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NEWS

REESE’S SENIOR BOWL ANNOUNCES 2025 SCOUTING STAFF

Preeminent college all-star game staff adds to scouting staff with over 200 years of NFL experience

 

Mobile, AL – The Reese’s Senior Bowl, which is coming off a record-breaking year with 110 total draft picks (43 percent of the entire 2024 draft class) and ten first-round selections, is excited to announce its scouting staff for the 2025 game cycle.  The 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl kicks off at 1:30 p.m. CT at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama on Saturday February 1, 2025. 

Three members of last year’s scouting staff landed full-time opportunities with NFL teams this offseason.  Scouting assistant Matt McCreight accepted BLETSO combine scouting job with the Pittsburgh Steelers, scouting assistant Chris Smith took a similar role with the Carolina Panthers, and regional scout Colton Chapple was hired by the Panthers as an area scout. 

The veteran scouting staff for the 2025 game cycle that has over 200 years of collective NFL front office, coaching, and playing experience consists of the following (in alphabetical order): Mark Ellenz, Mark Gorscak, Drew Hughes, Brad Jackson, Scot McCloughan, TJ McCreight, Ronnie McGill, J.P. McGowan, Eli Montague, Julius Pruitt, and Tyler Ramsey.  This year’s staff will also be supported by in-house scouting assistants Michael Newsome, Charlie Parkinson, and Jackson Roby. 

“This year’s group is a good blend of some guys returning to our staff along with some highly respected guys helping us out for the first time,” said Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy. “We take a lot of pride in how we’ve built our football operation over the years with respected former NFL scouts that have connections in both the college and pro football.  We owe these potential draft prospects, as well as the 32 NFL clubs, the best professional evaluation possible and this staff will deliver that.”

