Five Illini Players Named To Senior Bowl 250 Watch List
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Five Illinois football players were among a 250-player watch list for the Senior Bowl game.
Illini quarterback Brandon Peters, wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe, linebacker Milo Eifler, center Doug Kramer, and cornerback Nate Hobbs were named to the watch lists of their position group by the Senior Bowl.
The Senior Bowl is arguably the most prestigious event involving draft-eligible prospects, along with the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Fla., the game moved to Mobile's Ladd–Peebles Stadium the next year, where it would remain through the 2020 edition. Starting this upcoming season, the game will remain in Mobile, but will move to the University of South Alabama's new Hancock Whitney Stadium. The Senior Bowl has had 93 NFL Draft picks in the last two years, including 40 selected in the first three rounds and 10 first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft.
"Congratulations to all the prospects on 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl Top 250," Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy tweeted. "Our constant and fluid process began in February with staff watching tape on all returning FBS starters & role players. In total, our scouts graded 900+ players at all levels based off ‘18 and ‘19 tape. This list does not include 25-plus talented juniors on track to graduate and be eligible for the game. Later this fall our roster construction process will include input from trusted contacts around NFL. Initial invites scheduled go out in early November."
Despite missing two regular season games last year due to concussion symptoms, Peters finished the 2019 season completing 152 of 275 passes (55.2 percent) for 1,884 yards, 18 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. All signs from Illinois strength and conditioning staff along with early signs in preseason practice was Peters was ready to lead the Illini offense to a program-changing type of season.
“(Brandon Peters) has been sharp. He has been on point with his throws. He is on a different level than he ever was last season,” Illinois offensive coordinator Rod Smith said Saturday during a Zoom media conference. “When Brandon speaks, everyone listens.”
Peters would be eligible now to declare for the NFL Draft and play in the Senior Bowl but when contacted by Illini Now/Sports Illustrated on Aug. 11 (the day the Big Ten Conference announced the postponement of all fall sports), Peters’ father David confirmed his son’s intention is to play one more season whenever that may be.
“If they have football in the spring, he will play,” Dave Peters said about his son in a text to Illini Now/Sports Illustrated. “If they move it to the following fall, he will play.”
After transferring from the University of Southern California, Imatorbhebhe finished the 2019 campaign second in Illinois history in touchdown receptions in a single season (nine), one behind the record of 10 set by David Williams in 1985 and Brandon Lloyd in 2001. Imatorbhebhe, who was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention by the league’s media, finished fifth in the Big Ten Conference and 32nd among all FBS schools in receiving touchdowns with nine.
Imatorbhebhe holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from USC after graduating in May 2019 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in strategic brand communication at Illinois.
Former Southern Cal tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe announced in late July he intends on spending the upcoming season as a graduate transfer at Illinois. Daniel Imatorbhebhe is the older brother of the Illini’s leading returning wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe.
Eifler, a Washington transfer, had 12 starts in 13 games last season for the Illini defense. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker finished the 2020 campaign with 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, one pass broken up and one fumble recovery. Eifler, who is a native of Berkeley, Calif., had a sack in front of his home state fans on the first defensive play of the game in the 2019 Redbox Bowl loss to California.
Last season, Kramer was rated by Pro Football Focus as the third-best center among the 60 Power Five Conference schools and he returns to an Illini offensive line that had three of the school’s seven Illinois players named to Athlon Sports’ All-Big Ten Teams, (left guard Kendrick Green, right tackle Alex Palczewski and Kramer).
Hobbs is on pace to be a four-year starter at Illinois if there’s a football season in the upcoming winter or spring months. The 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback has started 30 of his 34 games played during his Illini career. The 2020 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten third team selection finished last season with 67 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery.