American Football

4 winners and 1 loser from the Senior Bowl4 winners and 1 loser from the Senior Bowl

on

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FEB 01 Reese’s Senior Bowl Practice
Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Related: 27 players to watch as Patriots turn their attention to the Senior Bowl

Down in Mobile, Alabama, the National team defeated the American team 27-10 in the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl. Here’s who may have caught the Patriots’ eye for better, and for worse.

Winner: RB Evan Hull (Northwestern). Hull wasted no time making an impact on Saturday as he took the first snap of the game 24 yards up the middle. The versatile back was impressive in the open field and finished with a game-high 74 yards on 10 carries. Hull added two receptions for 11 yards as well.

Winner: OT Darnell Wright (Tennessee). One of the top-rated offensive tackles in Mobile this week continued his production on the game field. The physical right tackle was solid in the run game and was bullying the opposition in pass pro. Wright checks a lot of the boxes New England looks for in tackles and it would be no surprise if he rose in their rankings.

Loser: OT Blake Freeland (BYU). On the other end of the spectrum, it was a rough afternoon for BYU’s Blake Freeland. Freeland’s struggles throughout the week continued as he gave up a sack and was blown backwards into quarterback Malik Cunningham which resulted in an interception. The National team broke a few early runs running behind him, but his issues in pass protection were hard to ignore.

Winner: EDGE KJ Henry (Clemson). Henry was an issue along the edge for the American team, specifically in the first half. He showcased an array of pass rush moves that resulted in several pressures. Henry could be a nice addition along the edge for a team that does not want to use a first-round pick at the position.

Winner: TE Payne Durham (Purdue). The Purdue tight end showed his appeal in the red zone on Saturday as he went up to snag a pass at the one-yard line – setting up the first touchdown of the day. He had an impressive week and also has a lacrosse background.

Other notes:

  • Stanford wide receiver Michael Wilson capped off a strong week with a game-high 76 receiving yards while also hauling in a touchdown.
  • Cody Mauch is a baller. Despite playing primarily left tackle throughout his college career, Mauch lined up at left guard, center, and right tackle on Saturday. He’s likely best suited at guard in the NFL, but the versatility is impressive.
  • Fresno State QB Jake Haener took home the game’s MVP award after going 12-of-19 for 139 yards and a touchdown.
  • Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace, who was voted National team’s LB Practice Player-of-Week, stood out several times throughout the game. Pace was known during his college career for his ability to blow up plays at the line of scrimmage and his physicality was noticeable in Mobile.
  • Rutgers punter Adam Korsak had a beautiful first punt of the afternoon that was downed at the one-yard line. However, he shanked his next punt for just 17 yards.

  • In the field goal department, Maryland’s Chad Ryland went 4-for-5 with a long of 42. His miss was from 52 yards. Georgia’s Jack Podlesny was 1-for-2 with a make from 35 and a miss from 30.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login