Badgers have 13 players on 2025 Senior Bowl watch list

Wisconsin has a lot of veteran talent heading into this season.

Wisconsin offensive lineman Jack Nelson (79) goes through a drill during spring practice at the McClain Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Tuesday April 2, 2024. / Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Badgers football team had only two players selected in the 2024 NFL draft, the program's fewest players selected since 2016. Heading into Year 2 of the Luke Fickell era, there is plenty of veteran talent already on the minds of league scouts.

The Senior Bowl was originally designed as a post-season college football all-star game, but it has become one of the most important pre-draft evaluations for prospective NFL hopefuls. The event released a preseason watch list, and the Badgers had 13 players mentioned.

1️⃣3️⃣ Badgers made the 2025 @seniorbowl Watchlist 👐#BestOfTheBest #TheDraftStartsInMobile pic.twitter.com/7qxR4im0tX

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) August 21, 2024

Badgers on 2025 Senior Bowl watchlist (13 players)

• Tyler Van Dyke, QB
• Chez Mellusi, RB
• Will Pauling, WR
• Joe Huber, OL
• Riley Mahlman, OL
• Jack Nelson, OL
• Jake Renfro, OL
• Jaheim Thomas, LB
• John Pius, OLB
• James Thompson Jr., DL
• RJ Delancy III, DB
• Ricardo Hallman, DB
• Hunter Wohler, DB

The Senior Bowl is designed to showcase the best NFL draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility, but with so many changes to eligibility rules in recent years, the term senior has changed dramatically. Players like Pauling, Mahlman and Hallman all have eligibility remaining past the 2024 season, but it will be their fourth year of college ball, making them eligible.

Long snapper Peter Bowden and offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini were the only Wisconsin players represented in last year's game. Fickell has a much more veteran team in 2024, so it seems like there will be a lot more options for evaluators to choose from next spring.