Assuming you’re a regular reader (and if you’re not, why not?!?!) you should already know that I LOOOOOOVE football and that as long as two teams in helmets and pads are willing to step onto a field of at least 50 yards I’m down for it. If it’s a 100-yard field, I’m twice as interested.
So yeah, you may have thought that the college football season ended when the Indiana Hoosiers completed the most prolific undefeated season in more than 130 years in Miami a fortnight ago. Au contraire, mon frere. There’s been a bunch of all-star games that have been helping to fill the void and, most importantly, provide the NFL Network with actual live content at a time when there’s only such much shoulder programming and encores to fill a schedule.
The most significant one of all helped to pass a few hours of time yesterday. and provide at least one viable alternative to schlepping out in frigid weather in the hopes of snagging a ticket to MELANIA. NFL.com’s Eric Edholm gave the event its due respect in the recap he dropped last night:
The American Team defeated the National Team, 17-9, in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Here are three takeaways from the 77th annual all-star contest, which capped off a week of events, including three days of practice, featuring 100-plus top prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft.
One QB rises above the rest. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier had plenty to gain this week, and he did a good job of reminding scouts he can still play. After two-plus months of inactivity, Nussmeier had a very solid week of practice, seemingly getting more comfortable with each passing day, and he was effective on Saturday.
Starting for the American Team, Nussmeier earned game MVP honors, leading touchdown drives on the squad’s first two possessions and connecting on 5 of 8 passes for 57 yards. He had a rushing TD and a two-point-conversion throw to Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields.
American Team running backs shine. In a matchup with limited offense, multiple American Team running backs stood out.
Indiana’s Kaelon Black had an impressive showing following an up-and-down week of practice, running for a game-high 45 yards on eight carries. He delivered a few hard runs between the tackles and caught two passes for nine yards.
Defenders open eyes. Naturally, in a game with fewer than 500 combined yards of offense, there were several defenders who stood out.
Missouri edge rusher Zion Young had a productive week of practice in his quest to be a high pick, and he earned Defensive MVP honors in Saturday’s game. Young was in on a couple stops for short gains and recovered a fumble, also providing several pressures. Oregon LB Bryce Boettcher was all over the place for the National Team defense, making a game-high 10 tackles — five more than any other player — and breaking up a pass. Boettcher’s coverage ability and intensity stood out all week. Boston College edge rusher Quintayvious Hutchins had three tackles for losses (for a combined minus-12 yards) and stopped Cole Payton’s run on a two-point conversion attempt. Western Michigan’s Nadame Tucker also stood out, finishing with two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Earlier in the week an even more stepped tradition filled a programming void and allowed a few more names we will soon be seeing a lot more of to rise to the occasion. Per BLEACHER REPORT’s Kristopher Knox:
Tuesday evening in Frisco, Texas...(t)he 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl was played at Ford Center at The Star(.) The first Shrine Bowl was played in 1925, and the list of alumni includes the likes of Tom Brady, John Elway, Walter Payton, and Lawrence Taylor… This year’s contest was a hard-fought battle that the West won 21-17.
Quarterback Mark Gronowski is one of the biggest winners of this year’s Shrine Bowl, and not just because he was named the game’s offensive MVP—though he was. The Iowa product and former South Dakota State quarterback impressed well ahead of Tuesday’s game. He measured in with archetypal size, and he turned plenty of heads during the week’s practices. “He is extremely interesting at 6-2, 235 with great athleticism and an ability to do damage as a scrambler,” The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner wrote. “Gronowski’s arm, though, was the main event in Texas, as he was comfortable and consistent delivering downfield shots in team periods.”
These fine folks who are worthy of attention but not quite assured of being drafted high will likely be convening in Indianapolis at month’s end for the NFL Combines, the official beginning to the draft countdown and the endless speculation and maneuvering that will unfold once those trivial matters like the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics are over and done with. They will be joined by some participants from some earlier confabs such as the Hula Bowl, which recently returned to give some folks with some to prove a Hawaiian holiday in the process and this year’s return of the American Bowl, a tilt I distinctly remember was first played nearly 60 years ago in a monsoon in Tampa. That helped fill a void on a theretofore dark Saturday that usually preceded the three older games and yep, when you’re shivering in a frigid climate like I was at the time any such reminder of outdoor competition is always welcome.
But unlike those days when the Senior Bowl–the first game where college players offically received a salary (not that in these NIL days that’s as big a deal as it once was)–was the absolute final time college players stepped out onto a field, leave it to the good hands of a famous insurance company to remind us that there’s still sixty more minutes of competition still ahead:
The Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, presented by the Black College Football Hall of Fame, is a postseason all-star game showcasing the best NFL draft-eligible football players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It is broadcast live on NFL Network.
More than a football game, the week-long celebration of Black culture, history and a Career Fair provides invaluable exposure and opportunity for HBCU students.
We do have to wait until February 21st for that, because somehow those in charge must believe there’s a significant overlap between those who would watch this and those who would be captivated by snowboarding and figure skating. But that’s still one more Saturday of college football that lies ahead, and that means this still isn’t the final SUNDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK you’ll be seeing. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and neither should you.
Courage…