Roster breakdown: A look at the 2018 players

2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl Roster notes:

Six eligible graduated juniors – Jordan Akins (WR, UCF), Josh Allen (QB, Wyoming), Taylor Hearn (OG, Clemson), Tanner Lee* (QB, Nebraska), Brian O’Neill (OT, Pittsburgh), Tre’Quan Smith (WR, UCF)

Six official national champions – Levi Wallace (CB, Alabama), JK Scott (PT, Alabama), Da’Shawn Hand (DE, Alabama), Bradley Bozeman (OC, Alabama), Nick DeLuca (LB, North Dakota State), Brandon Parker (OT, North Carolina A&T)

Three total players from the American Athletic Conference – All from UCF: Jordan Akins, Tre’Quan Smith, Shaquem Griffin

Four programs will be represented in the Reese’s Senior Bowl for the first time:

o   Army-West Point – OT Brett Toth

o   Brown – DE/OLB Richard “Dewey” Jarvis

o   Dubuque – CB Michael Joseph

o   Fort Hays State – DT Nathan Shepherd. Shepherd began his career at Simon Fraser. LB Jordan Herdman was Simon Fraser’s first-ever Senior Bowl participant last year.

Eight Quarterbacks for the first time since 2016, which featured Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott. Five of the Eight Quarterbacks began their careers elsewhere:

o   Josh Allen – Reedley Community College to Wyoming

o   Kurt Benkert – East Carolina to Virginia

o   Tanner Lee – Tulane to Nebraska

o   Baker Mayfield – Texas Tech to Oklahoma

o   Mike White – South Florida to Western Kentucky

National Award Recipients:

o   Luke Falk (QB, Washington State) – 2017 Burlsworth Trophy Winner

o   Shaquem Griffin (LB, UCF) – 2017 Senior CLASS Award Winner

o   Baker Mayfield (QB, Oklahoma) – 2017 Heisman Trophy Winner, 2016 Burlsworth Trophy Winner

o   James Washington (WR, Oklahoma State) – 2017 Biletnikoff Award Winner

Players that began their career as walk-ons:

o   Luke Falk, QB, Washingto State

o   Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

o   Levi Wallace, CB, Alabama

Players with siblings in the NFL:

o   Shaquem Griffin (LB, UCF) – twin brother of Seahawks CB Shaquill Griffin

o   Rashaad Penny (RB, San Diego State) – brother of Cardinals RB Eiljhaa Penny

o   Myles Pierce (LB, Citadel) – brother of Ravens DT Michael Pierce

o   Scott Quessenberry (OC, UCLA) – brother of Texans OL David Quessenberry

o   Kyzir White (S, West Virginia) – brother of Bears WR Kevin White

Most Represented Schools:

o   Alabama – 4

o   LSU – 4

o   Oklahoma – 3

o   NC State – 3

o   Penn State – 3

o   UCF – 3

2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl Storylines

• UTEP OG Will Hernandez will play for the North squad for Broncos OL coach Sean Kugler, who was his head coach at UTEP.

• UMass TE Adam Breneman will play for the South squad for Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, who was his head coach at Penn State. Breneman was the top priority in Bill O’Brien’s first recruiting class along with now-Jets QB Christian Hackenberg. 

• Breneman had originally medically retired from Penn State, ran a successful Pennsylvania state senate campaign beginning his career in politics before returning to football at UMass.

• Indiana TE Ian Thomas is 1 of 9 children and was raised by his siblings growing up in inner city Baltimore. His mother died on his 8th birthday after an abcess tooth led to kidney and liver failure. His father died of a heart attack when Ian was 9.

• Humboldt State OT Alex Cappa is the only player to be GNAC Offensive Lineman of the Year four times. He could be the first Humboldt player drafted since the Draft was shortened from 12 rounds to 7 rounds.

• Central Michigan TE Tyler Conklin going from Hardwood to Gridiron. Originally played basketball at Division II Northwood before going to Central Michigan for football.

• UCF TE Jordan Akins will be the oldest Reese’s Senior Bowl participant this year at age 25. Akins is a former Minor League Baseball Player.

• Iowa OG Sean Welsh has openly battled depression since 2015 and was taking medication for depression during Iowa’s 12-0 season. 

• Western Michigan OT Chukwuma Okorafor immigrated from Nigeria where he grew up playing soccer and will be the youngest participant in the Reese’s Senior Bowl at age 20.

• UCF LB Shaquem Griffin and Wisconsin TE Troy Fumagalli playing through physical defects: Griffin had amniotic band syndrome, a congenital birth defect that occur sin about one in every 1,200 births and has his left hand amputated at age 4. Fumagalli had his left index finger amputated in his first month after he was born with underdeveloped limbs after loose tissue wrapped around his left hand in the womb. 

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