{"id":84202,"date":"2026-01-06T09:00:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=84202"},"modified":"2026-01-06T09:55:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:55:59","slug":"a-handful-of-razorbacks-to-be-in-mobile-for-senior-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2026\/01\/06\/a-handful-of-razorbacks-to-be-in-mobile-for-senior-bowl\/","title":{"rendered":"A Handful of\u00a0Razorbacks to Be In Mobile for Senior Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the college football season rolls on with the College Football Playoff, some players are preparing for the next step on their journey. As all eyes turn to Mobile, Alabama, and the Panini Senior Bowl, Arkansas will have plenty of participants. While the game will be played on January 31st, the preparation is just beginning. We at Last Word will be covering these players leading up to and while in Mobile. As we begin, we take a brief look at some Arkansas history in the Senior Bowl and the players who will play this season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>A Handful of Razorbacks to Be In Mobile for Senior Bowl<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Mobile Starts The Path\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps the best part of Mobile, and this all-star event, is that the game is not the main attraction. What is? Without a doubt, it is the week of preparation, featuring three days of practices led by NFL coaches from various organizations. While there, each player is tasked with performing well on the field and in the meetings that occur with other teams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each team will participate in three days of practices as they install the scheme as well as teach. This is where the players can make a name for themselves, as we see multiple players jump up the draft boards based on the week. In addition to this, these players will be involved with various events across the city as the official \u201cMardi Gras Season\u201d kicks off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Within this, on Friday night, these players will walk and be on floats as the city is lined by locals and visitors as they take photos and slap hands along the route. The final event before gameday is a highlight of the week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Handful of Hogs\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We mentioned that this was a historic representation from Arkansas. In this prestigious game, the Hogs have routinely had players compete. Before this season, the most Hogs in Mobile occurred in the 1999 season when wide receiver Anthon Lucas, offensive lineman Bobbie Williams, and tight end Joe Dean Daveport reported to Mobile from the offensive side of the ball. Conversely, on defense, the Hogs were represented by corner David Barrett and safety Kenoy Kennedy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some may look at this and question how five players from a 2-10 football team would be invited to Mobile. Despite the final record, the Razorbacks have SEC talent on their roster. Further proof of this is in the current list of accepted invites. Other than Arkansas, with five, there are only two programs that have more. Oddly enough, both are from the SEC, as Alabama and Texas A&amp;M both will have six players in attendance. For reference, the only other program with five attendees is Texas Tech.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is quite the feat and will garner attention throughout the week. With that, we need to learn more about the Hogs in Mobile for this season\u2019s game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Hogs Down South<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scouts from across all 32 NFL teams will be scouting players as well as interacting with their coaches during the week. The players from Arkansas bring a mixture of versatility, experience, and production, which makes each intriguing for the upcoming NFL Draft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Offense<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Taylen Green (QB)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First is the hand-picked signal caller of former offensive coordinator and interim coach Bobby Petrino, and that is quarterback Taylen Green. Green brings a blend of elite rushing ability featuring deceptive speed along with impressive arm strength, as this combination was on full display while in Fayetteville. In the 2025 season, Green tossed 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as well as scampered for 777 yards and eight scores on the ground.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This potentially has Green slotted as a day two selection. Because of this, his performance while in Mobile will be one to watch closely. A player with the talent of Green will have scouts&#8217; eyes on him constantly. Will a strong performance from Green in Mobile move him up draft boards? We will soon find out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Fernando Carmona (OL)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next is one of the many men, not a 50 Cent reference, who protect Green and others to be named, and also known as the offensive line. The player is Fernando Carmona, and he is a versatile anchor on the line. As well as being an anchor, Carmona is unselfish, as he can play both guard and tackle effectively. The transfer from San Jose State started all 12 games of his senior season in 2025. In these games, Carmona logged 785 snaps with blocking skills that have the attention of the next level.