Super Seniors: Reese’s Senior Bowl Day One Standouts
It’s draft season, which means it’s ECG season. After a day of practice in Mobile, Kelii, Sora and Dante’ breakdown who rose to the occasion and showed out in practice.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) looks to hand the ball off to a running back during practice at the Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Kelii Horvath/East Coast Gridiron)
For fans, players and scouts alike, the draft starts in Mobile. That saying certainly holds true for us here at East Coast Gridiron, as it marks the beginning of draft season. It is our first chance at seeing the top players in the draft class compete with one another, testing their mettle during drills and competition. As a result, we begin to learn new things about these players that evolve our evaluations heading into draft night. Here is what we learned after Day One in Mobile.
TE Elijah Arroyo created separation with ease. In a loaded tight end class, Arroyo’s ability to get open could also create separation between him and other tight ends on teams’ draft boards.
Despite being undersized, EDGE Josiah Stewart is a force to be reckoned with. He won nearly all of his one-on-ones and is beginning to prove his high-end production in 2024 was no fluke.
WR Tai Felton had some drop issues to begin practice. He arrived at the Senior Bowl with a 7.7% drop rate in 2024, a concern for the Maryland product. He cleaned it up as practice went on so hopefully he can bounce back tomorrow.
OL Wyatt Milum struggled out the gates, no matter what position he played. A left tackle for West Virginia, Milum could play tackle or guard at the next level. He started practice at guard and struggled early, moving back to tackle where Milum continued to struggle. A big day tomorrow can help the talented lineman.
DL Aeneas Peebles was a game wrecker in the scrimmage. The first two plays, both handoffs, were blown up in the backfield by Peebles, who let out his energy, excitement and possible frustration after both plays. Peebles struggled in one-on-ones prior to dominating real-game scenarios.
EDGE Shemar Stewart profiles as an athletic freak, and looks the part, officially measuring in at six-foot-five and 281 lbs. Add in a wingspan of 83.48 inches, Stewart has the dream build of a high-ceiling pass rusher. Today, he had moments of domination, but also a few reps that left a lot to be desired. This week could determine whether he is a top five pick or if he barely makes it into the first round, as Stewart finished his time in College Station with just 4.5 sacks in three years.
Sora - Jack Kiser | LB | Notre Dame
Fresh off a deep playoff run that resulted in a national championship appearance for Notre Dame, Kiser stuck to his commitment to the Senior Bowl despite many other players opted out. Kiser was a standout linebacker for the Fighting Irish who amassed 90 total tackles, two sacks and forced two fumbles. Standing at six-foot-two and 231 lbs, Kiser fits the mold of a smaller linebacker that has become more prominent in recent years.
Kiser made his mark on the first day by blanketing opposing running backs in one-on-one coverage, a drill that typically favors the pass catchers out of the backfield. While the other linebackers were struggling in coverage, Kiser locked down the likes of Marcus Yarns, RJ Harvey and Trevor Etienne.
Kiser displayed his quickness and excellent ball skills to stay with his man in coverage and make a play on the ball. In the few reps Kiser allowed a catch, he was still right on the hip of his man, in position to make a play. Kiser was by far the most impressive linebacker in coverage today.
Quarterback Seth Henigan warms up before practice at the Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Kelii Horvath/East Coast Gridiron)
Kelii - Seth Henigan | QB | Memphis
It is not every year that a conference’s all-time leading passer graces Mobile. Henigan is the American Athletic Conference’s most productive passer, passing for over 13,000 yards over four years as the starting quarterback for Memphis.
I am a big fan of his game, which I can get deeper into in another article, but Henigan’s accuracy, touch and ball placement were on full display on Day 1. Henigan made the throw to Jack Bech that can easily be considered the best catch of the day, and outdueled talented signal callers Jalen Milroe, Riley Leonard and Jaxson Dart.
Henigan also flashed his mobility during the scrimmage, as the right side of his pocket opened up and he took off for a chunk gain before running out of bounds. Henigan’s decision making paired with high-level accuracy and solid mobility made him standout early amongst a talented quarterback group.
Dante’ - Marcus Yarns | RB | Delaware
Coming from an FCS school in a loaded running back class, Yarns can easily be overlooked in favor of bigger names. Don’t make that mistake—Yarns is as good as they come and made a statement on the first day of practice at the Senior Bowl.
Yarns was engaged in every drill and moved with a chip on his shoulder. He displayed quickness and great acceleration throughout practice and did everything that was asked of him. He ran well, he blocked well and ran great routes.
He was debatably the quickest running back out there and his burst was evident on the field. Yarns quickly dispelled any doubts regarding his talent with a solid outing at practice, and will have plenty of chances moving forward to prove he belongs in the same conversation as teammates Devin Neal, RJ Harvey and Jarquez Hunter.
