Hoosiers Well Represented in Senior Bowl Games
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With nearly 30 student-athletes honored on Senior Day, the Indiana football program will be well represented on the postseason bowl circuit with seven Hoosiers slated to suit up one last time in preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Bowl game times and viewing information are available below, and the NFL Draft will take place April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri, and air on ESPN/ABC/NFL Network, with the draft combine will be hosted in Indianapolis February 27-March 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Alfred Bryant – OLB – Fresno, Texas
Tropical Bowl – Saturday, Jan. 11 – 3 p.m. – VarsitySportsNetwork.org ($)
Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Florida
Bryant saw his production increase each season of this career and culminated in a career-best 45 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks as a sixth-year player. His first career sack came at Cincinnati in 2022 and he added another solo quarterback takedown against Penn State, before a two-sack game in the season finale against Purdue. He also forced one fumble on the season.
In his career, Bryant totaled 113 tackles from the defensive line/BULL position. He totaled 15.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered. He earned his liberal studies degree in December 2021.
Demarcus Elliott – DL – Garden City, Kan.
Tropical Bowl – Saturday, Jan. 11 – 3 p.m. ET – VarsitySportsNetwork.org ($)
Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Florida
After starting 42 of his 44 career games at Indiana, Elliott was a steady contributor on the defensive line with at least one tackle in 40 of those appearances. Elliott logged a career year in his first season on campus after transferring from Garden City C.C. in 2019. He totaled 35 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, with his only career forced fumble.
For his career, Elliott totaled 109 stops from his tackle spot on the line. He added 11.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks and earned his degree in psychology in December 2022.
Luke Haggard – OL – Petaluma, Calif.
East-West Shrine Bowl – Thursday, Feb. 2 – 7:30 p.m. ET – NFL Network
Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas
After playing nearly 2,000 snaps at left tackle over the past three seasons, Haggard was one of nine Big Ten offensive lineman to play 500-plus pass blocking snaps in 2022. He was the No. 9-rated offensive tackle per Pro Football Focus entering the season and ranks as the publications No. 197 prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Cam Jones – LB – Memphis, Tenn.
Reese’s Senior Bowl – Saturday, Feb. 4 – 2:30 p.m. ET – NFL Network
Hancock Whitney Stadium – Mobile, Ala.
The heart of the Indiana defense in 2022, Jones led the Big Ten in tackles through five weeks with 55, which included his first four career double-digit tackle games. He piled up seven tackles in each of his five games before suffering a season-ending injury at Nebraska. Just the third three-time captain in program history, Jones had 12 stops in a season-opening win over Illinois and later added three-straight double-digit tackle games before injury.
Also invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl, Jones finished his career with 209 tackles – 130 solo – and 13.5 tackles for loss in 47 games played. He logged eight sacks and posted 10 career takeaways (5 FF, 3 FR, 2 INT) to rank No. 2 on the team in that category. His final two seasons featured 64 tackles as a junior (11 games) and 55 as a senior (5 games) and he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten as a junior and fifth-year senior.
Devon Matthews – DB – Jacksonville, Fla.
Tropical Bowl – Saturday, Jan. 11 – 3 p.m. – VarsitySportsNetwork.org ($)
Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Florida
With 52 career appearances at Indiana, Matthews started 26 straight games from 2018-21 and 20 straight to end his career – with just three games missed due to injury in 2021. He posted a career-best 65 tackles in 2022 and added one interception to push his career total to four from the safety spot. In 2021, he posted a career-best 4.0 tackles for loss and 55 total tackles, while he broke up a career-best six passes in 2020.
Matthews graduated with his liberal studies/social and historical studies degree in May 2022 and finished his career with 216 career tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, four interceptions and 16 pass breakups.
D.J. Matthews Jr. – WR – Jacksonville, Fla.
Tropical Bowl – Saturday, Jan. 11 – 3 p.m. – VarsitySportsNetwork.org ($)
Camping World Stadium – Orlando, Florida
Matthews Jr. played in 13 of 24 career games at Indiana, with an injury limiting both his seasons in Bloomington. Wen healthy, he was a key contributor on special team and offense, with a punt return touchdown in 2021 and two receiving scores in 2022. His 2022 season featured 23 catches for 224 yards and the two scores over nine games.
He began his career at Florida State and in five collegiate seasons posted 1,198 receiving yards and 682 punt return yards. He scored 10 career touchdowns, with one rushing, seven receiving and two return scores. He earned an interdisciplinary social science degree in Dec. 2020 from Florida State.
Jaylin Williams – DB – Memphis, Tenn.
East-West Shrine Bowl – Thursday, Feb. 2 – 7:30 p.m. ET – NFL Network
Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas
A second-team All-Big Ten pick in 202, Williams made the most of his final three seasons on campus. In 2022, he totaled 40 tackles, a career-best 2.5 tackles for loss and finished with seven pass breakups. He collected a career-best 41 stops in 2021 with 11 pass breakups after ranking No. 3 in the Big Ten with four interceptions in 2020.
Also invited to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and Hula Bowl, Williams appeared in 54 of 57 career games and led the program in interceptions during his time on campus (6). He totaled 152 career stops, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. Along with his six career interceptions, Williams broke up 24 passes and force one fumble. He had an impact on special teams, as well, with a pair of blocked kicks in his career.