Week 11 fantasy football studs, duds and sleepers: Bench all your Eagles

Here are our weekly starts and sits.

Week 11 of the 2019 NFL season is here, with four teams (the Packers, Giants, Seahawks and Titans) off with byes.

As always, we’re here to help with your weekly decisions with our fantasy lineup advice. Each week, we give you the studs (players with plus matchups due to the defense they’re facing or their team situation), duds (players with tougher matchups or who are in muddled roster situations at the moment) and sleepers (a player you might consider starting who could be in for a big week).

Here are the names we’ve got for Week 11, and as we always say, good luck!!

Studs

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

QB Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

The Bengals just got thrashed by Lamar Jackson, and although Derek Carr isn’t a possible NFL MVP, he’s a good bet to put up big numbers against Cincy.

RB Brian Hill, Atlanta Falcons

He’ll fill in for the injured Devonta Freeman and gets a juicy matchup against the Panthers, who have allowed the fourth-most yards to opposing rushers in 2019.

WR D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers

I think we’ve underappreciated just how good Moore has been this year. Ignore the fact that he has one touchdown. In his past five games, he’s seen eight or more looks, caught at least five of them and totaled 73 yards or more. And now the Falcons — who won’t put up another performance like they did against the Saints — loom.

TE Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams

The Bears aren’t great against opposing tight ends and Everett has seen a significant uptick in volume recently.

Duds

Scott Clause/The Advertiser via USA TODAY NETWORK

QB Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Consider this a placeholder for every Eagles player who will face the Patriots’ defense that’s gotten a week of rest.

RB Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Saints’ rushing defense will keep him in check, and somehow, Peyton Barber continues to get significant playing time too.

WR Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings

It could be a rough day against the Broncos’ Chris Harris, and you probably can’t sit him, so just don’t expect a huge day.

TE O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Resist the temptation to pick him up after last week’s breakout game. That happened to come against the Cardinals, the NFL’s worst team at defending tight ends. He’ll have a tougher time against the Saints.

Sleepers

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

QB Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

Not a great Week 10 against the Seahawks, but the Cardinals — who just allowed him to throw four touchdowns in Week 9 — are up next.

RB Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

A game against the Chiefs is a perfect recipe for Ekeler to catch a lot of passes in a catch-up effort.

WR Mohamed Sanu, New England Patriots

The last time we saw him on the field, he caught 10-of-14 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. He might be more than a sleeper against the Eagles after the bye.

TE Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints

He’s suddenly valuable in the tight end wasteland — he had 74 yards last week and caught a pair of touchdowns in his two games before the Saints’ Week 9 bye. Plus, the Bucs are awful at defending tight ends (11.7 fantasy points per game allowed, second-worst in the NFL).

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‘Jeopardy!’ coincidentally had a sign-stealing question on the same day as Astros accusations

What a coincidence!

The Houston Astros have come under fire for accusations of sign stealing using electronic equipment in 2017 season, a year in which they won the World Series.

Specifically, per The Athletic, former pitcher Mike Fiers and others said the franchise used a camera in the outfield to see opposing catcher signals and relayed them with loud noises to the hitter.

That report broke on Tuesday, and funny enough, there was a question about sign-stealing asked on that day’s episode of Jeopardy! in which Las Vegas sports gambler James Holzhauer played.

It’s a total coincidence, of course, since episodes are filmed months prior:

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Jags have the league’s eighth easiest remaining schedule

The Jags may have an uphill battle to endure to make the postseason, but at least their schedule is favorable in the process.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars may currently sit at 4-5 with the No. 10 seed in the AFC playoff picture but it appears the hardest part of their schedule is over with. In fact, as of Week 11, they have the league’s eighth easiest schedule according to the NFL Media Research Department as their opponents combine for a record of 29-36 (.446 percent).

This is great news when considering how the Jags have struggled against opponents with records of .500 or better. As of Week 11, the Jags are 1-5 against opponents who fit the bill. Of course, that one win was against the Tennessee Titans Week 3. Heading forward they will have to face four opponents with records of .500 or better in the Indianapolis Colts (twice), Tennessee Titans and Oakland Raiders. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, and Tampa Bay Bucs are the teams they face with losing records.

