The Senior Bowl is a chance for senior athletes to compete one more time for their schools and improve their draft stock.
The game acts as a de facto all-star game where the best athletes compete with a chance to impress a multitude of NFL scouts in attendance.
The Senior Bowl is also considered the first step in the NFL Draft process, and has been a staple of college football for the past 76 years.
It is held annually in Mobile, Alabama, and includes over 900 NFL personnel from all 32 NFL teams and over 1,000 media members.
Last April, the game produced 106 NFL draft picks, nearly 40 percent of players taken in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Former Hawkeye seniors Yahya Black and Sebastian Castro played in the game this past April, followed by both players joining the Pittsburgh Steelers' organization.
The Steelers selected Black with the No. 164 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and signed Castro as an undrafted free agent.
Ahead of the 2025-2026 college football season, five Hawkeyes have been added to the Senior Bowl top 300 list.
5️⃣ Hawks make it on the @seniorbowl Top 300 List
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) August 20, 2025
➡️ @gennings_dunker
➡️ @mgronowski11
➡️ @logan_jones75
➡️ @maxllewellyn34
➡️ @DrewTS7 #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/GtYuVbd506
Iowa seniors Gennings Dunker, Mark Gronowski, Logan Jones, Max Llewellyn, and Drew Stevens were added to the top 300 list.
All five of these Hawkeye seniors have been racking up the preseason award nominations and have now been added to a prestigious list of senior athletes with the chance to represent Iowa at the 2026 Senior Bowl.
The expectations for the Hawkeye program are high this season, even after beginning the season ranked outside of the top 25 in the AP poll.
The squad will be led by a core of veteran players with the above five leading the charge on offense, defense, and special teams next season.