinson, Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert.

Date: Saturday, February 5, 2022
Time: 1:30pm CT
Where: Mobile, Alabama
Stadium: University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium
TV: NFL Network

Senior Bowl – Players to Watch

Offensive Players
QB Sam Howell             North Carolina               6002     221
QB Malik Willis             Liberty                         6003     220
QB Kenny Pickett          Pittsburgh                     6032     217

RB Abram Smith           Baylor                           5113     211
RB Brian Robinson        Alabama                       6015     226
RB Dameon Pierce        Florida                         5090     220
RB Jerome Ford            Cincinnati                      5106     209
 
WR Alec Pierce             Cincinnati                      6026     208
WR Bo Melton               Rutgers                         5107     191
WR Christian Watson    North Dakota State        6040     211
WR Danny Gray            SMU                             5115     182
WR Jalen Tolbert          South Alabama             6012     195
WR Khalil Shakir           Boise State                   6000     193
 
TE Greg Dulcich            UCLA                           6036     248
TE Cole Turner             Nevada                         6060     246
TE Jake Ferguson         Wisconsin                     6043     244
TE Trey McBride           Colorado State             6031     249
 
OT Bernhard Raimann   Central Michigan           6061     304
OT Daniel Faalele         Minnesota                     6081     387
OT Darian Kinard          Kentucky                      6046     324
OT Max Mitchell            Louisiana                      6056     299
OT Spencer Burford      UTSA                           6037     293
OT Trevor Penning        Northern Iowa               6066     330
OT Abraham Lucas       Washington St               6061     332
OT Braxton Jones         Southern Utah               6051     306
OG Zion Johnson          Boston College             6026     314
OG Cade Mays             Tennessee                    6044     321
OG Chris Paul               Tulsa                            6033     324
OG Cole Strange           Chattanooga                 6043     304
OG Dylan Parham         Memphis                       6020     313
OG Ed Ingram               LSU                              6031     317
OG Jamaree Salyer       Georgia                        6025     320
OG Lecitus Smith          Virginia Tech                 6031     321
OC Luke Fortner           Kentucky                      6037     302
 
Defensive Players
DE Jermaine Johnson   Florida State                 6043     259
DE Kingsley Enagbare   South Carolina             6036     261
DE Logan Hall               Houston                        6057     278
DE Myjai Sanders          Cincinnati                      6043     242
DE Arnold Ebiketie        Penn State                    6023     250

DT Perrion Winfrey        Oklahoma                     6036     303
DT Travis Jones            UConn                         6043     326
DT Devonte Wyatt         Georgia                        6026     307
DT Eric Johnson            Missouri State               6042     300
DT Haskell Garrett         Ohio State                    6013     298
DT John Ridgeway        Arkansas                      6046     327

LB Chad Muma             Wyoming                      6023     241
LB Channing Tindall      Georgia                        6015     223
LB D’Marco Jackson      Appalachian State         6001     235
LB Damone Clark          LSU                              6023     240
LB Darrian Beavers       Cincinnati                      6040     252
 
CB Roger McCreary      Auburn                         5110     189
CB Tariq Castro-Fields Penn State                    6003     194
CB Tariq Woolen           UTSA                           6033     205
CB Josh Thompson       Texas                           5107     199
CB Jaylen Watson         Washington State          6014     197
CB Gregory Junior         Ouachita Baptist            5112     202
S Jalen Pitre                 Baylor                           5106     196
S Sterling Weatherford Miami (Oh)                    6035     230
S Tariq Carpenter         Georgia Tech                6022     225

Senior Bowl Names Lions & Jets Staffs for All-Star Classic

The Reese’s Senior Bowl today announced that NFL Football Operations has assigned the Detroit Lions and New York Jets as the coaching staffs for the 73rd annual Reese’s Senior Bowl to be played on Saturday February 5, 2022, at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama.

The game will be aired live on the NFL Network at 1:30 CT.  The Lions own the No. 2 pick, while the Jets own the Nos. 4 and 10 selections in the 2022 NFL draft. NFL teams are offered the opportunity to coach the two Senior Bowl squads based on draft order, unless they are transitioning coaching staffs. The Jaguars hold the No. 1 pick of the draft but with the club in search of a coach did not quality. The Lions hold the #2 overall pick, while the Jets have the #4 overall selection. The Lions last coached the Senior Bowl in 2020 under then-coach Matt Patricia. The Jets have not coached a Senior Bowl team since 1979 under coach Walt Michaels.

       Go to   seniorbowl.com   for this years Player list

Draft Insiders.com will attend all events and have in-depth coverage in Feb Newsletter

The Senior Bowl is coming off a record-breaking year in which 106 players were selected in the 2021 NFL draft, which represents 41% of the entire class. Over the past three drafts (2019-2021), 88.4% of the players wound up making an active 53-man NFL roster at some point during their rookie season.

