Virginia's Star Running Back J'Mari Taylor Receives Invite to Senior Bowl

The Virginia Cavaliers running back has been offered an invite to the Senior Bowl.

Nov 1, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) breaks a big gainer against the California Golden Bears during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers football program reached a remarkable level of success during its 2025 campaign. Despite ongoing criticism the program faced ahead of the season, head coach Tony Elliott and his players entered each matchup with confidence and the belief that they have what it takes to win. This is ultimately what led up to their appearance in the ACC Championship Game.

However, the Cavaliers were unable to hold up against Duke, which eliminated them from College Football Playoff contention. Now, Virginia is gearing up for its TaxSlayer Gator Bowl contest against the Missouri Tigers.

Although the Cavaliers came up short during the title game, they weren't expected to make it this far in the season. Fortunately, Elliott acquired offensive power from the portal last year, one of those being J'Mari Taylor. His strong performance this season has continued to pay off, and he has now been invited to the Senior Bowl.

Invite accepted 🙌

J’Mari Taylor x @seniorbowl #GoHoos 🔶⚔️🔷 pic.twitter.com/N0Y0lPV0Wq

— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) December 17, 2025

Taylor's Merited Invite

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) scores a touchdown against the Duke Blue Devils during the third quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

After consistently delivering throughout the regular season, senior J'Mari Taylor has now received an invite to the highly touted Senior Bowl. As noted by Greg Madia of The Daily Progress, this is a premier all-star game and is a staple leading up to the NFL draft.

This year, he rushed for 1,062 yards on 222 carries and averaged 14.8 yards. Along the way, he logged 14 rushing touchdowns. With these numbers, he is considered to be one of Virginia's most valuable transfers at this time. Before UVA, he spent four seasons with NC Central.

#UVa RB J'Mari Taylor earns invite to the Senior Bowl, the premier all-star game and a key event leading up to the NFL Draft: https://t.co/DBxK7axzrd pic.twitter.com/Be709k8CMp

— Greg Madia (@GregMadia) December 17, 2025

The Panini Senior Bowl is a coveted event in college football, and Taylor is the only player from UVA to have received an invite this year. He will be joining dozens of fellow players across the nation, including athletes from every level of collegiate football.

Alabama has the most accepted invites this year, five, with Arkansas being next in line with four. However, for Virginia to make the list and have one of the most powerful running backs in the league on their side is telling. He leads the conference in rushing, and his momentum has been at an all-time high throughout the year. As Elliott explained last month:

"First of all, available. He finds a way to stay healthy. Even though he's banged up a little bit, he is available. And then on Saturday, no matter how he's feeling, he just plays. And then I think his ability has really come to light, especially at this level in this league. His ability to make people miss, his ability to run behind his pads, ability to have the vision to find the cuts, and he's just a competitor. And so being available every single day, he's a competitor, and he enjoys playing football. And he shows up every day ready to work and get back."

This is a major milestone for Taylor, and it's the next in his college football career.