
Why the Senior Bowl will be the Dolphins' first chance to revamp for 2025
The Miami Dolphins need help.
Just take a look at the Herald series 'Praise, Problems and Possibilities' courtesy of Dolphins columnist Omar Kelly. From both offensive and defensive line to safety to running back, there's not a single position that wouldn't benefit from the addition of several pieces.
Luckily, that's where the Reese's Senior Bowl comes in. With activities that run Jan. 28-Feb. 1 in Mobile, the Senior Bowl gives NFL evaluators the first chance to dissect talent first-hand. Chances are, if you want to build a good team, the ability to find a few hidden gems within the Senior Bowl will always been a plus.
Many a Pro Bowler has been first spotted in Mobile including receiver Puka Nacua (2023), tight end Trey McBride (2022) and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson (2022). The Dolphins themselves has even had success, finding 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Jason Taylor in 1997. Last year, the Dolphins drafted two 2024 Senior Bowl participants in Patrick Paul and Jaylen Wright, who missed the actual game due to injury.
Invitees to the 2025 iteration include reigning College Football Playoff National Championship-winning quarterback Will Howard (Ohio State), do-it-all Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo as well as several University of Miami Hurricanes in receiver Xavier Restrepo, tailback Damien Martinez and tight end Elijah Arroyo.
The Dolphins, which should have roughly 10 draft picks once the compensatory selections are worked out, especially need help in the trenches and at safety. That means they'll likely be focused on several prospects including Purdue offensive guard Marcus Mbow, Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou, Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Micah Parsons: Waiting on contract extension is going to cost Cowboys more
No one can figure out what the Cowboys are doing by waiting to sign their star players to contract extensions. They have even edge rusher Micah Parsons puzzled. Parsons became eligible for a contract extension after the 2023 season. He still is waiting. The four-time Pro Bowler acknowledged he plans to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, and with edge rushers T.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson also awaiting contract extensions, Parsons said it's likely going to cost Jerry Jones more money. 'It's going to cost them more,' Parsons told Clarence Hill of All City DLLS on Thursday. Parsons and Jones confirmed to Hill they had a handshake deal in March, but Jones never called Parsons' agent, David Mulugheta, to finalize it. Parsons told Hill he has seen the deal Watt is seeking from the Steelers, and it is more than he and Jones discussed. Thus, Parsons expects that his final number will go higher than originally thought. The highest-paid non-quarterback is Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who is making $40.25 million annually. Parsons is hopeful of completing a deal before the Cowboys begin training camp on July 21. Otherwise, he said he will report but not practice. He is headed into the final year of his rookie deal scheduled to make $24 million on the fifth-year option.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Who Clemson would have played in 2024 under new College Football Playoff seeding format
CLEMSON — The College Football Playoff will undergo another change after expanding from four teams to 12 last season. The College Football Playoff Management Committee voted May 22 to move to a straight-seeing format, where teams will be seeded Nos. 1 through 12 based on the selection committee's rankings. Advertisement Last year's structure allowed the top four seeds to be determined by the highest-ranked conference champions, allowing lower-ranked teams (Boise State, Arizona State) to land byes over teams that were ranked higher (Texas, Penn State). Now, teams will be seeded in the order they are ranked with the top four seeds earning a bye in the quarterfinals. Conference champions will still get automatic bids but will be seeded based on rankings. Clemson football made the CFP last year after winning the ACC championship to snap its three-year drought. It was a No. 12 seed and faced No. 5 seed Texas in the first round in Austin. The Longhorns beat the Tigers 38-24 to advance to the second round to face No. 4 seed Arizona State in the Peach Bowl Here's how Clemson's CFP path would have changed with the new seeding format. Clemson's 2024 CFP path under new seeding format Clemson would have remained the No. 12 seed after winning the ACC because the selection committee ranked the Tigers at No. 16. However, the Tigers would have faced No. 5 seed Notre Dame. The winner would face No. 4 seed Penn State in the Peach Bowl in the quarterfinals. Advertisement Clemson and Notre Dame have a storied rivalry, playing each other eight times with the Tigers leading the all-time series 5-3. The Fighting Irish are 2-1 at home vs. Clemson, winning the previous two matchups in 2020 and 2022. Clemson's lone road win came in 1979. Both have combined for 10 CFP appearances, including two national championships for Clemson and a championship berth for Notre Dame last season. They also agreed to an annual home-and-home football series starting in 2027 that will run for 12 years. SUCCESS: How much Clemson grossed in alcohol sales at Savannah Bananas, spring football, baseball, softball Here's how the rest of the CFP schedule would have looked under the new format: Advertisement No. 1 Oregon (Big Ten champion), No. 2 Georgia (SEC champion), No. 3 Texas (SEC at-large team) and No. 4 Penn State (Big Ten at-large) would have earned first-round byes. Oregon would have faced the winner of a first-round matchup between No. 8 Indiana (Big Ten at-large) and No. 9 Boise State (Group of 5 conference champion). Georgia would have faced the winner of a first-round matchup between No. 7 Tennessee (SEC at-large) and No. 10 SMU (ACC at-large). Texas would have faced the winner of a first-round matchup between No. 6 Ohio State (Big Ten at-large) and No. 11 Arizona State (Big 12 champion). Penn State would have faced the winner of a first-round matchup between No. 5 Notre Dame (independent at-large) and No. 12 Clemson (ACC champion). Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@ and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00 This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: Who Tigers would have played in CFP under new format
