Several former Big Ten standouts are looking to impress at the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Coming off of the first day of practice, there is a lot of positive chatter and some questions left to answer. Here is the latest down in Mobile.
There may not have been a more impressive wide receiver on either the National or American teams than Michigan pass catcher Roman Wilson. Leaving the first day of practice, NFL scouts and decision makers are drooling over what he did on the first day of live action. Wilson is a gifted athlete who is projected to potentially run in the 4.3s in the forty-yard dash but that isn’t what makes him special. He is a technician who clearly takes his craft seriously. When you combine the route running chops with overall athleticism, you have a player who is going to be a hard cover on the next level.
Former Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. stole the show on Day One. He was quick, explosive, and energetic along the interior to make a lot of plays in the backfield. Hall had a pretty disappointing season in 2023 but has a great frame to work with, with easy athleticism. There is some early Day Two chatter around Hall already when we get to April. NFL scouts are betting a little on the upside but Hall clearly has a lot to work with.
Speaking of talented pass rushers, Penn State standout Adisa Isaac may be one of the more underrated defenders in the 2024 class. He had an extremely underappreciated 2023 season, collecting 16 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Isaac had a tremendous weigh-in on Monday, coming in at 6’4 ⅝” and 250 pounds with 81 ⅜” wingspan. He put people on notice on Tuesday, showing slipperiness as a rusher and upside against the run.
Heading into the 2023 season, former Penn State cornerback Kalen King was an extremely well-liked prospect. He frequented pretty much every mock draft, and in some cases was the top cornerback on the board. After a down year as a junior, King needed to have a bounce-back performance this week. Things got off to a bit of a shaky start on Tuesday during practice. It wasn’t a terrible performance but King’s lack of length came up too often. There is some legitimate concern by teams around the league in terms of King’s ability to consistently play outside against size.
There was also solid buzz from several other former Big Ten standouts. Penn State tight end Theo Johnson, Illinois defensive tackle Keith Randolph Jr., and Michigan offensive lineman Trevor Keegan all got off to good starts this week.