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Top offensive performers and draft risers from Senior Bowl practices

See which college football standouts helped their NFL draft stock this week.
Ryan Young|
Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. has been one of the standouts of Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama.
Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. has been one of the standouts of Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Alabama. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

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Arkansas RazorbacksTexas Tech Red RaidersMissouri TigersArizona State Sun DevilsNotre Dame Fighting Irish

More than 100 college football stars convened in Mobile, Alabama, this week for the Senior Bowl to showcase themselves in front of NFL scouts, coaches and general managers.

It's just the start of the long pre-draft buildup that will continue with the NFL Scouting Combine, college programs' pro days, one-on-one team visits/interviews, etc., but the Senior Bowl can be a launching point for players looking to vault their draft stock.

There were plenty of highlights and draft prospects who helped themselves over the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday practice sessions ahead of the game Saturday (2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network).

Here are five on the offensive side who caught our eye.

Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields

Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields has been one of the top standouts at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, this week.
Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields has been one of the top standouts at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, this week. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

There's rarely consensus when it comes to evaluating NFL draft prospects, but there sure seemed to be this week at the Senior Bowl in regard to Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields.

Fields was a proven performer at Virginia with almost identical 2023-24 seasons of at least 55 catches, 800 yards and 5 touchdowns before transferring to Notre Dame for his final year of eligibility. He delivered 36 catches for 630 yards and 5 TDs for the Fighting Irish with a career-high 17.5 yards per catch.

His draft projection was still hard to pinpoint, though. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. had Fields just outside the top 10 WRs on his "Big Board."

But it's hard to imagine that many better receivers in this draft than the 6-foot-4 Fields after what he showed this week at the Senior Bowl.

This catch got all of the attention as one of the plays of the week.

But Fields' consistency, route-running and ability to routinely win one-on-one were every bit as impressive.

Here's what NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote of Fields after watching him this week: "There are a talented bunch of wide receivers at the Senior Bowl this year, but Fields was clearly a cut above every other player at the position. His ability to get into breaks was impressive, and he had the catch of the week on a deep ball from Arkansas QB Taylen Green. He was already one of my top 50 draft prospects and he’s only going to move up the board after the way he popped this week."

Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor

Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor impressed during Senior Bowl practices this week.
Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor impressed during Senior Bowl practices this week. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor really started surging during the middle of the week in Mobile, showing out in one-on-one competitions and team drills alike.

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound tackle came out of the junior college ranks as a raw talent before honing his skills the last three years at Arizona State, including the past two as a full-time starter.

Reps like these from the Senior Bowl practices will have NFL scouts doing a deeper dive into his film, for sure.

Missouri WR Kevin Coleman Jr.

Missouri wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. generated buzz from his performance in Senior Bowl practices this week.
Missouri wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. generated buzz from his performance in Senior Bowl practices this week. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Kevin Coleman Jr. was another wide receiver standout this week after a well-traveled collegiate career.

Coleman's path isn't so rare in this era of college football, but nonetheless, he played for four schools in four years, going from Jackson State to Louisville to Mississippi State and finally Missouri.

His best season came in 2024 with the Bulldogs when he tallied 74 catches for 932 yards and 6 TDs, but he was productive again in 2025 with the Tigers with 66 catches for 732 yards and 1 TD.

Coleman is a smaller receiver at 5-foot-11, 174 pounds, so this has been an important week for him to showcase himself against other draft prospects.

Plays like these certainly helped...

Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr.

Mike Washington Jr. (27) of Arkansas runs the ball during Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Alabama, this week.
Mike Washington Jr. (27) of Arkansas runs the ball during Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Alabama, this week. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Mike Washington Jr.'s impressive production at Arkansas got overshadowed a bit by the Razorbacks' collective struggles, but he rushed for 1,070 yards on a 6.4 yards per carry with 226 receiving yards and 9 total TDs.

He was also a bit of an unexpected breakout star in the SEC after spending the previous four years at Buffalo and New Mexico State, topping out at 725 rushing yards in his best season previously.

But if Washington was flying under the radar as a draft prospect, he shouldn't be any longer after this week.

Washington was eighth on Kiper's "Big Board" for running backs before this week, and he has only helped his draft stock in Mobile.

Texas Tech WR Reggie Virgil

Texas Tech wide receiver Reggie Virgil made quite an impression this week during Senior Bowl practices.
Texas Tech wide receiver Reggie Virgil made quite an impression this week during Senior Bowl practices. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Texas Tech's passing game might have been the least talked-about part of its run to the College Football Playoff this season, with the defense leading the way and the running game often carrying the offense.

So it's understandable if casual college football fans haven't had many conversations about Red Raiders wide receiver Reggie Virgil, but NFL scouts certainly have this week after watching him at Senior Bowl practices.

Virgil came to the Red Raiders this past year after three seasons at Miami of Ohio and led the Red Raiders with 57 catches for 705 yards and 6 TDs, plus 2 rushing TDs.

The 6-foot-2, 188-pound playmaker really made a name for himself this week, though.

Here's what Jeremiah, the NFL.com draft analyst, wrote about Virgil's performance: "Virgil impressed me every day of practice. He has excellent size (6-2, 188) and is a very smooth athlete with the speed to take the top off the defense. I like his production, too -- he posted 15 TD catches in the past two seasons. Aside from Malachi Fields, Virgil was the receiver who stood out most to me this week."

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Ryan Young
RYAN YOUNG

Ryan Young joins CFB HQ On SI after 15 years as a college football beat writer, including the last seven years in Los Angeles covering the USC Trojans for Rivals. He previously covered Florida and Coastal Carolina after four years at the Kansas City Star. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland.

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