Another plus is that the Jags will have veteran quarterback Nick Foles back to help them navigate through the next two months. Given his résumé during his run with the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s possible he can string some wins together and get the team into the postseason, but only time will tell.

As for the rest of the AFC South, the Titans came in with the third toughest schedule (against a .611 win percentage), while the Houston Texans have the ninth toughest schedule (against a .554 win percentage) and the Colts came in with the 13th (against a .531 win percentage).

Off Guard: Keith Lee eager to fight, says training with Firas Zahabi made a huge impact

Keith Lee can’t wait to show off what he’s learned.

[autotag]Keith Lee[/autotag] has been anxious to get a fight. In the meantime, he’s been making the most out of learning and growing in the gym.

Lee recently made the trip to Tristar in Montreal, along with older brother and lightweight contender Kevin Lee, to get some training in with legendary trainer Firas Zahabi.

And Lee says that training in Montreal had the same impact on him as it did on his brother Kevin, who scored a first-round knockout over formerly undefeated Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244, in a “Performance of the Night”-winning effort.

“Coming from Firas’ camp, I honestly think that it made a huge impact in me, and him,” Lee told MMA Junkie. “You could see it with him, but when I get the opportunity, I will show it.”

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“Firas is a genius, he had so many different game plans and so many different ways of thinking, that I’ve never seen before, and for a young guy, I’m only 23, I have a lot of experience in this game and I’ve never seen anybody that thinks like him, or that can process information how he does and you can see the difference that it made just in one fight with Kevin. I think I’m going to do the rest of my camps out there.”

To say Lee (4-3 MMA) has struggled to get a fight is an understatement. He hasn’t competed since his unanimous decision win over Chris Johnson at Final Fight Championship 38 in June, and is hoping to get the opportunity to show the work he’s put in before the end of the year.

“I actually just talked to my manager this morning, and we were supposed to fight Nov. 20, and the guy pulled out again,” Lee said. “So this is maybe like 12 contracts I’ve went through, Tapology don’t even tell you half the story. I’ve went through 12 contracts and 14 like verbal contracts, not even including the ones we already signed and nobody’s fighting.”

“Am I working for no reason? But at this point, it’s like I just got to stay dedicated,” Lee added. “I got to stay in my own head just trying to stay as motivated as I can, because like I said, it’s so many fights I could have had this year. I’ve only had one, so hopefully we get one before the end of this year, but I just stay prayed up, and I know God has a reason for me.”

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Why the College Football Playoff selection committee can’t make a case for Alabama

Given how the selection committee evaluates contenders, Alabama isn’t a playoff team.

There is no definitive way to answer the question that’s tearing up college football right now: Should Alabama make the College Football Playoff?

All answers to that are subjective because — in addition to considering a team’s win-loss record, its strength of schedule, head-to-head matchups, common opponents and, eventually, conference championships — the members of the selection committee rely on their own evaluations.

“We watch the games,” committee chair and Oregon athletics director Rob Mullens explained last week after the first College Football Playoff rankings debuted. “We evaluate data and statistics, and in the end, each expert uses his or her judgment to rank the teams based on who they think is best.”

Based on the committee’s own criteria, judgment aside, Alabama is not a playoff team, even if it wins out.

The Crimson Tide — who dropped to No. 5 from No. 3 in the CFP rankings this week — still have a reasonable path to the playoff and a surprisingly high chance to make it after losing to LSU in Week 11. But they need outside help now. The committee either needs to make an “eye-test” call to put the Crimson Tide among the top-4 teams, or other playoff hopefuls need to lose. But we couldn’t even feign surprise if the selection committee found a reason to put them in the playoff for the sixth straight year.

With committee’s criteria in mind, let’s take a deeper look at how Alabama matches up against its competition in the fight for the fourth playoff spot behind LSU, Ohio State and Clemson, barring any further upsets.

