Day, Penning, Allen named to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl watchlist
8/23/2023 11:00:00 AM | Football
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Three members of the UNI football roster have been selected to the 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl watchlist as announced on Wednesday morning.
Panther quarterback Theo Day, offensive lineman Jared Penning, and tight end Alex Allen were named to the 2024 watchlist for a matchup that showcases elite draft prospects from around the country in front of coaches from all 32 NFL teams. This is the tenth annual Senior Bowl Watchlist.
The Panthers have had 12 appearances in the Reece's Senior Bowl with the latest coming last year with Trevor Penning in 2022.
Day, a redshirt senior from Canton, Michigan has already claimed numerous accolades heading into the 2023 season. On top of being named to the East West Shrine Bowl 1,000, he has claimed preseason All-American honors from STATS Perform, HERO Sports, and Phil Steele, as well as multiple preseason All-Conference honors. Day also appeared on the Walter Payton Award watchlist earlier this summer.
Day was named First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) a year ago as one of the nation's top passers. The two-time CFPA FCS National Performer of the Week accounted for 3,121 passing yards and 26 touchdowns through the air, leading the MVFC in multiple categories, including passing efficiency, passing yard, total offense and yards per attempt. Day threw a career-high six touchdowns last November in UNI's season finale at South Dakota, as well as five touchdown passes in the Panthers' one-point win at No. 20 Southern Illinois.
Penning, a redshirt junior lineman from Clear Lake, Iowa, is also a member of the East West Shrine Bowl 1,000. On top of that, he has claimed preseason All-Conference honors from the MVFC and Phil Steele. The offensive lineman helped boast an offense that notched the fourth-best third down conversion rate in the nation (52%), 11th in passing offense (288.5), ninth in red zone offense (89.4%) and sixth in team passing efficiency (167.3). Appearing in all 11 games last season, he earned Phil Steele FCS All-MVFC Third Team honors.
Allen, a redshirt senior from Nixa, Missouri, has claimed preseason All-Conference honors from the MVFC and from Phil Steele heading into the 2023 season. The tight end played in eight games, finishing the season with 17 receptions for 264 yards and two touchdowns before a season-ending injury at Southern Illinois.
ABOUT THE REECE'S SENIOR BOWL
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 1,100 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 latest edition of the Reese's Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2023 at noon CT at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Action will also be televised live on NFL Network.
