In Mobile, Alabama, on a cold Saturday morning, NFL hopefuls get game faces on as dozens of scouts fill the seats looking for the next great player to add to the roster on the biggest stage in football.
A coveted invite to the Senior Bowl is something every college player going into the draft dreams of, the opportunity to play in front of the ones that matter most. Coming from all over the country into Hancock Whitney Stadium with family and fans filling the stadium, after a week of practice, team building and community service, the time was here.
Broken into two teams with 139 players between the two, National and American, with some of the most notable names in college football on the roster, with guys like LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, Vanderbilt quarterback and Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia and Indiana running back Kaelon Black.
As the kickoff began, the American team was bringing an intense energy to the field and was showing these scouts watching over, dominating the field and scoring two touchdowns all within the first quarter. Giving the lead of 14-0 in the first quarter, showing a dominating performance, and to add to that with a field goal attempt to give another lead of 17-0.
With the National team trailing by 17, looking a little more discombobulated, being led by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, there were a few mistakes that don’t look too favorable to a scout wanting to recruit. With a strong front seven on the American team, the other side of the ball was not moving down the field it was coming up just a bit short.
Heading into the half, it looked like a shutout game for the American team, with strong play on both sides of the ball. Not giving up any extra yards, picking off the ball whenever possible, this is what players come to the Senior Bowl for. To play the best of the best, on one cohesive unit that will show an NFL team there is no other better option.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who was benched for injury most of the season, returned to the field for the first time completely injury-free and was able to show off what the hype was about that fell short during the season. Leading the half with two scoring drives and converting a two-point conversion Nussmeier sealed the deal but could he keep it going for another 30 minutes of football?
Although the Senior Bowl isn’t like other typical games these players experience throughout the season, with dropped passes just short of the first down line, this American team statistically was just handing the ball over and gave up any chance of putting some points on the board. Pavia going 2-for-2 in completion to attempted and mere 25 yards during his time in the game came to a close.
The most notable takeaways from this game are, for the most part, simple: the best of the best were shining brightly under the cold Alabama sun for the 32 NFL scouts in attendance, setting up what will be a very successful draft for many of these players. Others fell just short of the line, not performing to the full potential seen in practice.
There is always time to pivot and come ready for draft day, but when the clock starts ticking, it may come down to who was memorable and who fell just short of the line at the 2026 Senior Bowl.