2025 REESE’S SENIOR BOWL SCOUTING STAFF

  • Mark Ellenz – Ellenz has 23 years of NFL scouting experience.  He began his scouting career with the Indianapolis Colts in 2001 as a scouting assistant for five seasons, then the next seven seasons as an area scout covering the southeast and was a part of two Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi Trophy.  He joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013 as their eastern regional scout for three years then served as the director of college scouting for the next five seasons.  He worked as a regional scout for Reese’s Senior Bowl in 2021 and spent the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a college scout covering the west coast and the upper Midwest. He is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas and three-year letterman at strong safety.
  • Mark Gorscak – Gorscak, a 28-year veteran scout—all with the Pittsburgh Steelers—is best known in football circles as the official 40-yard dash “starter” at the NFL Combine the past two decades.  Over his career, Mark scouted the entire country and he went to four Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XL and XLIII.  Prior to joining the Steelers, Mark coached on the high school and college levels for 16 years and in 1987 he was the first general manager of the Pittsburgh Gladiators in the inaugural season of the Arena Football League. He graduated with a degree in psychology from Dickinson and received a master’s degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla.  Also, ESPN the Magazine profiled Mark in the 2010 NFL Preview magazine as one of the 90 Faces of the NFL.  In 2022, he was named the recipient of the C.O. Brocato Memorial Award for Lifetime Service for NFL Scouting. 
  • Drew Hughes – Hughes joins the Senior Bowl staff as a regional scout after three years as the player personnel coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Prior to his time in the NFL, Hughes had a successful run as one of the top personnel directors at the FBS level with stints at UCF, North Carolina State, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina.  Over his time at the college level, Hughes recruited over 60 players that went on to be drafted and several of those were chosen to play in the Senior Bowl.
  • Brad Jackson – Jackson, a 1998 Senior Bowl alum as a player and two-time participant of Senior Bowl Scout School initiative, is entering his third season as a regional scout.  He played six years in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers and started five games at linebacker during the 2001 NFL season for the historic Ravens defense that helped defeat the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.  He was a two-sport athlete at the University of Cincinnati where he lettered in both football and basketball.  He finished his career as the third-leading tackler in Bearcats history and was selected in the third round (No. 79 overall) of the 1998 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. Jackson has participated in the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship Program with the Indianapolis Colts (2007) and the Atlanta Falcons (2010).  He has also worked extensively in the Baltimore area media since retiring. 
  • Scot McCloughan – McCloughan, the former general manager of the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders, is one of the most respected evaluators in pro football and brings a wealth of executive level experience to the Senior Bowl staff for a second year.  During his time running the draft for the Niners, McCloughan picked all-time franchise greats like linebacker Patrick Willis, running back Frank Gore, and offensive lineman Joe Staley.  In his 23 years in the league, McCloughan was part of Super Bowl XXXI (Green Bay 1996) and Super Bowl XLVIII (Seattle 2013) champion teams.
  • Tom McConnaughey – McConnaughey joins the Senior Bow after spending over 44 years working in football as a pro player, college and high school coach, and NFL scout.  Most recently, he retired this offseason after serving as national scout the past three years for the Jacksonville Jaguars, his 28th season in the NFL.  McConnaughey spent the previous 25 seasons as a scout for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers after being hired by Pro Football Hall-of-Fame General Manager Bobby Beathard.  During his time with the Chargers, which included 14 years as the team’s national scout, the Bolts won five AFC West Division titles. As a player, McConnaughey was an all-conference wide receiver at Central Arkansas and then spent five years playing professionally with the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, USFL’s New Jersey Generals, Philadelphia Eagles, and Minnesota Vikings.
  • T.J. McCreight – McCreight is entering his third season with the Senior Bowl.  He has held numerous high-ranking scouting roles in his 24 years in the NFL, most recently five-year stint as player personnel executive with the Philadelphia Eagles.  He broke into the league with the Baltimore Ravens in 1997 as the east coast area scout and eventually became the team’s national scout his final two years (2003-2004).  He also served in key decision-making roles as director of player personnel with the Cleveland Browns (2004-2008), pro personnel director for the Arizona Cardinals (2009-2011), and director of college scouting for the Indianapolis Colts (2012-2016).  He played college football at Liberty University. 
  • Ronnie McGill – McGill joins the Senior Bowl staff after serving as Director of Pro Scouting for the past two years with the Houston Texans.  His transition to a professional role began in 2009 as a seasonal scouting assistant for the Tennessee Titans. From 2010 through the 2020 season, he was a vital part of the New England Patriots organization, contributing to five AFC Championships and three Super Bowl victories (2014, 2016, 2018). In 2021, he joined the Houston Texans, where he worked until the end of the 2023 season.  As a four-year letterman at the University of North Carolina, he finished in the top-ten for career rushing yards and touchdowns in program history.
  • JP McGown – McGowan joins the Senior Bowl staff with 11 years of NFL scouting experience. He served as a recruiting assistant at Texas A&M University from 2007-2013 before getting into the NFL as a scouting assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013-2014.  After leaving the Eagles, McGowan served as an area scout for the Miami Dolphins from 2014-2023.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University in 2010 and his Master’s degree from the University of Washington in 2011.
  • Eli Montague – Montague joins the scouting staff in Mobile after spending 21 years with the Carolina Panthers. The 2023 season was his seventh season as an area scout for the Carolina Panthers and first season as the team’s southeast area scout after previously covering the Southwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and West areas.  Prior to becoming an area scout in 2017, Montague worked three seasons (2014-16) as the team’s BLESTO scout covering the Rocky Mountain region.  Before becoming a full-time road scout, he spent three seasons (2011-13) as the team’s college scouting assistant and he assisted the football operations staff in several roles, including serving as the advance contact for the club’s away games. Eli began his career with the Panthers in 2003, helping the equipment manager with all facets of operation. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with a second major in history.
  • Michael Newsome – Newsome is entering his third year as an in-house scouting assistant. Prior to his time with the Senior Bowl, Michael has spent time on both the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars scouting staffs. Newsome played defensive line at The University of Alabama from 2011-2014, where he was a member of back-to-back National Championship teams.
  • Charlie Parkinson – Parkinson is joining the Senior Bowl after assisting in the Wake Forest recruiting department for the past year. He is a recent graduate of Amherst College, where he played defensive end and tight end.  His other work experience includes serving as a scouting and talent assistant alongside numerous longtime NFL coaches for The 33rd Team, former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins General Manager Mike Tannenbaum’s rapidly growing multi-media venture.
  • Julius Pruitt – Pruitt is entering his third season as a regional scout after initially taking part in the game’s Senior Bowl Scout School program for former NFL players.  Pruitt, who played wide receiver for four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, stepped down as running backs coach at his alma mater Ouachita Baptist this offseason to pursue a career in the scouting profession.  Pruitt was part of a Ouachita Baptist staff last year that helped lead the team to an undefeated 11-0 season and conference championship.  He was an All-American at Ouachita Baptists and still holds the school’s single season records in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.  In addition to his scouting responsibilities, Pruitt has also been a group leader for the players during Senior Bowl game week the past three years.
  • Tyer Ramsey – Ramsey comes to the Senior Bowl from the Carolina Panthers, where he was the Assistant Director of Pro Personnel the past two seasons. Prior to that he spent 2021 on the college side as a National Scout. He was responsible for all draftable players west of the Mississippi River. Ramsey spent his first 12 seasons in the NFL as an area scout with the Seattle Seahawks, where he mostly focused on the West Coast region.  He was part of back-to-back Super Bowl teams with the Seahawks, including the Lombardi Trophy winning year in 2013.  Ramsey earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Washington (2008) and completed his MBA from Washington State University (2017). A starting quarterback and safety (2003-04) for Bellevue High School in Seattle, Ramsey was part of a team that won three consecutive 3A state titles (2001-03).
  • Jackson Roby – Roby is entering his first year as a scouting assistant with the Senior Bowl after spending the past year working as a personnel analyst and offensive line assistant at Arkansas State.  Roby is a graduate of the University of Alabama, where he was a five-year player for the Crimson Tide from 2018-2022.

Media Contact: Molly Middleton mmiddleton@seniorbowl.com