The Senior Bowl is still holding a spot open for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner has yet to accept an invitation to the top college all-star game, and it appears the game will hold a spot open for him if he arrives late. Practices are underway for Saturday’s game, the last chance players have to play on the field before NFL coaches and scouts.
Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage said Monday it is the Senior Bowl’s belief Mariota has chosen not to participate in this week’s all-star game. Savage joked the deadline for Mariota to show up to play in the game will be 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, just in time for kickoff to this year’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
Should Mariota arrive to play in the game, he would be the fourth quarterback on the roster for the North team, joining Oregon State’s Sean Mannion, East Carolina’s Shane Carden and Baylor’s Bryce Petty. Alabama’s Blake Sims, Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson and Auburn’s Nick Marshall are the quarterbacks on the South roster. Marshall was a late addition to the Senior Bowl line-up as a result of Mariota’s delayed or lack of response.
Mariota is leaving school early to enter the NFL Draft, but rule changes for the Senior Bowl instituted a couple of years ago allow for players like Mariota to be invited to participate in the game.
UPDATE (12:47 p.m.): NFL.com reports Mariota has turned down his invite to the Senior Bowl.