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scouts will be watching to see how Carmona competes against the top talents across the nation. Additionally, they will also be keenly watching how Carmona shows improvements in hand placement and pad level, which are key. With a stout performance, Carmona can solidify a possible starting position in the NFL with some adjustment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Mike Washington Jr. (RB)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up next, we hit the ground running with <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/mike-washington-5.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Washington Jr<\/a>. The New Mexico State transfer started all 12 games for Arkansas and surpassed one thousand yards for the first time in his career. With this accomplishment, Washington Jr became just the 16th Hog to hit this mark in a single season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Behind these yards is an incredible vision, an elite burst of speed, and a relentless work ethic from Washington. These intangibles, along with an underrated ability to make plays in the receiving realm, make Washington a modern backfield weapon. A strong performance in Mobile may be just what the 215-pounder needs to run into the NFL.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Washington, a productive running back who joined Arkansas from New Mexico State, delivered a breakout 2025 campaign. The 6&#8217;2&#8243;, 215-pound senior rushed 167 times for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry, while adding 28 receptions for 226 yards and one score. Becoming the 16th Razorback to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season, Washington&#8217;s vision, burst, and receiving skills make him a modern backfield weapon. His performance in Mobile could elevate him from a late-round prospect to a priority undrafted free agent or better.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Defense<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>\u00a0Cam Ball (DL)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can you smell what Cam is cooking? Sorry, Dwayne Johnson, we had to. You see, the next player heading to Mobile, defensive lineman Cam Ball, not only tackles, but also enjoys cooking. More on this shortly. The reliable 300-plus experienced presence recorded 27 tackles, 13 of which were solo, on the season. A season high in tackles, with 5, came against Texas A&amp;M on October 18th.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ball, who has become known as a space eater, will have areas of concern that will be watched while in Mobile. How will Ball perform when having to show lateral quickness? Does he have a pass rush plan? Will he consistently have a high motor? These are all questions we will get answered in the final week of January. His appearance at the Senior Bowl offers a chance to boost his draft stock against elite linemen. How will Ball perform? We will soon find out.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Xavian Sorey Jr. (LB)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final player was recently added as linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr closes out the quintet of Hogs. A key player for the defense, Sorey utilized his sideline-to-sideline speed to tally 36 solo tackles, along with 2.5 sacks. In addition, he snatched one fumble and an interception while showing his range of coverage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These sets of skills, plus a history of versatility in high school, have NFL teams with eyes on Sorey. A 40-yard dash of 4.49 has the nation watching. How will he perform against the top players across the nation? We shall see. But, we can tell you that he has the potential, with a powerful appearance, to make his way to an impactful player in the NFL.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<strong>Future Is Bright<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/11\/30\/ryan-silverfield-nabbed-as-arkansas-head-coach\/\" target=\"_self\">hiring of Ryan Silverfield<\/a>, plus historic contingent in Mobile, it appears as if the program is upon brighter days. There is no larger stage than the Senior Bowl, and this is where these Razorbacks can impress. If they do, fans will again hear<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/12\/11\/silverfield-signs-staff-into-place-in-fayetteville\/\" target=\"_self\"> \u2018From the University of Arkansas\u201d<\/a> on draft day for the NFL. More importantly, this may be the launching pad for a handful of Hogs into professional careers, as the Senior Bowl reinforces the legacy of binding college with the pros. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Image: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the college football season rolls on with the College Football Playoff, some players are preparing for the next step on their journey. As all eyes turn to Mobile, Alabama, and the Panini Senior Bowl, Arkansas will have plenty of participants. While the game will be played on January 31st, the preparation is just beginning. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4207,"featured_media":84769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,35588,3],"tags":[3012,35326,35470],"class_list":["post-84202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-arkansas-razorbacks","category-sec","tag-senior-bowl","tag-taylen-green","tag-xavian-sorey"],"modified_by":"Tony Siracusa, CFB Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84202"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84770,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84202\/revisions\/84770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}