And just like that, like a shooting meteorite in the night, the All-Star football season has concluded with the Senior Bowl. Tuesday Morning Pigskin is ready to dive into it all.
Tuesday Morning Pigskin – 2/3/26
SENIOR BOWL WRAP UP
After a short week of practices (3 to be exact), Saturday marked the wrap-up game. Unlike the Shrine Game last Tuesday, which failed to duplicate a dramatic second half of action and a comeback for the Nationals. It seemed as if the Sr Bowl National Team got confused about the real starting time of the game. They looked almost listless in the first quarter, with the American team scoring a TD on their first 2 possessions for a 14-0 lead.
You could almost say that once they came around in the second quarter, the Nationals outscored them 9-3 over the next 3 quarters of play. Another factor might also have been the shakeup in the National team roster, with a significant number of practice players not participating in the game. If you missed it, you can go back to Brian Bosarge’s first post-game article at this site.
Late game drama was not to be found this year’s game day, but some standout performances on the field did give us some notes to enter into our scouting notebooks. Something to chew on as we head to the COMBINE at the end of the month.
Garrett Nussmeier is Back!
Given the very nature of pro football, it is always of importance that there be a solid pool of young quarterbacks available in each year’s draft to restock and add to the NFL supply line. The ranks of draftable QB prospects had looked very thin as the season progressed.
But we may have seen the re-emergence of GARRETT NUSSMEIER during Senior Bowl week. NUSSMEIER was plagued by a recurring injury throughout the 2025 season at LSU. But he stated early on during game week that he felt the healthiest he had since the 2024 season… and he looked pretty much like his old/healthy self in Mobile. He was named the starter for the American team. Nussmeier passed 5/8 for 57 yards and rushed for one TD himself. He also connected on a pass for a 2-point conversion.
Nussmeier was voted the outstanding player for the game. If he can buoy his overall health at his Performance Camp between now and the Combine, he might have a solid chance to be QB 3 or 4, and possibly sneak into Round One come April.
OTHER SENIOR BOWL STANDOUTS
It is a yearly reality that last-minute additions to team rosters in the form of replacement players need to receive the “call-up” to Mobile, often at the very last moment. One such player was a WR from Michigan named DONOVAN McCULLEY. The IU-transfer who was listed at 6’4/200 was the leading receiver of the 23 total receivers listed on the game day roster. McCULLEY caught 4 balls for 50 yards for the National team. It should be noted that he was targeted 4 times for those 4 catches. And so it goes.
Another somewhat unheralded player who stood out was NADAME TUCKER of Western Michigan, a 6’2/245# OB/ER who recorded 5 Tackles overall, which included 3 TFL, including 2 Sacks. TUCKER was chasing the QB and the ball all game long. It should be noted that he had a very productive regular season for WMU with 21 TFL, 14 1/2Sacks. With a strong Combin,e he would be right on the verge of being a late Day 2 Draftee.
A couple of seasons ago, BRYCE BOETCHER was the starting Center Fielder on the OREGON baseball team. He was even drafted in the MLB Draft. Things went so well on the football team as an LB that he added some muscle weight and checked in for the Senior Bowl at 6′ 7/8″ and 227 lbs. He was the game’s overall tackle leader with 10 tackles. He still can view baseball in the rear view window as a backup option, but football will likely be his first pro sport choice.
The New Reality
One of the great things about the Senior Bowl is that players from smaller schools and lower divisions of play get invited to come show their wares against the D1 athletes.
The Sr Bowl has developed somewhat of a showcase reputation as a supplier of lower-level OL, with past players like TREVOR PENNING, QUINN MEINERZ, CODY MAUCH, GREY ZABEL finding this venue to be a stepping stone to being drafted and playing in the NFL. And so I would like to introduce you to this year’s candidate from the IVY LEAGUE, DELBY LEMIEUX #50 from Dartmouth College. The 6’5/305# OT in college spent most of the week trying his hand as an OC. His under-32″ arms led to the position change. And he impressed in his new position. Hopefully, he did enough to earn an invite to the COMBINE.
I will have some lists of a few other small school players who made their mark in Mobile last week, as well as my list of possible First Round prospects who were competing in Mobile.
Cheers,
Pigskin