Three Alabama Football players to participate in 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl

Alabama Football will be represented at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile by three of its very best. Defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe, edge rusher Chris Braswell, and kicker Will Reichard will all participate on behalf of the Tide in the annual all-star game, which will take place on Saturday, February 3rd at noon Central time. 

Justin Eboigbe was a consistent performer for the Crimson Tide throughout his five years in the program. His original senior season, 2022, was cut short by a season-ending neck injury. At the time of his injury, Eboigbe was on track for his best season yet. However, the unfortunate setback left his future in doubt. Justin Eboigbe responded by returning to Tuscaloosa for a fifth season and becoming one of the most impactful interior defensive linemen in the entire country. 

Eboigbe posted 63 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 7.0 sacks as a redshirt senior in 2023. For his career, he played in 56 games, registering 122 tackles and generating three turnovers.  

Chris Braswell’s path to the NFL had some parallels to Eboigbe’s journey. Braswell patiently waited until his time arrived before erupting in his senior season and rocketing up draft boards.

He accumulated 34 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 3.0 sacks during his first three years in the program, operating primarily as a situational pass rusher. Braswell was slightly undersized for the edge position when he joined the program and shared a position room with top-3 NFL Draft pick Will Anderson Jr. and future first-round pick Dallas Turner. 

After blowing his career statistics out of the water and making a major impact in his senior season, Braswell very well may join his peers as a first-rounder. He amassed 42 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 8.0 sacks in 2023, adding a pick-six, a blocked field goal, and a team-leading three forced fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Braswell was one of the most disruptive and underrated defenders in college football in 2023, and he will likely be a very good NFL player.

Will Reichard didn’t have to wait quite as long as Eboigbe and Braswell to shine. In just his second season in the program, he had a rare perfect season (14-14 field goals, 84-84 extra points) and helped Alabama Football to the 2020 national championship. He followed up that campaign with two more solid seasons, connecting on 44 of 54 field goal attempts and showing consistency of performance over an extended period of time.

Following the 2022 season, he made the decision to return for his final year of eligibility. In 2023, he further cemented his legacy and justified his worth as a future NFL player, going 22-25 on field goal attempts, hitting multiple 50+ yarders and clutch kicks, and even displaying proficiency as a punter when James Burnip went down with an injury. In his illustrious Alabama career, he connected on 84 of 100 field goals.

Will Reichard leaves Tuscaloosa as college football’s all-time leading scorer. He is generally considered to be the greatest kicker in Alabama Football history, and will go down as one of the most reliable specialists in the history of the sport. 

These three seniors will be missed at Alabama, but they have positioned themselves to do great things at the next level. The Senior Bowl will give each of them an additional opportunity to boost their stock.