Why two Hurricanes came, top two QBs in Mobile and more Senior Bowl notes
Markel Bell had no reason to show up to the Senior Bowl.
A little more than a week ago, the Miami Hurricanes offensive tackle suffered a heartbreaking 27-21 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff National Championship. That loss along with the NFL Combine being just around the corner led many of his teammates including cornerback Keionte Scott, safety Jakobe Thomas as well as edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akeem Mesidor to pull out last minute.
Bell, however, chose to stay.
“I just want to come out here and compete,” Bell said. “I want to show my talent. I want to eliminate any doubts that anyone of the scouts had about me.”
His fellow Hurricane, center James Brockermeyer, came to a similar conclusion.
“I thought it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Brockermeyer said. “I got the opportunity to play one last game with the U on the side of my helmet, so I’m excited.”
With the amount of high-level talent along the interior and edges of the defensive line, both Brockermeyer and Bell will surely be tested in the coming days.
Any bad blood between Indiana, UM?
When the American team rosters were posted, one thing stood out.
A Hoosier was on the same team as two Hurricanes.
After a closely contested game, it’s worth wondering if Indiana tailback Kaelon Black has talked any trash to Bell and Brockermeyer. Fortunately, the Hoosiers carry the victory with grace.
“It’s definitely been blessing to be able to come out and represent Indiana University,” Black said, later adding he hasn’t talked any trash because he “could only imagine how they're feeling after that. I just leave them alone.”
Green vs. Nussmeier
The two top quarterbacks in Mobile are clear.
Louisiana State’s Garrett Nussmeier and Arkansas’s Taylen Green.
Despite an up-and-down senior season that saw the signal caller get hampered by injury, Nussmeier came to Mobile in need of huge boost to his draft stock after initially starting the season as one of the top prospects of the 2026 NFL Draft. Concerns about his height (6-foot-1-inch), regression in 2025 and arm overconfidence are valid. His positive traits — quick processor and high football IQ as the result of being a coach’s son — could force a quarterback-needy team to take a chance on him during the later rounds.
“Growing up, I was never the biggest kid, so I always had to anticipate and process things faster than most so that’s helped me become who I am as a quarterback,” Nussmeier said. “Just using that as my superpower. For me, that’s kind of my biggest advantage.”
Take one look at Green, however, and it’s hard not to see future NFL quarterback — based solely on his 6-6inch frame. The issue: too many picks (a career-high 11 as a senior) and accuracy concerns (61.3% completion as a freshman that fell to 60.7% in his final year) raise questions about whether he’s truly grown as a passer. Still, the raw ability and dual-threat ability — he rushed for 777 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior) — are certainly there.
“Just being able to see” the field, Green said. “A lot of people that are my size can’t move the way that I move or be agile or accelerate, so I’ll use that to my advantage.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 4:20 PM.
