The North all-star team that John Fox and his Bears staff will coach next week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, was announced Wednesday.
The 53-man roster includes 22 prospects who are ranked in the top 10 at their respective positions by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. Among conferences, the Big 10 is the most well-represented with 14 players, followed by the ACC with nine.
Pittsburgh quarterback Nate Peterman threw for 2,855 yards with 27 TDs and seven picks in 2016.
The quarterbacks for the North team will be Iowa's C.J. Beathard, Pittsburgh's Nate Peterman and Colorado's Sefo Liufau. Beathard, the grandson of former NFL executive Bobby Beathard, passed for 5,562 yards with 40 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in four seasons at Iowa. A two-year starter at Pittsburgh, Peterman threw for 2,287 yards with 20 TDs and eight interceptions in 2015 and 2,855 yards with 27 TDs and seven picks in 2016.
Other North team prospects on offense include running backs Corey Clement (Wisconsin) and Jamaal Williams (Brigham Young), receiver Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), fullback Sam Rogers (Virginia Tech), tight end Jeremy Sprinkle (Arkansas), tackles Taylor Moton (Western Michigan) and Zach Banner (USC), guards Dan Feeney (Indiana), Dorian Johnson (Pittsburgh) and Jordan Morgan (Kutztown), and centers Tyler Orlosky (West Virginia) and Kyle Fuller (Baylor).
Clement was named first-team All-Big 10 after rushing for 1,375 yards and 15 touchdowns on 314 carries this season. Coincidentally, Williams rushed for the same number of yards as Clement (1,375) in 2016 with 12 TDs on 234 attempts.
Kupp is an intriguing prospect; he played at an FCS school (formerly known as Division I-AA) but was ultra-productive, becoming college football's all-time leading receiver with 6,464 career yards. He's also the all-time FCS leader with 428 receptions and 73 TD catches, and won the Walter Payton Award in 2015 as the top offensive player at the FCS level.
The North team's defense will resemble a Big 10 all-star team, led by tackles Jaleel Johnson (Iowa) and Ryan Glasgow (Michigan), inside linebacker Ben Gedeon (Michigan), outside linebacker Vince Biegel (Wisconsin) and cornerback Jourdan Lewis (Michigan).
ESPN analyst Todd McShay ranks Lewis as the 27th best player in the draft—the highest ranking for any prospect on the north squad. McShay writes that "Lewis has some size limitations [at 5-11 and 186 pounds], but he's the top man-to-man cover corner I saw in college football this season. Lewis has shown the ability to lock down half the field with regularity."
Click here to see the complete North team roster.
Bears head coach John Fox and his staff will coach the North squad in the annual Senior Bowl on Saturday Jan. 28. Practices will be held Jan. 24-26. Here's a look at players on the North roster. Not all players are pictured.
3 Sefo Liufau QB, 6-4, 240 lbs, Colorado, Pac-12
4 Chidobe Awuzie, CB, 6-0, 205 lbs, Colorado, Pac-12
4 Nate Peterman, QB, 6-2, 225 lbs, Pittsburgh, ACC
5 Trent Taylor, WR, 5-8, 178 lbs, Louisiana Tech, C-USA
5 Zane Gonzalez, K, 6-1, 195 lbs, Arizona State, Pac-12
6 Corey Clement, RB, 5-11, 227 lbs, Wisconsin, Big Ten
7 Zay Jones, WR, 6-1, 197 lbs, East Carolina, AAC
9 John Johnson, S, 6-0, 202 lbs, Boston College, ACC
10 Cooper Kupp, WR, 6-2, 215 lbs, Eastern Washington, FCS
12 Jamari Staples, WR, 6-4, 195 lbs, Louisville, ACC
13 Rasul Douglas, CB, 6-2, 203 lbs, West Virginia, Big 12
14 Desmond King, CB, 5-11, 203 lbs, Iowa, Big Ten
15 C.J. Beathard, QB, 6-2, 215 lbs, Iowa, Big Ten
17 Amba Etta-Tawo, WR, 6-2, 202 lbs, Syracuse, ACC
20 Obi Melifonwu, S, 6-3, 217 lbs, Connecticut, AAC
21 Jamaal Williams, RB, 6-2, 220 lbs, Brigham Young, IND
24 Nate Gerry, S, 6-2, 220 lbs, Nebraska, Big Ten
25 Josh Harvey-Clemons, S, 6-5, 228 lbs, Louisville, ACC
26 Jourdan Lewis, CB, 5-11, 186 lbs, Michigan, Big Ten
31 Brendan Langley, CB, 6-1, 190 lbs, Lamar, FCS
33 Kareem Hunt, RB, 6-0, 225 lbs, Toledo, MAC
42 Ben Gedeon, ILB, 6-3, 247 lbs, Michigan, Big Ten
43 Chris Wormley, DE, 6-6, 303 lbs, Michigan, Big Ten
45 Sam Rogers, FB, 5-11, 230 lbs, Virginia Tech, ACC
47 Vince Biegel, OLB, 6-4, 245 lbs, Wisconsin, Big Ten
49 Colin Holba, LS, 6-5, 245 lbs, Louisville, ACC
51 Harvey Langi, ILB, 6-3, 249 lbs, Brigham Young, IND
53 Dorian Johnson, G, 6-5, 315 lbs, Pittsburgh, ACC
55 Kyle Fuller, C, 6-5, 315 lbs, Baylor, Big 12
56 Carroll Phillips, OLB, 6-3, 240 lbs, Illinois, Big Ten
57 Haason Reddick, ILB, 6-1, 230 lbs, Temple, AAC
65 Tyler Orlosky, C, 6-4, 296 lbs, West Virginia, Big 12
66 Dion Dawkins, G, 6-5, 320 lbs, Temple, AAC
69 Adam Bisnowaty, T, 6-6, 305 lbs, Pittsburgh, ACC
70 Julién Davenport, T, 6-7, 315 lbs, Bucknell, FCS
73 Zach Banner, T, 6-9, 360 lbs, USC, Pac-12
82 Amara Darboh, WR, 6-2, 215 lbs, Michigan, Big Ten
83 Jeremy Sprinkle, TE, 6-6, 256 lbs, Arkansas, SEC
87 Jonnu Smith, TE, 6-3, 232 lbs, Florida International, C-USA
90 Isaac Rochell, DE, 6-4, 290 lbs, Notre Dame, IND
91 Dawuane Smoot, DE, 6-3, 255 lbs, Illinois, Big Ten
94 Derek Rivers, OLB, 6-5, 255 lbs, Youngstown State, FCS
96 Ryan Glasgow, DT, 6-4, 299 lbs, Michigan, Big Ten
97 Jaleel Johnson, DT, 6-4, 310 lbs, Iowa, Big Ten
