Senior Bowl 2026: 10 Standout Players Who Shined This Week

The first stage of the 2026 NFL draft process is complete, with the 77th Panini Senior Bowl in the books. This prestigious event brought together over 100 of the top college football players in the country for a week of practice and one-on-one meetings with NFL scouts and talent evaluators. The annual all-star game once again featured several third-year juniors, adding to the excitement and anticipation surrounding the upcoming draft.

With the Senior Bowl 2026 now behind them, many players made a lasting impression on the league’s decision-makers. While it’s rare for a player to hurt their stock at the Senior Bowl, there were several standout performers who stood out during the week. Here are some of the players who were most discussed in Mobile:

Caleb Banks, DL, Florida

Banks was one of the stars of one-on-one drills, part of an incredibly deep group of defensive linemen and edge rushers in this year’s game. Unlike many of his counterparts, he stayed in town and played on Saturday, showcasing his skills throughout the week.

Bud Clark, SAF, TCU

Clark was a highly productive player in college, recording 15 interceptions. He consistently performed well during one-on-one and team drills during the week of practice. However, he didn’t have much of an opportunity to make plays in the game, as the opposing American team only threw 20 passes.

Josh Cuevas, TE, Alabama

Cuevas is a big-bodied, athletic specimen who could have a 10-year future at the next level as a second tight end and on special teams. Despite being banged up late in the year for the Crimson Tide, he showed plenty during the week of practice.

Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

After Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson, QB3 in the 2026 NFL draft is there for the taking. Nussmeier showed during the week that he was the best quarterback here, earning Most Valuable Player honors in the game as well.

Lee Hunter, DL, Texas Tech

A good bet to be the first player drafted out of the 2026 Senior Bowl, Hunter was a wrecking ball during practice. The former Blount High School graduate didn’t stick around for the game, disappointing his hometown crowd, but solidified his first-round status during the week.

Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh

Louis came into the week not as heralded as some other members of a very deep group of linebackers, but came out of the week of practice as arguably the top performer. He also didn’t stick around for the game, apparently feeling like he showed enough from Tuesday-Thursday.

Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll

The only non-Division I player in this year’s game was arguably the top receiver in Mobile all week, dominating defensive backs despite not possessing great size (5-foot-11, 190 pounds). A former walk-on basketball player at LSU, Montgomery is a good bet to make the difficult leap from non-scholarship Division III to the NFL.

Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt

The most well-known player coming into Senior Bowl week, Pavia checked in at a shade under 5-foot-10 at the weigh-in and didn’t have a particularly great week of practice by all accounts. But the super-competitive Pavia was good on game day, completing a high percentage of his passes, and hustling to force a fumble after a first-quarter turnover.

TJ Parker, DE, Clemson

Another in-state native (Phenix City) who starred out of state in college, Parker shook off a disappointing final season with the Tigers to turn in a dominant week at Senior Bowl practice. He also left town before the game, but might creep into the first round in April.

Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

One of the more-decorated players in recent college football history, the Butkus, Lombardi, Bednarik and Nagurski winner was a tackling machine during the week in practice. He, Hunter and the rest of the Texas Tech contingent departed after Thursday’s practice, but he proved his 2025 season for the Red Raiders was no fluke.

Honorable Mention

Among the other notable players who made an impact during the week were:

Dametrious Crownover, OL, Texas A&M
Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
Tim Keenan, DL, Alabama
Derrick Moore, DL, Michigan
Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke
Keylan Rutledge, OL, Georgia Tech
Michael Taaffe, SAF, Texas
Devin Voisin, WR, South Alabama
Jeremiah Wright, OL, Auburn
Zion Young, DL, Missouri

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