2026 Senior Bowl Recap, Day 2: Standouts, draft risers and more

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Day 2 is important in Mobile at the Senior Bowl because the full pads come on. That means each snap matters more, and the standouts really have to work for it to, well, stand out.

Here are our top standouts from day two of Senior Bowl practices.

John Carroll University WR Tyren Montgomery looks like he belongs

Montgomery came in listed at just over 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds. He was a standout basketball player in high school and even walked on at LSU before his mother got sick, causing him to move back home to be with his family. His plan was just to get a job and stay home, but this was during the pandemic, when that was tougher than it should have been.

Meanwhile, his brother, who played football at the collegiate level, convinced Tyren to give football a try even though he had never played the sport before. He got involved in flag football and used that as his highlight tape to send to coaches. He tried to walk on at Houston, but many of their players had extra eligibility following the pandemic, meaning there were limited spots. He finally got a shot at Nicholls State University, where he played for a season but got injured. He was then out of Division-I eligibility, so he found a spot at John Carroll, where he became a standout player.

WHAT A PLAY👀‼️ There hasn’t been many better at the Senior Bowl than John Carroll U WR Tyren Montgomery.

He goes up and snags the ball (for the 100th time it feels like) against a very good CB in Chris Johnson. Starting to see shades of day 2 for him… pic.twitter.com/cksZdhApIf

— The Draft Lives Here (@draftlives_here) January 28, 2026

Fast forward to Wednesday, and Montgomery is still unknown – or at least he was until this week. His athleticism and ball skills have made him one of the top performers. He runs routes explosively and has bested almost every cornerback on jump balls. He is absolutely getting a NFL combine invite at this point, as his draft story is just beginning.

Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez continues to make plays

It's January 28th and Jacob Rodriguez is still forcing fumblespic.twitter.com/sVPExsGGZX

— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 28, 2026

Rodriguez was one of PFF’s top graded defensive players this past season, earning a 93.0 overall grade. A big reason for that high grade was his ability to create turnovers, as he recorded seven forced fumbles and four interceptions.

That knack for forcing turnovers was alive and well on Day 2, as he recorded a forced fumble and an interception – many defenders are lucky to even get one of those through the whole week. Rodriguez might not win the weigh-ins as a linebacker at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds, but teams will love what he can do when he’s on the field.

Florida DT Caleb Banks reminds everyone why he was a projected first-rounder

The day that was for Caleb Banks. 📈

A reminder this kid is 330+ pounds… pic.twitter.com/uRnQH5PI22

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 28, 2026

Banks didn’t get a ton of snaps this past season due to a foot injury, which was a shame because he was a notable draft prospect in last year’s class who would have likely been a second-rounder but ultimately chose to return to boost his stock and get into the first round. 

Now healthy, the Senior Bowl was his chance to remind everyone that he's a first-round pick, and that’s what he did on Day 2. The 6-foot-5 and 330-pound defensive tackle looked imposing during Wednesday’s practice. He was strong in run-defense drills but was really making scouts’ eyes widen during the pass-rushing drills, as there were some snaps where he had offensive linemen hanging on for dear life.

TCUS Bud Clark is making his presence known

TCU S Bud Clark is having a DAY

Was impressive in the WR vs DB group drills. Here he here with a PBU in team drills. Definitely showing out pic.twitter.com/nxz6MmlUEY

— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) January 28, 2026

Clark was one of the standouts from Wednesday’s practice. The 6-foot-1 and 185-pound safety was flying around the ball and confidently making plays, one of which is shown above.

Clark earned an 80.1 overall defensive grade this past season with a 77.2 coverage grade and an 83.2 run-defense grade. He also earned an even better 89.8 overall defensive grade the year prior. Good tape, both at TCU and the Senior Bowl, could make him a riser throughout this draft process.

Other notable standouts

• Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter was once again dominant on Day 2 of the Senior Bowl. Expect to hear his name in Day 1 conversations
• Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor was the best offensive tackle for either team on Day 2. He is a very good athlete for his size, and you could see that a combination of confidence and athleticism allowed him to showcase starting NFL potential against some good pass-rushers.
• Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields made the play of the day – a diving full-extension 50-yard catch. Fields looks like the best of the big receivers at the event.
• Linebackers Bryce Boettcher, Owen Heinecke and Xavian Sorey were flying around practice as well. Not to say these guys will be top-50 picks, but they were showing the kind of tenacity and violent coaches love to see from the position. It was a great day for a lot of the linebackers in Mobile.