Senior Bowl Director Highlights Two Illini As Future Draft Picks
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The executive director of the Senior Bowl game has given indication that Illinois’ drought of drafted players could end soon.
Jim Nagy, who is one of the more important figures in the NFL Draft process and runs the most important postseason game for draft-eligible players, sent out a message that the Senior Bowl is already intrigued by two Illini players.
“.@IlliniFootball went to first bowl game since ‘14 last year and Lovie Smith returns two ascending @seniorbowl prospects on defense,” Nagy tweeted. “OLB Milo Eifler is a twitchy high ceiling athlete that flashes and CB Nate Hobbs is aggressive and has NFL cover skills. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE”.”
Nagy, who was an 18-year NFL scout before being in control of the Senior Bowl in 2018, identified linebacker Milo Eifler and cornerback Nate Hobbs as two Illinois players that could be selected to the North team to play in Mobile, Alabama after the 2020 season. Nagy was part of scouting departments for teams that appeared in six Super Bowls, including four winners (Green Bay Packers XXXI, New England Patriots XXXVIII, New England Patriots XXXIX, and Seattle Seahawks XLVIII).
Illinois went without a player selected in the 2020 NFL draft and that occurrence has taken place in four of the last seven years of the draft. However, this Illini senior class includes several potential draft picks including Eifler, Hobbs, wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe, right tackle Alex Palczewski, center Doug Kramer and punter Blake Hayes. Kendrick Green, who is set to be a rising junior offensive guard this fall, is a player who could leave Champaign-Urbana early because NFL scouts are already drawn to the Peoria native offensive lineman.
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Eifler, who had a sack in his return to his home state at the end of last season in the 2019 Redbox Bowl loss to California, finished the last season with 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery. Eifler is part of a trio of Illini linebackers that have started games in their college career along with middle linebacker Jake Hansen and junior-to-be Khalan Tolson.
Eifler, who is a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker from Berkely, Calif., was a four-star prospect out of high school and ultimately chose Washington over offers from California, Oregon, UCLA, Michigan, Utah and others. After two years at Washington where he never got established in a starting role, he began to be part of Illinois head coach Lovie Smith's plan to transform Illinois via the transfer portal.
“A lot of people like to label west coast football as soft just because they’re throwing for 300 yards a game instead of running for 300 a game,” Eifler said. “I can tell you California athletes can compete with anybody in anything. Trust me.”
Hobbs, a 6-foot- and 190-pound defensive back, will enter the preseason camp in August as a four-year starter at cornerback at Illinois. Hobbs has started 30 of his 34 games played during his college career and received All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention honors following 67 tackles, a team-leading 11 pass breakups, 5.5 tackles for loss and one interception. Hobbs had a 36-yard fumble return for a touchdown in a win over Rutgers. Hobbs, a Louisville, Kentucky native, recorded a career-high 10 tackles last season vs. then-No. 6 Wisconsin to help Illinois win 24-23 and complete one of the biggest upsets in Big Ten Conference history.
