Two former North Dakota State University football players competed in the 2021 Reese's Senior Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 30, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The game was televised nationally on NFL Network.
Offensive tackle Dillon Radunz wore No. 75 for the National team coached by the Miami Dolphins staff, and linebacker Jabril Cox wore No. 19 for the American team coached by the Carolina Panthers staff. The National team won 27-24.
Radunz, who graduated from NDSU in December 2020, was named the Overall Practice Player of the Week for his performance leading up to the game.
Pro Football Focus graded Radunz second among all offensive players at the Senior Bowl.
Radunz played in NDSU's only game of the 2020 fall season before beginning his professional training. He was the first player invited to the 2021 Reese's Senior Bowl and accepted the invitation in a surprise announcement by Bison head coach
Matt Entz in the postgame locker room on Oct. 3.
Cox, who graduated from NDSU in May 2020, transferred to play his final collegiate season at LSU. He was the third-leading tackler for the Tigers (5-5) during the fall 2020 season with 58 total tackles including 6.5 tackles for loss plus three interceptions and five pass breakups.
Cox is one of three Bison expected to be selected in the 2021 NFL Draft along with Radunz and quarterback Trey Lance, a sophomore who declared his intent to begin a professional career after NDSU's win over Central Arkansas in October.
Radunz and Cox bring North Dakota State's total number of Senior Bowl participants to 10, including eight since the program's move to Division I in 2004:
- 1985 - Stacy Robinson, WR
- 2002 - Lamar Gordon, RB
- 2008 - Mike Dragosavich, P
- 2014 - Billy Turner, OT
- 2016 - Joe Haeg, OT
- 2016 - Carson Wentz, QB
- 2018 - Nick DeLuca, LB
- 2019 - Bruce Anderson, RB
- 2021 - Jabril Cox, LB
- 2021 - Dillon Radunz, OT
