Senior Bowl: Northwestern RB Evan Hull, Kansas D-lineman Lonnie Phelps star in National team’s win

MOBILE, Ala. — From the first snap of the game to the final one, the National team, undermanned with just six offensive linemen and two quarterbacks, dominated the American team in their 27-10 win Saturday afternoon at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

The game’s MVP, Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener, finished the game completing 12 of 19 passes for 139 yards and a 44 yard-touchdown connection to Stanford wide receiver Michael Wilson, who impressed all week long.

However, several other players put together impressive performances Saturday, including Northwestern running back Evan Hull, who was one of the best running backs this week in Mobile, behind Tulane running back Tyjae Spears.

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Hull was one of two players who finished the 2022 season with over 500 rushing and receiving yards (Georgia’s Kenny McIntosh was the other), amassing 1,459 total yards on 276 touches. This week at Senior Bowl practice, Hull consistently found cutback lanes and won several reps in the one-on-one pass route sessions against linebackers.

The Wildcats standout finished the game with 74 rushing yards on 10 carries, busting a big run on the game’s first play and churning for extra yards on nearly every carry. He also added 11 yards through the air, showcasing his versatility and three-down back ability at the next level. Hull won’t be an early-round back, but the versatile skill set he possesses will suit him well and could help him stick around for several years.

Meanwhile, several players flashed their skill set defensively during today’s game, including Kansas pass rusher Lonnie Phelps, who transferred to the Jayhawks after spending his previous four seasons with Miami (Ohio). After a modest practice week, Phelps turned it up a notch and consistently provided pressure on American team quarterbacks Clayton Tune and Tyson Bagent.

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The first splash play happened near the end of the first quarter, when he used a heavy-handed club and rip move on Tennessee right tackle Darnell Wright to displace him and track down Tune for a near sack. Phelps only continued to build on his fast start when he tracked down Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez from the back side of an outside zone run and forced a fumble, leading to a Daiyan Henley recovery.

To put an exclamation point on his performance, Phelps beat Oklahoma right tackle Wanya Morris with a speed to rip move, winning on the outside shoulder, forced Bagent to step up and move around the pocket, leading to an interception near the goal line on the American team’s final play of the game. Phelps also tracked down a screen pass earlier in the fourth quarter for a huge loss after Illinois safety Sydney Brown knocked Oklahoma running back Eric Gray back 5 yards.

With just six offensive linemen, the National team shuffled their line several times throughout the game, allowing small-school players like North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch and Chattanooga’s McClendon Curtis to play several positions throughout the game. Mauch started at left guard and played a series at center before finishing at right tackle after North Carolina tackle Asim Richards left the game after the second quarter. Mauch flashed in the run game, pulling and sealing a linebacker to create a lane for his running back. Despite playing three positions in the game, Mauch gave up minimal pressure in pass protection.

Curtis took snaps at right guard and right tackle. He showed promise early on at tackle before getting beat around the corner by LSU’s Ali Gaye.

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Clemson edge rusher KJ Henry of the National team showcased his ability to win coming off the edge in multiple ways, using speed to power conversions and beating Wright on the inside track to flush Max Duggan out of the pocket. He was another player who constantly flashed during the week, with a well-developed tool box as a rusher.

Purdue tight end Payne Durham once again came up big near the red zone, this time during the game. He finished with 24 yards receiving on two catches, but 16 of those yards came near the end of the second quarter, when quarterback Malik Cunningham found him on a wheel route where Durham contorted his body in the air to high point the football, and pushed out of bounds at the one yard line. He also put forth some impressive blocking reps on zone runs.

Bowling Green defensive linemen Karl Brooks was one of the more consistent players throughout the week, and his play carried over to the game. After capturing the game’s first sack, Brooks used his quick hand usage and natural twitch at the line of scrimmage to knife through the American offensive line. His stats won’t blow you away, but Brooks proved he can be a force working in the interior after spending most of his career as a true standout defensive end.