SAN DIEGO -- Six San Diego State football players were named to the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List on Thursday. The Reese's Senior Bowl is the nation's most prestigious college all-star game, serving annually as the first step of the NFL Draft process.
The six Aztec seniors on the watch list - running back Greg Bell, tight end Daniel Bellinger, cornerback Tayler Hawkins, linebacker Caden McDonald, offensive lineman Zachary Thomas and safety Trenton Thompson - are the most in the Mountain West, tied for the most among Group of 5 schools and tied for the 19th-most selections in the country.
Last season, Bell ran for 637 yards on 113 attempts (5.6 avg.) and six touchdowns in seven games, while adding 11 catches for 114 yards (10.4 avg.) and another touchdown. Bell became the first player in SDSU's storied running back history to begin his Aztec career with three straight (and four straight) 100-yard rushing games. Bell averaged 91.0 rushing yards per game despite effectively missing the better part of three games. He also has been named to the Mackey Award Watch List (college player of the year), and a preseason second-team all-MW selection by Phil Steele Magazine, Athlon Sports and Lindy's Sports, and a third-team pick by Pro Football Focus.
Bellinger was an honorable-mention all-Mountain West selection last season, starting all eight games and making 21 catches for 203 yards (9.7 avg.) with a long of 21 yards. Bellinger has also been named to the Mackey Award Watch List (outstanding collegiate tight end) and was a preseason fourth-team all-MW pick by Phil Steele Magazine.
A year ago Hawkins totaled 38 tackles (24 solo), an interception and three pass breakups in eight starts (four a boundary warrior and three at cornerback). For his efforts, he was named an honorable-mention all-MW pick. This season Hawkins has received preseason all-MW accolades from Athlon Sports (second team), Phil Steele Magazine (third team) and Pro Football Focus (honorable mention).
McDonald is coming off a breakout season in 2020 where he was a first-team all-MW selection after totaling 34 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss for 48 yards, 4.5 sacks for 33 yards, 10 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and a forced fumble, starting all eight of the team's games. This preseason McDonald is on the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Award (most outstanding defensive player) and the Chuck Bednarik Award (college defensive player of the year), as well as a preseason first-team all-MW selection by the league's media and Athlon Sports, a second-team pick by Phil Steele Magazine and Lindy's Sports, and a fourth-team honoree by Pro Football Focus.
Thomas is the projected left tackle for SDSU in 2021 after garnering second-team all-MW honors last year while playing right tackle. Thomas started all eight games in 2020 and was a member of a team that was named to the Joe Moore Midseason Honor Roll for the best offensive line (one of only two MW teams (also Air Force)). Thomas allowed just two sacks in 220 passing plays (0.91 pct.) and four pressures (1.82 pct.), while not recording a penalty in 560 offensive snaps. He is on the Outland Trophy Award Watch List (most outstanding interior lineman), and is a consensus preseason first-team all-MW selection (MW media, Phil Steele Magazine, Athlon Sports, Lindy's Sports and Pro Football Focus).
Thompson, meanwhile, had 36 tackles (26 solo) in the 2021 season in seven games (four starts), including 4.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a blocked kick. One of only three current Aztecs with four letters (also Andrew Aleki and Hawkins), Thompson has been named a preseason all-MW second-team selection by Pro Football Focus, a third-team pick by Phil Steele Magazine and a fourth-team selection by Athlon Sports.
The Reese's Senior Bowl had 106 total players drafted and 36 selected in the first three rounds of this year's NFL Draft. The next Reese's Senior Bowl will be held Feb. 5, 2022 and broadcast on the NFL Network. Practices will be live on ESPN and NFL Network hosts a daily recap show each evening in primetime.
SDSU finished 4-4 last year with its four losses coming to teams that went a combined 29-6 (.829).
San Diego State will play seven of its 12 games in 2021 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., and will have only one road contest over the first six weeks of the season. The 2021 home slate features high-profile games against Utah, Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada. Five of the six FBS opponents that the Aztecs will play host to this season finished the 2020 campaign with a .500 or better record. SDSU opens 2021 at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday, Sept. 4 against New Mexico State.
San Diego State football single-game tickets, season tickets and three-game mini plans are all on sale. For more information, click visit GoAztecs.com/tickets. For questions, please contact the Aztec Athletic Ticket Office, either by email at aztix@sdsu.edu, or by phone at 619-283-7378.
Six Aztecs on 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
