NFL draft-bound Gators center accepts Senior Bowl invitation

This former Gator is headed to one of the preeminent pre-draft showcases next month.

Former Florida football starting center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] accepted his invitation to play in the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl, according to a tweet on the event’s official account Monday night.

Eguakun was an important presence on the offensive line this season when he was on the field, helping to anchor a corps that struggled with consistency. However, the redshirt junior was limited to four starts at center while taking 246 total snaps on the O-line, which left the Gators high and dry at times; even when he played, he was usually not at 100%.

In both 2021 and 2022, the 6-foot-3-inch, 300-pound lineman started all 13 games at center, helping Florida build a veritable wall at the line of scrimmage for the offense to operate behind. The 2021 squad finished with a top-16 offense line that only allowed 14 sacks/1.08 per game — tied for the seventh-lowest in FBS and second in the SEC; the 2022 edition was renowned for its quarterback protection.

The Senior Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 3 at the University of South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Kickoff time is set for 1 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the NFL Network.

“The Reese’s Senior Bowl is widely regarded as the preeminent college football all-star game and the first stage in the NFL draft process,” according to the official website. “The longest continual-running all-star game has taken place in Mobile, Alabama the past 74 years. More than 900 NFL personnel, including key decision-makers from all 32 teams, and over 1100 media members from around the country were credentialed this year.

“This past April, the game produced 100 total picks for the third straight year, representing 40% of the entire NFL draft, including 40 selected on the first two days.”

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