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Top-10 College Football Playoff rankings: Week 12

1. LSU (9-0)

2. Ohio State (9-0)

3. Clemson (10-0)

4. Georgia (8-1)

5. Alabama (8-1)

6. Oregon (8-1)

7. Utah (8-1)

8. Minnesota (9-0)

9. Penn State (8-1)

10. Oklahoma (8-1)

Alabama’s primary competition for that last spot is Georgia, Oregon, Oklahoma and Minnesota. In addition to assuming the Crimson Tide win out, let’s also say the Ducks are one-loss Pac-12 champions, the Sooners are one-loss Big 12 champions and the Golden Gophers’ only loss is to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

That leaves Georgia. Should the Bulldogs end up winning the SEC — they’d probably have to beat LSU — Alabama is truly done. The SEC could also get two teams in with that situation. But we’re assuming LSU wins the conference because it’s Alabama’s best-case scenario, and that would be Georgia’s second loss, likely pushing it out of the playoff picture.

So it’s really just Alabama vs. Oregon vs. Oklahoma vs. Minnesota.

Win-loss record

Under the assumption that Alabama’s best-case scenario in the SEC plays out, we’re looking at two one-loss conference champs in Oregon and Oklahoma against one-loss Alabama and one-loss Minnesota, neither of which have a conference title. The Crimson Tide would be 11-1, while Oregon, Oklahoma and Minnesota would be 12-1.

After Week 11, Alabama’s strength of record 10th, Oregon’s is eighth, Oklahoma’s is 15th and Minnesota’s is fourth.

Advantage: Oregon, Oklahoma, Minnesota

Strength of schedule

The Crimson Tide’s strength of schedule is ranked No. 39 nationally, which is not as low as Clemson at No. 69 but certainly not as high as LSU at No. 19. Alabama is ranked higher than Oklahoma (No. 55) but not Oregon (No. 33).

After losing to LSU, Alabama is now in a position to have only one win over a ranked opponent, should it take down No. 12 Auburn in its regular-season finale. It beat Texas A&M in Week 7 when it was No. 24 in the AP Poll and No. 21 in the Coaches Poll, but the Aggies are currently ranked by no one.

Beating Auburn would give Alabama one signature win against a ranked opponent this season.

To compare, Oklahoma has a win against one ranked opponent in No. 19 Texas, though the Longhorns fell from the No. 11 spot (AP and Coaches polls) they had for this Week 7 rivalry matchup. The Sooners could also add two more wins against ranked teams to their resume with No. 13 Baylor on Saturday and No. 22 Oklahoma State to close out the regular season.

Oregon has one win over a ranked team in then-No. 25 Washington, but the Huskies are no longer ranked. And unless Arizona, Arizona State or Oregon State manage to jump into the top 25, the Ducks’ only other outcome against a ranked opponent would be their 27-21 Week 1 loss to Auburn.

Minnesota’s strength of schedule is not great at No. 72, but after beating then-No. 4 Penn State, the Golden Gophers are undefeated with a win against their first ranked opponent and a chance to add two more in No. 20 Iowa and No. 14 Wisconsin. If they finish the regular season undefeated, their resume looks awfully strong.

Advantage: Oklahoma, Minnesota

Head-to-head results

Alabama does not play Oklahoma, Oregon or Minnesota in the regular season.

Advantage: N/A

Common opponent

Although Alabama, Oklahoma and Minnesota have no shared opponents this season, Alabama and Oregon do. The Ducks opened the season with a six-point loss to Auburn, and this whole debate assumes Alabama wins out, which means beating Auburn.

Advantage: Alabama

Conference championships

Again, assuming LSU wins out, Alabama’s loss to the Tigers prevents the Crimson Tide from winning the SEC West, and, therefore, from playing in the SEC title game. So no SEC championship for them.

Pitting Alabama against the strongest potential opponents, we assume Oregon and Oklahoma win out and are one-loss conference champions. But we are also predicting Ohio State wins the Big Ten title, so no conference championship for Minnesota.

