Pre-Senior Bowl NFL Draft Buzz, Part 1: The QBs, RBs, and WRs to Know in Mobile

Picture this: It’s January 2009, and I’m standing on the sideline of a Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Alabama. I turn to my right and notice three USC defenders and projected top-50 picks—Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, and Rey Maualuga—trotting past me onto the field. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. These guys just went 12-1 and have nothing left to prove. Why are they here? 

A reporter asked Maualuga just that. 

"I just came out here to be discovered," Maualuga said. "The coaches may know my name but they don't know how I practice with elite players. They don't know how I compete against tough competition.”

His response was a testament to the character of those guys and the culture of the football program Pete Carroll had built at USC—and something we haven’t seen much of in a new era of college football rife with agents, NIL money, and social media stardom. 

I share this anecdote not to wax poetic about the past, but because I was reminded of that group when speaking to sources around the Senior Bowl last week, who told me that five players from Monday’s national championship game between Indiana and Miami—edge Rueben Bain Jr., edge Akheem Mesidor, DB Keionte Scott, WR Elijah Sarratt, and CB D’Angelo Ponds—will reportedly be in Mobile. 

Their participation (if it comes to fruition) speaks not only to the attitude of competitiveness that Curt Cignetti and Mario Cristobal have instilled in their programs, but also to an understanding from these prospects that competing side-by-side in controlled environments in front of scouts can do wonders for their draft stocks. It can tank draft stocks, too, but the most competitive players don’t run from opportunities like this. 

It’s going to be a great group of talent in Mobile, and I can’t wait to share my biggest revelations, risers, and other buzz from the field with you all every day—both on the podcast and in this space. But before that, I want to preview the event with a quick two-part newsletter focusing on the offensive side of the ball today before we preview some defensive names to know tomorrow. 

Let’s dive in.

Why it could be a big week for LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier: Plus, some behind-the-scenes nuggets on Cade Klubnik, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck, and Trinidad Chambliss.

What makes running back the most intriguing position group at the Senior Bowl: It’s a big-name group with loads of talent but a lot to prove.

Quick-hitting wide receiver notes: What scouts are hoping to see from three under-the-radar wide receivers attending the showcase.