The Senior Bowl has long been the nation’s most prestigious college all-star game and it is the only one coached by entire staffs from two NFL clubs.  NFL Football Operations smartly uses the draft order to select participating clubs because it serves as a valuable mechanism of parity for competitive balance in the league each year.

For the first time in the game’s rich history, head coaches will serve in more an advisory capacity while promoting select assistants into leadership roles on the staff (e.g. running backs coach to head coach, secondary coach to defensive coordinator, etc.). This new change will offer position coaches and coordinators developmental opportunities in a setting that showcases their skills in front of peers from all 32 clubs.

In addition, Senior Bowl leadership is excited to announce that four coaches from Historically Black Colleges & Universities will be a part of Senior Bowl coaching staffs in this year’s game. Coaches selected to take part in this minority fellowship program will be a part of on-field coaching, position meetings, and nightly staff evaluations.  The primary goal of this new initiative is to connect HBCU coaches with NFL decision-makers in hope that it leads to future career opportunities, while also giving the rest of the league’s teams four individuals to contact for information on Senior Bowl participants.

The three recent rosters have included the following standouts: QB Justin Herbert (Chargers), QB Mac Jones  (Patriots), QB Jalen Hurts (Eagles),  DS Jeremy Chinn (Panthers), WR Deebo Samuel (49ers), WR Chase Claypool (Steelers), WR Brandon Aiyuk (49ers), (Eagles), DB Kyle Dugger (Patriots), RB Elijah Mitchell (49ers), RB Antonio Gibson (WFT), WR Terry McLaurin (WFT), OL Chris Lindstrom (Falcons),  OL Elgton Jenkins (Packers), DL Montez Sweat (WFT), RB Najee Harris (Steelers), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots), RB Michael Carter (Jets), WR Kadarius Toney (Giants), WR Devonta Smith (Eagles), OL Quinn Meinerz (Broncos), and OL Creed Humphrey (Chiefs).

All-Star Game Schedule 2022

A full schedule of postseason All-star games return this year after closing down every event except the Senior Bowl Classic last offseason. The Covid 19 virus cancelled a wide range of events, making the scouting process very difficult. The NFL Draft 2021 class will be interesting to evaluate in a few more seasons and seeing if a higher number of early draft selection become busts and more late round sleepers emerge over the first three or four seasons.

Both dates and locations of several events have changed in many cases for the major All-star venues, in addition to several small college All-star events.  DraftInsiders.com scouting staff will be at events plus the NFL Combine 2022. Each All-star event will have announcements thru the postseason with player and coaching additions and updates. Check back here for updates related to All-star game changes.

DraftInsiders.com staff will update events and will create several Emails and Tweets from every event over the week long practices and games.  

All-Star Game Schedule 2022

Jan. 15 -Hula Bowl – Orlando, Florida
The Hula Bowl is set to be played at the University of Central Florida on Jan. 15, 2022. The game is usually played in Honolulu but Aloha Stadium is going through a renovation. The Hula Bowl moved its historic game from Honolulu to Orlando for its 2022 game. The iconic game is pleased to feature an amazing lineup of coaching legends for its Orlando Debut.  This year’s coaching staff has over 275 years of combined coaching experience.  The game will maintain much of its rich Hawaiian heritage, and will continue with its two squads, titled the AINA and KAI, representing the Land and Sea in Hawaiian.

Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith will return to the sidelines to be the AINA head coach at the 2022 Hula Bowl.  During his time at the helm of the Falcons, he became the franchise’s winningest head coach by number of wins.  In addition, he was awarded the prestigious NFL 2008 Coach of the Year Award by the Associated Press.

Brian Billick will head up the KAI squad. He was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 1994 to 1998. The team broke the NFL scoring record in the 1998 season. Following this record setting performance, Billick spent nine seasons as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens from January 19, 1999 to December 31, 2007. On January 28, 2001, Billick won Super Bowl XXXV as the Ravens’ head coach in a 34–7 victory over the New York Giants. It was the Ravens’ first Super Bowl appearance. He was inducted into the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor in 2019.

Jan. 29 – NFLPA Collegiate Bowl – Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Ca.
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl announced their 10th edition of its game will take place on January 29, 2022. Originally slated for the week before, the new date best allows the Collegiate Bowl to once again provide participants with the world-class experience that’s made it the premier postseason all-star showcase. After going virtual for the 2021, the game will once again be played at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium and be televised on NFL Network. Former NFL head coaches, Jeff Fisher and Marvin Lewis have been selected to lead the American and National teams for the 2022 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. The 10th annual game will take place at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium in California and air live on NFL Network.

