Stanford Defensive Standout to Participate in 2026 Senior Bowl

Time to vault up some draft boards

Sep 13, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal cornerback Collin Wright (6) during the fourth quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Big things are coming for Stanford football. Despite finishing the 2025 season at 4-8 and missing out on a bowl game for the eighth straight season, the Cardinal showed a lot of promise in the first season under the tutelage of general manager Andrew Luck. Highlighted by their first win over Cal since 2020, the Cardinal enter the offseason with a lot of confidence.

And on Friday, the Cardinal received another piece of good news regarding one of their most pivotal players. Capping off a dominant college career with another strong campaign, defensive back Collin Wright has started to generate NFL draft interest.

Wright will get the chance to showcase his talents in front of NFL coaching staffs in the 2026 Senior Bowl, where he received and accepted an invitation to play in the contest.

A postseason all-star game compiling of the best college football players who have completed their eligibility, the Senior Bowl gives those players the chance to play in a full 60-minute football game while being coached by NFL coaching staffs, giving them their first taste of what it could be like playing in the NFL.

And while the game does not have any actual implications and is purely an exhibition, a good performance can help Wright climb up on draft boards and put his name firmly on the map.

Wright's final season on The Farm was not his best statistically given how he missed some time due to injury, but when he was out on the field he was a star for the defense. Finishing with 33 total tackles, four passes defended and a pick six, Wright elevated the Cardinal defense whenever he was out there. During the games he was hurt, his absence was certainly felt.

But now that his college career is over, Wright will look to prove that he can bring that same talent and skillset to any NFL franchise.

Played in Mobile, Alabama in January or February, the coaching staffs for the Senior Bowl are not announced until closer to the date of the contest, but as has been the case over the last couple of seasons, the staffs are typically comprised of NFL assistants looking to prove that they can become future head coaches.

In the 2025 game, the head coaches were New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Cleveland Browns assistant head coach/special teams coordinator, Bubba Ventrone.

The 2026 edition will be the first Senior Bowl since 2013 to have a sponsor other than Reese's. Since 1996, the Senior Bowl has had an official name for sponsorship reasons, starting with Delchamps from 1996-01 followed by Food World from 2002-06.

Before Reese's became the official sponsor of the game from 2014-25, Under Armour held the rights from 2007-11 followed by Nike from 2012-13. Panini will take over as the bowl's new title sponsor after entering a multi-year agreement in 2020 to produce trading cards for the Senior Bowl players.

Wright will be joined by tight end Sam Roush as the two Stanford seniors set to participate in the Panini Senior Bowl. As of right now, both Wright and Roush are viewed as potential late-round draftees, if they make the cut. A strong showing in the Senior Bowl could put them firmly on those draft boards.