Advantage: Oregon and Oklahoma

So to recap, if the remaining playoff contenders win out and Alabama has to make its case for getting the fourth playoff spot, it doesn’t have a particularly strong argument. Of the four applicable categories here, the Crimson Tide only have the advantage over the other three teams in one, and that shouldn’t outweigh other categories, like conference titles.

Alabama is certainly one of the most talented teams in the country, and it would probably be favored against just about any other opponent. But the Crimson Tide needed to take down another serious playoff contender when they had the chance and didn’t.

Now, their best-case and realistic scenario overall is for LSU to win the SEC, Ohio State to win the Big Ten and for Oregon, Oklahoma and Minnesota to lose in the next few weeks. (We’re not going to consider Clemson losing as a reasonable possibility.)

And, of course, then hope the selection committee doesn’t forget to give out points just for being Alabama.

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Kurt Warner says Patrick Mahomes might be ‘most complete QB we’ve ever seen’

Warner is ready to argue that Mahomes might be the best QB to ever play the game and he’s not saying it carelessly.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time singing his praises.

On Tuesday, Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner took to Twitter and offered up a scorching-hot take on the Chiefs’ young gunslinger. Warner said that he might be ready to argue Mahomes is the most complete QB ever to play the game of football. He acknowledged it’s still early in Mahomes’ career but simultaneously fawned over the special things that Mahomes is capable of both mentally and physically. Check out what Warner had to say in the tweet below:

We’ve seen the crazy throws, the next-level anticipation, the blitz awareness, the command of the offense at the line of scrimmage. It feels like it’s all only getting better for Mahomes lately. He’s coming off one of the best performances in his young career and it occurred just 24 days removed from dislocating his kneecap. Against the Titans in Week 10, he threw for 446 yards. It was the second-highest passing yardage total of his young career, trailing only the shootout with the Rams in 2018.

It’s not shocking to see Warner take an interest in Mahomes right now. The Chiefs QB has broken NFL records previously held by Warner. This past week, Mahomes surpassed Warner for the most total passing yards (8,007) and most 300-yard passing games (16) through 25 career games.

It’s not just the one game, though, because what Mahomes has done statistically this season is quite impressive. He’s thrown for 2,626 passing yards (6th in the NFL), 18 touchdowns (3rd) and one interception (tied for 1st). His lone interception came on a throw where he saw a flag and thought he had a free play, but the officials picked up the flag.

Keep in mind that he accomplished all of this in just seven-and-a-half games, leaving one of those games early with a kneecap dislocation. Mahomes is clearly improving from his MVP campaign in 2018, and that is a scary thought. It’s no wonder why Warner is thinking that we just might be watching the best QB to ever play the game.

Baker Mayfield asks fans for silence when Browns have the ball on offense

It’s a generally given principle of fandom that you only get loud when your team is on defense.

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Make no mistake, Baker Mayfield loves to hear the roar of the FirstEnergy Stadium crowd. He’d just like to hear a little less of it when the Browns have the ball near the end zone.

Mayfield noted in his postgame press conference that he believed right tackle Chris Hubbard couldn’t hear his snap count and that’s why he jumped early for a false start just before halftime. The 4th down penalty forced the team to kick a field goal instead of going for it and possibly extending the drive for a touchdown.

Some fans took umbrage, so Mayfield addressed the situation after Tuesday’s session in Berea.

“When we’re on offense on a critical down, we need to be able to have silence in our home stadium,” Mayfield explained. “It has to be an advantage for us, and then when they get the ball, it has to be really loud. It’s just football.”

Left guard Joel Bitonio seconded Mayfield’s sentiment. Bitonio noted, “It was a little bit loud a couple times in the red zone there going into the far tunnel.”

It’s a generally given principle of fandom that you only get loud when your team is on defense. It can be hard to resist the excitement, though.

Chiefs bring in free agent DE Eric Lee for workout

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking at options to help their thinning defensive end group and this one has familiarity with their DL coach.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to free agency for options at the defensive end position.