Feb. 3 – East-West Shrine Bowl – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 97th annual East-West Shrine Bowl has moved to Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas.

Feb. 5 – Senior Bowl – Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama.
In 2021, a new era in the Senior Bowl’s history began with the game moving to Hancock Whitney Stadium on the South Alabama Jaguars’ campus. Throughout its history, the Senior Bowl has produced over 55 players that went on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The game is unique among college all-star games as the teams are coached by NFL staff. Former MVPs of the game include the likes of Dan Marino, LaDainian Tomlinson, Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert.

Coaching staffs will be announced after the NFL season. They come from non playoff clubs that retain their coaching staffs and usually drafting in the top 5 selections for the NFL Draft 2022.

Senior Bowl Game
Saturday, February 5, 2022, 1:30pm CT, Mobile, Alabama
University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium
TV: NFL Network
TICKETS: ON SALE!

Senior Bowl 2021 Game

    Draft Insiders’ Staff

QB Mond and DE Sample Earn Game MVP Honors

The 2021 Senior Bowl game was played after an impressive effort by the All-classic staff led by Director Jim Nagy. The condensed week of practices prior to the Saturday game came off without a glitch from the benefit of strict Pandemic guidelines and an expanded player roster.

With an interesting roster of pro prospects who completed the week of practices, physicals and interviews the All-star classic was a competitive contest that ended with a National team win over the American squad 27-24.

QB Kellen Mond of Texas A&M walked off with the MVP award after a clutch effort directing several drives to lead the National team throughout the second half when they scored all their points. Mond helped his cause, showing a strong arm, fine mobility and sound decision making. He heads the second tier of QB prospects entering the interview process prior the NFL Draft 2021.

         Draft Insiders’ 2021 January Newsletter is available now

The February Newsletter will be available this week with extensive coverage of the Senior Bowl plus Mock Draft and new Top 100 prospects

Runners Michael Carter and Rhondae Stevenson were featured often and produced. Carter displayed big play ability as both a runner and receiver and helped his cause immensely. Wideouts Amari Rodgers, Frank Darby and Shi Smith had nice performances and elevated their stock.

The NFL Draft usually benefits from the Senior Bowl defenders and this game featured several impact pass rushers in Cam Sample, Quincy Roche, Janarius Robinson and Patrick Jones. LB KJ Britt of Auburn had a strong game and picked up his keys quickly and had a burst to the ball to finish. Sample had an impressive game and earned Defensive MVP honors.

Linebackers, Jordan Smith and Baron Browning also made big plays during the game after a strong week of practices. Corner Aaron Robinson displayed fast developing coverage skills in the practices and joined the elite cover men in this class after an impressive overall week.

This was the final football action for the year with the offseason workout portion in disarray with both the NFL Combine and school Pro Days terminated or significantly curtailed. They could be completely closed out due to the Pandemic as teams face stiff limitations completing the scouting process. Zoom sessions may be the only interaction with players in many cases, between prospects and any perspective NFL teams.

Senior Bowl Game Players

Offensive Players
12 Mond, Kellen                        QB       Texas A&M       6024     205
11 Ehlinger, Sam                       QB       Texas               6014     222
7 Carter, Michael                       RB        North Carolina   5077     202
29 Stevenson, Rhamondre         RB        Oklahoma         5115     227
3 Rodgers, Amari                      WR       Clemson           5094     211
10 Felton, Demetric                   WR       UCLA               5085     189
13 Fitzpatrick, Dez                     WR       Louisville           6021     202
84 Darby, Frank                        WR       Arizona State    6001     194
13 Smith, Shi                            WR       South Carolina 5100     186
75 Radunz, Dillon                      OL        North Dakota St   6055 304
72 Hainsey, Robert                    OL        Notre Dame      6044     302
55 Hudson, James                    OL        Cincinnati          6043     302

Defensive Players
5 Sample, Cam                         DL        Tulane             6026     274
92 Odighizuwa, Osa                  DL        UCLA               6020     280
96 Robinson, Janarius               LB        Florida State     6050     266
90 Jones, Patrick                       DL        Pittsburgh         6044     264
49 Graham, Ta’Quon                 DL        Texas               6030     290
55 Roche, Quincy                      DL        Miami               6027     243
33 Britt, KJ                                LB        Auburn             6001     239
47 Smith, Elerson                      LB        Northern Iowa   6064     262
55 Browning, Baron                   LB        Ohio State        6031     241
31 Robinson, Aaron                   CB        Central Florida 5114     190
25 St. Juste, Benjamin               CB        Minnesota         6033     200
8 Taylor, Keith                           CB        Washington       6023     191
27 Grant, Richie                        S          Central Florida 5115     8200