The Senior Bowl wrapped up a great week on Saturday, despite weather issues messing with the open practices.
I was in Mobile, Alabama all week to see the players up close. Over the rain and chilly weather, a lot of the talk I heard over the week was about how well the LSU players that made it down there performed. I wrote early last week about how Ed Ingram, Neil Farrell Jr, and Damone Clark started off their time at the all-star meet up during the American team’s.
Late in the week, Chasen Hines was added to the roster of the National team, and played against his former teammates during the game on Saturday. That makes four LSU Tigers in Mobile, the third most representatives behind Oklahoma and Georgia.
Chasen Hines went from quote-tweeting my videos from the Senior Bowl, to turning eyes while boxing out his teammate Neil Farrell during the game. Practice on Thursday was rained out and closed to the media, so I didn’t get to see much of him during the week, but reviews were shining! Many people had him on their best performers list despite him having less time than most people there.
Hines’ widely shared rep against Neil Farrell Jr. was one of the only times that he was stopped all week. I couldn’t stop watching him during practice. His bull rush capabilities were showcased very well during the 1-on-1 drills. He was named the Top OL player for the American squad, which was voted upon by the OL he faced day in and day out. The tape shows that Farrell has what it takes to be an elite run defender in the NFL, and what happened in Mobile just solidified that. His moves, burst, and strength makes him a very intriguing prospect. I think he showed that he is for sure a draftable player come April’s draft, and that’s really the main goal of any defensive lineman out there.
During the media breakfast that the Senior Bowl held, I spoke to Neil about how the future of LSU football looks, and whether or not he thinks that Brian Kelly will fit in well with the locker room and if he will do well in Baton Rouge. “He came from Notre Dame, so him going to Death Valley from that will certainly switch things up for him, how he has to look at certain things, but I think it’s going to work out for him.”
I also got to speak to Damone Clark at that time and was able to ask him if Kelly will fit in and adjust well to Baton Rouge. “I hope so,” Clark said with a laugh, “but no, it was a great hire. He’s building a good rapport with the guys. Brian Kelly has a rich history of winning, so hopefully he is able to get them back to the top.”
Outside of sharing his optimism for the future, Clark had a great week and also reinforced the good traits that scouts believe he brings to the game of football. He has everything it takes to be a true linebacker at the next level. His speed, strength, size, IQ, and overall athleticism were on display all week and helped him bring home the Best LB of the Week Award for the American team. This award was voted on by the OL, TE, and RBs that he played against all week. He was another guy that was the subject of chatter throughout.
The last, but not least, Tiger in attendance was offensive lineman Ed Ingram. I will not lie, Ingram’s week started out kind of rough. He had some wins, but he and the entire offensive line on the American team had a bumpy start to practice one. In football, however, it’s not how you start, but how you finish. Ingram finished very strong. The matchup between him and Georgia’s Devonte Wyatt was one to watch, and never disappointed. Ingram was voted the best OL of the week for the American team, the voters were the DL he faced in practice.
This was a very successful Senior Bowl for LSU, which should be no surprise, as they always have great representation and come to play and show why they belong.