The 2026 Senior Bowl was held in Mobile, Alabama this past week and over 100 upperclassman college standouts were invited to take part in hopes of raising their draft stocks.
The invitees underwent three days of on-field practices and concluded with a game on Saturday all under the eye of scouts from all 32 NFL teams.
In total, eight players with ties to North Carolina were invited to the event. Here’s how they did:
Biggest Standouts
The biggest winners overall from the practices and game seemed to be the defensive players as they dominated all over the field.
And amongst them, two cornerbacks really stood out to scouts and onlookers.
Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers was one of the best corners in Power Four football in 2024, but had a bit of a less dominant showing in 2025.
However, a strong showing in the practices may just be what he needed to potentially sneak into the first round.
PFF analyst Dalton Wasserman said that Rivers looked like “one of the best players” during day three. Despite being a bit on the smaller side, Rivers highlighted his high football IQ, athleticism and strong coverage instincts on the field.
UNC cornerback Thaddeus Dixon also had a good showing at practices and ESPN’s Jordan Reid called him “the best corner on the field,” on Thursday due to his aggressive man-to-man coverage and his poise along with multiple pass breakups. In the game itself, he had two tackles.
After appearing in just seven games for the Tar Heels this past season and struggling a bit, Dixon’s strong showing should generate a little more buzz amongst teams looking for secondary help.
He’s projected to be a Day 3 pick, but perhaps his standout performance can help him slide up some boards.
And despite the defense dominating the event, there was a little bit of glory for some offensive players too.
NC State tight end Justin Joly earned MVP honors for the tight end group following practices as he proved to be a full package player, especially with his work in the red zone.
Overall receivers didn’t get much help from the quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl, as the prevailing report out of the practices and game was how inaccurate they were, and in the game, Joly had just one catch.
But it’s clear that Joly still made a strong impression from the practices amongst a few NFL teams who sat down with the former Wolfpack standout.
Had Impactful Moments
It’s not easy for running backs to stand out much at the Senior Bowl due to the rotating of snaps, but Virginia running back and Charlotte native J’Mari Taylor made the most of his touches, with 41 yards on three rushes.
Taylor was definitely not given the best opportunities, as Oklahoma’s Jayden Ott and Indiana’s Kaelon Black got the majority of snaps, including Ott getting the final carry for a five-yard touchdown run after Taylor’s 41-yard series.
Duke defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. may not have necessarily stood out much throughout the season or in the Senior Bowl practices, but he certainly had a strong game performance.
The 6-foot-5 edge rusher had two tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in his snaps, showcasing his ability to get off blocks and penetrate into the backfield. Having that sort of impact in a live game situation is certainly a good way to make an impression, especially with not having stood out as much.
NC State defensive end Cian Slone also didn’t necessarily stand out too much in the practices either, but he did record a sack in the game too. He’s a high-motor player who could potentially get some deep draft interest.
Forgetful Performances
South Carolina defensive tackle and Goldsboro native Nick Barrett had a bit of a tougher outing, with quite a few losses to various offensive linemen such as Miami’s James Brockmeyer and Florida’s Jake Slaughter. He followed that up with just one tackle in the game.
Maybe one of the biggest losers from the event was former Blue Devil, Tennessee running back Star Thomas who went viral for throwing punches at his own teammate.
During warmups before Saturday’s game, Thomas was upended by a hit from Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher.
Boettercher attempted to help Thomas up, but the running back was seeing red and threw a punch and then spiked a football off of his helmet.
In the game itself, Thomas had one carry for negative yardage. That was all Thomas got to showcase too as he was a late addition and therefore didn’t take part in the practices.
