Which Auburn football players will be at the 2023 Senior Bowl?

After the 2022 season, the Auburn football program is losing a lot of upperclassmen, whether it is regarding eligibility or a declaration for the NFL Draft. Several of the Tigers’ senior players were invited to the 2023 Senior Bowl, but who will be playing in the game?

Essentially, the Reese’s Senior Bowl is a college football all-star game whose rosters are made up of seniors from around the country, each of whom must receive an invite to play in the game. It is widely considered to be the first step in the NFL Draft process, according to the Senior Bowl website, and more than 600 NFL personnel will be in attendance.

This year, five Auburn football players were invited to participate: cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and DJ James, linebacker Owen Pappoe, and edge rushers Derick Hall and Eku Leota.

Invitations were declined by cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and DJ James, who have both elected to return to the Plains for another year and continue playing in orange and blue. Owen Pappoe will reportedly miss the game due to a shoulder injury, which is a major blow for Pappoe, who missed a lot of the 2021 season due to injury as well.

The two players set to represent the Tigers in Mobile this month are Derick Hall and Eku Leota, both of whom will play on the American Team. Their team will be coached by Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. For the first time, NFL staffs will not be coaching the teams, but rather coaches in lesser positions than “head coach” will take on the jobs for professional development, per The Senior Bowl.

Hall and Leota were huge assets to the Tigers this past season, with Hall in third place for the most tackles and leading the team in sacks. Leota only played in five games due to injury, and still recorded 17 tackles and two sacks. Both guys will be excellent representations of the Auburn football program in Mobile.