Though the college football season is over, one of the biggest days on the college football calendar is quickly approaching. On February 3rd, the annual Reese's Senior Bowl will take place in Mobile, Alabama giving players from across the nation a chance to showcase their talents for NFL evaluators and two Red Raiders will be taking part.
Which Texas Tech football players will be playing in the Reese's Senior Bowl?
This year, Texas Tech punter Austin McNamara and defensive end Myles Cole will be part of the Senior Bowl. What's interesting is that the former is counting on his college production to open doors for him while the latter needs teams to buy into his potential as an athlete.
McNamara has been one of the nation's best punters since the moment he stepped on the Texas Tech campus. This past season, he averaged 46.3 yards per punt, tied for the second-best average of his career.
Named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year in 2023, he was also a three-time first-team All Big 12 honoree. Whether or not he will be drafted will be interesting to find out however, he will certainly get a shot to kick at the next level given how excellent he was for the Red Raiders.
Meanwhile, Cole didn't have nearly the type of career that McNamara did. Racking up only 5.0 career sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, he amassed a mere 32 tackles this past season.
However, Cole is an athletic marvel. At 6-foot-6 and 266 pounds, he has a longer wingspan than 2023 first-round draft pick and former Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson who went No. 7 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in last year's draft.
The week at the Senior Bowl could be crucial for Cole's aspirations of an NFL opportunity as he will get to practice and play against top collegiate players in front of NFL scouts and coaches. Maybe there, his physical gifts will shine in a way that they didn't while he was at Texas Tech.
Who is coaching at the Reese's Senior Bowl?
This year, at the 75th Reese's Senior Bowl, the American Team will have Titans assistant head coach/defensive line coach Terrell Williams serve as head coach. His staff will consist in part of offensive coordinator Troy Brown, the New England Patriots wide receivers coach
defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda, the Cleveland Browns defensive backs coach, and special teams coordinator Mike Adams, the New York Giants assistant special teams coach.
The head coach for the National Team will be Jeff Ulbrich, the New York Jets defensive coordinator. Assisting him will be offensive coordinator Shea Tierney, the New York Giants quarterbacks coach, defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, the Minnesota Vikings pass game coord/defensive backs coach. and special teams coordinator Phil Galiano, the New Orleans Saints assistant special teams coach.
How to watch the Reese's Senior Bowl
DATE: Saturday, February 3, 2024
TIME: 12:00pm CT
WHERE: Mobile, Alabama
STADIUM: University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium
TELEVISION: NFL Network