The Reese's Senior Bowl released its watch list of 2025 NFL Draft hopefuls on Wednesday, consisting of 859 prospects from more than 180 college programs.
That's a bump from its 2024 counterpart, which featured 720 prospects. One reason for the increase is the NFL changed eligibility rules for postseason all-star games last November, allowing draft-eligible underclassmen to participate in them.
For the second year in a row, Ole Miss leads all schools with the most prospects on the list (21). They're followed by Texas A&M and Georgia, each with 20 prospects, along with Alabama (19) and Ohio State and LSU (18 apiece).
Here are three things you need to know about this year's watch list for the annual all-star game, which will be held in Mobile, Alabama, on Feb. 1, 2025, and broadcast live on NFL Network (2:30 p.m. ET).
1) Underclassmen make watch list debut.
The landscape changed dramatically with the announcement last November that draft-eligible underclassmen would be able to participate in postseason all-star games. The Senior Bowl invited 15 underclassmen to the 2024 game.
Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy told NFL.com there was a balancing act in constructing last year's roster -- and it's a process that's still in flux for him and his staff.
"The timing of last year's junior announcement wasn't ideal in terms of connecting with and recruiting those underclassmen, so we feel like that's an area we can improve this year," Nagy said. "The junior thing is a delicate area for us. We have worked hard over the years to develop trusted relationships with college coaches, so we were carefully selective putting underclassmen on this year's watch list."
A total of 81 underclassmen dot the list -- less than 10% of the names. Why so few? As Nagy pointed out, the number of underclassmen entering the draft has dropped in recent years, thanks in part to NIL opportunities and eligibility rules changes that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of the 81 underclassmen, 39 are on the offensive side of the ball, led by WRs Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Luther Burden III (Missouri) and Isaiah Bond (Texas); OTs Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas), Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon) and Earnest Greene III (Georgia), Will Campbell (LSU) and Emery Jones (LSU). The 42 defensive underclassmen include DLs Mykel Williams (Georgia), Deone Walker (Kentucky), Mason Graham (Michigan) and Abdul Carter (Penn State); LBs Harold Perkins (LSU), Jalon Walker (Georgia) and Lander Barton (Utah); and DBs Will Johnson (Michigan), Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame), Malaki Starks (Georgia) and Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech).
Colorado's two-way star, WR-CB Travis Hunter, is listed as a DB on the Senior Bowl watch list. One underclassman quarterback -- Texas A&M's Conner Weigman -- made the list.
"In terms of the quarterback position, there were so many fourth-, fifth-, and in some cases, sixth-year seniors that we didn't see the need to force any three-year guys," Nagy said.
2) Georgia's Beck leads contenders for QB roster spots.
The 2024 Senior Bowl QB crop was a strong one, featuring two first-round picks (Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix), fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler, sixth-rounder Joe Milton III and seventh-rounder Michael Pratt.
It's hard to say now if the 2025 group can surpass that one.
"Last year's quarterback class, with six going in the top 12 picks, was certainly one of the stronger groups we've seen in quite some time," Nagy said. "I would categorize this year's class as 'TBD' because there are very few slam-dunk early-round guys in this class right now."
There are 47 total QBs on the 2025 watch list, headlined by familiar names such as Georgia's Carson Beck, who would have earned a Senior Bowl invite last year had he entered the draft, Nagy said, along with familiar names such as Texas' Quinn Ewers, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders (son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders) and Penn State's Drew Allar.
Nagy is hoping to shine a light on some lesser-known QB prospects, including a few who could captain some of college football's best squads.
"Everyone in the media is already talking about (those guys)," Nagy said, "but there's also Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Miami's Cam Ward, and Notre Dame's Riley Leonard, who we're excited to see take the next step in their development."
Nagy also is excited for Max Brosmer, who transferred from New Hampshire to Minnesota, and South Dakota State's Mark Gronowski, whose Jackrabbits face Oklahoma State in the opener.
Over the next four-plus months, that QB list will whittle itself down -- even as new names can be added. Not all of them will be candidates for the Senior Bowl come January.
"Based on our summer tape work, there's roughly 20 guys in the mix for those six roster spots," Nagy said.
3) RB, TE, CB among strongest positions.
We might be eight months from the 2025 NFL Draft (who's counting?), but it's not too soon to take a big-picture look at the class, via the Senior Bowl invites.
"Right now, the deeper groups look like running back, tight end, interior defensive line and cornerback," Nagy said. "There's also an interesting group of off-the-ball linebackers compared to the past couple drafts.
"And I really don't see that changing much."
Interestingly, the positions Nagy mentioned as deeper ones for the 2025 class were some of the weaker position groups in the 2024 NFL Draft. Next year's offensive class might not contain quite as much firepower as this past spring's group did, but the defensive talent appears far superior overall.
"We waited until pick No. 15 for the first defensive player to come off the board this past year (Colts pass rusher and Senior Bowler Laiatu Latu)," Nagy said. "I can say with pretty good certainty that won't be the case this year.
"If you're a team that needs D-line help, this is a good year."
In addition to the underclassmen listed earlier, some of the best senior D-line talents include Ohio State's Tyleik Williams, Georgia's Nazir Stackhouse, UCLA's Jay Toia and Texas A&M's Shemar Turner and Nic Scourton.