There has been a ton of injuries throughout the season at the position group dating all the way back to the preseason. Second-year defensive end Breeland Speaks suffered a season-ending knee injury before the season started, Frank Clark has dealt with a pinched nerve in his neck since training camp, Alex Okafor has dealt with a hip injury and an ankle injury. It has been reported that standout and sack leader Emmanuel Ogbah will have season-ending surgery on a torn pec. The Chiefs technically only have one healthy player at the position right now in Tanoh Kpassagnon.

The team has already begun its quest to find a new defensive end. On Tuesday, the team reported a workout on the NFL’s transaction report of free-agent defensive end Eric Lee. Most recently, Lee spent time with the Detroit Lions, appearing in nine games during the 2018 season. He’s also spent time on their practice squad until early October of 2019.

Lee entered the league out of the University of South Florida, joining the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent. Lee spent time with the New England Patriots in 2017, where he served under now-Chiefs defensive line coach Brendan Daly. He started five games for the Patriots that season and posted 19 tackles, three tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and an interception.

The Daly connection suggests this player could pick up the Chiefs’ system quickly, which might be necessitated by injuries. The Chiefs have not yet signed Lee, but the possibility remains as they mull their options before placing Ogbah on injured reserve.

Mayakoba Golf Classic: Fantasy golf power rankings

Here are the power rankings for the players competing in the Mayakoba Golf Classic beginning Thursday.

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The 2019 Mayakoba Golf Classic tees off this Thursday and marks the PGA Tour’s return from a three-event swing through Asia. El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, remains host of the annual event which has been a staple of the fall portion of the Tour’s schedule. The Greg Norman-designed course measures 6,987 yards and plays as a par 71 under tournament conditions.

The 128-man field is fronted by defending champion Matt Kuchar and World No. 16 Tony Finau. Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who were all victorious in Asia, are all absent this week in wait of next month’s Hero World Challenge. Next week’s RSM Classic will be the final full-field event until the Sony Open, running Jan. 9-12, 2020.

Mayakoba Golf Classic: Tee times, TV info | Betting odds
Field update: Rickie Fowler withdraws due to sickness

Fantasy Golf Rankings: Top 30

Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2019-20 Mayakoba Golf Classic at El Camaleon Golf Club.

30. Russell Henley

Strong approach game at a course requiring golfers to take tight angles and dodge bunkers.

29. J.T. Poston

Returns to North America off of two top-30 finishes at the WGC-HSBC Champions and Zozo Championship.

28. Keegan Bradley

The 47th-ranked golfer in the world placed T-13 in a strong field at the Zozo Championship, but he was previously in poor form in North America and missed the cut at the Houston Open.

27. Aaron Wise

Tied for 10th last year following a missed cut in 2018. Bounced back from missing the cut at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open with a third-place finish at the Bermuda Championship.

26. Dylan Frittelli

Is closing in on the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings with a T-22 result at the Zozo Championship. Has a strong approach game and hits greens in regulation others can’t.

25. Cameron Champ

Photo Credit: Mark Konezny – USA TODAY Sports

Played in just two events since his win at the Safeway Open in September. Relies more heavily on his off-the-tee game than approaches.

24. Sebastian Munoz

Gained 1.56 strokes per round putting during his victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Hasn’t been able to recapture the success with the flat stick.

23. Russell Knox

Had three straight top 10s at this event before skipping last year’s tournament. Was the co-runner-up in 2016.

22. Graeme McDowell

The 2016 champion hasn’t finished better than T-24 since and missed the cut last year.

21. Charley Hoffman

The 2015 champ has missed four straight cuts since his victory. He can still create scoring opportunities but isn’t in consistent four-round form.

20. Jhonattan Vegas

One of the best in the field by Opportunities Gained. Finished T-10 in 2017 and made the cut in four of his last five tries.

19. Denny McCarthy

A spectacular putter who’s waiting to put it all together. The approach game is one of his greatest struggles as he’s often left saving par.