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Five games that will decide if Dabo Swinney, Clemson return to College Football Playoff
CLEMSON — Clemson returned to the College Football Playoff in 2024 for the first time in three seasons. The next step will be reaching its first national championship game since the 2019 season. The Tigers made the CFP after winning the ACC championship against SMU. They earned the No. 12 seed and lost to No. 5 Texas in the first round 38-24. Advertisement Clemson coach Dabo Swinney's team returns a wealth of experienced starters, including quarterback Cade Klubnik, and it added new defensive coordinator Tom Allen for 2025. ESPN's Football Power Index projects Clemson will win nine or 10 regular-season games, with a 34% chance to win the conference; a 47.3% chance to make the CFP; a 6.8% chance to make the national championship; and a 2.8% chance to win it all. Here's a look at which games could be the difference between making and missing the College Football Playoff in Swinney's 18th season. Clemson football schedule 2025: Expected results Before getting into the key games, here are the expected results for Clemson. Advertisement The Tigers should defeat Troy, a Group of Five program, and Furman, an in-state FCS school. They will face eight conference opponents and should defeat Syracuse, North Carolina, Boston College and Duke. If they lose any of those games, the margin of error becomes slimmer. A matchup that just missed the cut of being key-game consideration is Clemson vs. Florida State on Nov. 8. The Seminoles should be much improved after their disastrous 2024 season (last in the ACC), but Clemson likely will be able to handle them with relative ease. MORE: House settlement approves revenue sharing. Here's how Clemson will pay players Clemson vs. LSU on Aug. 30 This game (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) is one of the marquee matchups of Week 1. It will be a rematch of the 2020 national championship game, which LSU won 42-25, and a battle between top-10 teams as both feature prominent coaches, Swinney and Brian Kelly, and quarterbacks who could be first-round selections in the 2026 NFL Draft: Klubnik and Garrett Nussmeier. Advertisement This game could be a résumé booster if they need to get an at-large bid for the CFP. Each also is looking to earn a Week 1 win for the first time in years. Clemson has not won a season-opening game since 2022; LSU has not won one since 2019. DraftKings Sportsbook has Clemson as a 3-point favorite. Clemson at Georgia Tech on Sept. 13 The Yellow Jackets are primed for a leap in Brent Key's third full season as a coach. They showed fight despite their 7-6 record in 2024, including their eight-overtime loss to Georgia to close the regular season. They also return sixth-year quarterback Haynes King. It is the Tigers' first time at Georgia Tech since 2020. They have won the past nine matchups, and this will be both teams' first conference game. The result will set the tone for how it will perform in ACC play. Clemson vs. SMU on Oct. 18 Clemson will face SMU in a rematch of last year's ACC championship. The Tigers won 34-31 on Nolan Hauser's 56-yard field goal. Advertisement ESPN's FPI projects the Mustangs as the third-best team in the conference in 2025, predicting them to win eight or nine games, with a 10.8% chance to win the ACC. They lost key contributors from their roster but return quarterback Kevin Jennings, who threw for 304 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against Clemson in the ACC title game. Clemson at Louisville on Nov. 14 Coach Jeff Brohm's team nearly ruined Clemson's CFP chances last season after it beat the Tigers 33-21 for the first time ever. The Cardinals lost quarterback Tyler Shough but added Southern California transfer Miller Moss to replace him and retained experienced players. This game is on a Friday and is the Tigers' final regular-season ACC matchup (with South Carolina and Furman after that). They are 4-0 in road games at Louisville, including a 30-24 win in their last game in 2021. They must avoid another mishap in their bid to make the conference championship game. Clemson at South Carolina on Nov. 29 The Palmetto Bowl will take center stage in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gamecocks shocked Clemson last year, winning 17-14 behind quarterback LaNorris Sellers' late-game heroics. He returns for a potential final showdown against Klubnik. Advertisement South Carolina is looking for its first CFP bid, and a win against Clemson will boost its résumé. Still, Clemson has won each of its past five road games at Williams-Brice Stadium. Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@ and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00 This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football schedule 2025: Key games for Dabo Swinney, CFP hopes