Virginia Tech Football: 4 Hokies named to Reese’s Bowl watch list

One day after Virginia Tech quarterback Grant Wells was named to The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award 2023 Watch List, four more Hokies were added to another watch list ahead of the season.

Four Virginia Tech players named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List

Linebacker Alan Tisdale returns for another season for coach Brent Pry and tops the list of nominees for the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List. In 40 career games, he has 23 starts and has 231 tackles, six pass breakups, nine quarterback hurries, and two fumble recoveries. Tisdale is expected to step in and lead the linebacker group with Dax Holifield gone.

Three wide receivers also made the list and are new to the Tech program. Ali Jennings, Da’Quan Felton, and Jaylin Lane are all transfers out of the portal. Jennings had 142 receptions for 2,265 yards and 16 touchdowns between West Virginia and ODU. Felton had 39 receptions last season for Norfolk State for 573 yards and seven touchdowns. In his career, the speedy wideout has 67 receptions for 1,065 yards and nine touchdowns. Lane racked up 1,528 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in the last two seasons at Middle Tennessee State.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl is one of the top pre-draft All-Star Games for college football players. The game is played in Mobile, Alabama at Hancock Whitney Stadium at the University of South Alabama. Next season’s game will be played on Feb. 3, 2024, at noon central time.

There are a lot of pro scouts that go to the game and it is really the beginning of the draft process for the NFL hopefuls. Last season, the game featured 100 players who were drafted, which was nearly 40% of the draft class. Virginia Tech cornerback Chamarri Conner was part of the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl last February and he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 draft by the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.