18. Rory Sabbatini

Finished T-33 at the Zozo Championship and T-31 at The CJ Cup. Enters the week 75th by the OWGR.

17. Danny Lee

Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports

Last year’s runner-up is coming off a T-10 at the Zozo and a solo runner-up at The CJ Cup against much stiffer competition.

16. Pat Perez

The 2017 champ rebounded from a T-34 finish in 2018 to tie for sixth last season. Was solo third at the Shriners but finished T-51 and T-31 in the first two events in Asia.

15. Harris English

Hasn’t played since a T-4 at the Houston Open. Ranks third in the field in Greens in Regulation Gained over everyone’s last 36 rounds.

14. Kyle Stanley

A great course fit who excels on the approach and can create scoring opportunities.

13. Scottie Scheffler

The recent Korn Ferry Tour grad is an expert ball striker. Finished T-28 at the Houston Open but rebounded with T-3 at Bermuda.

12. Billy Horschel

Played all three events in Asia with a top showing of T-6 at the Zozo. He has six top 10s and just two missed cuts in 25 events in 2019.

11. Charles Howell III

Well-experienced at this venue. Placed T-7 in 2017 and T-4 in 2018 before a missed cut last year.


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10. Lanto Griffin

Photo Credit: Eric Bolte – USA TODAY Sports

The current FedExCup points leader and winner of the Houston Open didn’t compete in any of the Asian tournaments. Excels off the tee and on the greens, but can struggle with the approach.

9. Abraham Ancer

The best golfer on the PGA Tour hailing from Mexico has a top finish of T-9 in 2018.

8. Chez Reavie

Four straight made cuts in this event with a top showing of T-4 in 2017. An excellent ball striker who has a great approach game.

7. Kevin Kisner

Ranks 35th in the world after finishing T-9 in each of the final two events of last season’s FedExCup Playoffs. Not in great form after finishing outside the top 25 in the final two events in Asia.

6. Joaquin Niemann

Has slipped back to 55th in the world after peaking at 50th with his breakout win at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. Finished T-60 in this event last year.

5. Emiliano Grillo

Photo Credit: Steve Flynn – USA TODAY Sports

His 15th-place finish here last year was his worst result in his last three appearances. Leads the field with 1.91 total strokes gained per round in this event since 2015.

4. Jason Day

The winner of MGM Resorts The Challenge: Japan Skins. Hasn’t finished higher than T-22 in a stroke-play event since the Travelers Championship.

3. Matt Kuchar

Last year’s champ. He had three other top 10s and two runner-ups last season but none since the RBC Canadian Open.

2. Tony Finau

The top-ranked golfer in the field by the OWGR. An expert ball striker with a great approach game and more than enough distance for this shorter venue.

1. Viktor Hovland

Leads the field in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, Strokes Gained: Approach and Opportunities Gained over everyone’s most recent 36 rounds. Had disappointing showings at The CJ Cup and Zozo Championship but was T-10 at The Greenbrier and T-11 at the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship.

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Notre Dame Captain Headed to Senior Bowl

The Reese’s Senior Bowl announced Tuesday night that senior-captain, safety Jalen Elliott will participate in the 2020 Senior Bowl at the conclusion of this college football season. We are proud to announce @NDFootball DB Jalen Elliott ( @Jae_Uno_) …

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The Reese’s Senior Bowl announced Tuesday night that senior-captain, safety Jalen Elliott will participate in the 2020 Senior Bowl at the conclusion of this college football season.

Elliott has started all nine games this season and recorded 35 tackles along the way while also picking off a pass against New Mexico and Bowling Green, both.  He also intercepted four passes during Notre Dame’s 12-0 regular season in 2018.

The Lloyd C. Bird High School (Virginia) product was recruited as a three-star safety in the 2016 class and has appeared in all 47 Notre Dame games since stepping foot on campus for the first time as a student-athlete back in 2016.

He will undoubtedly be missed next year, although Kyle Hamilton’s start and Isaiah Pryor’s recent commitment makes you feel pretty good about where the safety position will be headed into 2020.