Michigan football EDGE Jaylen Harrell headed to Senior Bowl
Decisions from the Michigan Wolverines on their football futures continue to roll in after Monday night’s national championship win. The latest is from EDGE Jaylen Harrell, who has officially accepted a Senior Bowl invite despite having one more season of eligibility at Michigan.
Wolverine players have until Monday, Jan. 15 to officially declare for the NFL Draft, but a Senior Bowl invite is a major step taken indicating one’s plans. He joins seven other Wolverines – wide receiver Roman Wilson, tight end AJ Barner, offensive linemen LaDarius Henderson and Trevor Keegan, EDGE Braiden McGregor, linebacker Michael Barrett and defensive back Mike Sainristil.
Harrell is a two-time All-Big Ten selection (honorable mention, coaches, 2023; honorable mention, media, 2022-23) and made 46 appearances at Michigan. This past season, he had 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles to go along with 31 total tackles. He had one season of eligibility remaining thanks to the COVID year.
Harrell was a four-star recruit and the No. 319 player in the 2020 recruiting class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He was part of a class that included RB Blake Corum, WR Roman Wilson, OL Zak Zinter and DL Kris Jenkins, among others. It was the 10th-ranked recruiting class in the country and second in the Big Tne behind Ohio State.
So what exactly is the Senior Bowl? From its website:
“The Reese’s Senior Bowl is widely regarded as the preeminent college football all-star game and the first stage in the NFL Draft process. The longest continual-running all-star game has taken place in Mobile, Alabama the past 74 years. More than 900 NFL personnel, including key decision-makers from all 32 teams, and over 1100 media members from around the country were credentialed this year. This past April, the game produced 100 total picks for the third straight year, representing 40 percent of the entire NFL draft, including 40 selected on the first two days.”
The 2024 NFL Draft is set for April 23-25 from Detroit, Michigan – 45 minutes East of Ann Arbor. Michigan is expected to send a heavy dose of talent to the next level with the deadline for underclassmen to declare set for Jan. 15.
The Senior Bowl will take place on Feb. 3 in Mobile, Alabama after a week of practices and meetings with NFL teams.
