The 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl practices are underway here in Mobile at the University of South Alabama. Tuesday was our first opportunity to watch the players in action.
It’s an interesting quarterback class this year. Here’s what I took away from watching them in the first practices.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
He’s the headliner here, the local hero. The leader of the Crimson Tide for the last two seasons didn’t have a great first day. Accuracy in 1-on-1 drills is always dicey on the first day, what with working with new receivers and not having timing established. Having said that, even simple swing passes and quick slants showed shaky ball placement. That’s something that needs to get better quickly for Milroe.
He is a little bigger in person than expected for a player who measured in at 6-foor-1 and 220 pounds. Milroe struggled in team drills with interior pressure, not appearing to see it or react quickly.
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Gabriel was pretty handily the most accurate passer on the National team. His touch and quick release were very consistent even in throwing to guys he just met this week. The lefty allegedly hit 74 MPH velocity but that had to have been a glitch in the measuring instruments, because Gabriel quite clearly has the weakest throwing arm here. His deeper throws really hang up, even on a nerly windless day. Of all the quarterbacks, Gabriel had the best sense of his own game on Tuesday.
Seth Henigan, Memphis
For my money, Henigan was the best all-around quarterback on the first day. He’s got a big arm and is a well-built 6-foot-3. and his delivery is a little prolonged compared to Milroe and some others here.
Henigan showed savvy and quicker-than-expected acceleration to get outside the pocket. He nicely stuck with a couple of downfield routes when he was pressured. We don’t have all the exit velocity numbers from the day just yet, but the ball really comes out sizzling from Henigan’s over-the-top delivery.
Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Leonard is fresh from the national championship game, and his sharpness of still having been playing actual football against defenses was evident. His footwork and mechanics are very clean, and he hit more anticipatory routes than most of his peers.
There were a couple of reps where Leonard appeared to try to put some extra mustard on the throw and it didn’t go as well, and that’s something that has shown on his tap at both Notre Dame and Duke.
Taylor Elgersma, Laurier
The big Canadian is making a big jump in level of competition and it showed on the first day. He’s got a three-quarters delivery that makes him appear to be more of an aimer than a thrower, though the arm strength is solid. Elgersma was stiff as an athlete and needs to work on shortening his stride when he scrambles.
Tyler Shough, Louisville
Shough had a solid all-around day. He’s accurate, he’s aggressive with his throws and he understands how to protect his receivers over the middle. Crisp delivery and the velocity holds up down the field better nicely. He’s bigger in person (almost 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds) than he looked on game film.
His advanced age — Shough turns 26 in September — is obviously a drawback, but he looked the most NFL-ready of the quarterbacks on Day 1 of practice.
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Dart moves around the pocket very well and showed he can quickly reset his base and get rid of the ball quickly when needed. Much like Gabriel, Dart’s experience in a high-volume passing offense with lots of options showed. He was better in team drills than in throwing 1-on-1s, but that’s not atypical on the first day. His deep ball accuracy was the best of the American team.
