Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen officially accepted the invite in November to play in this year's Reese's Senior Bowl. Assuming he still plans to play, Allen is likely to land on the South squad.
The @seniorbowl is excited to announce that @UKFootball OLB Josh Allen has officially accepted his invite to our 70th annual game! NFL decision-makers love talented players that want to compete and Allen is that guy. Congrats, @JoshAllen41_! pic.twitter.com/G8ZTCirkcB
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) November 16, 2018
Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the 49ers staff will be coaching the South squad on January 26 in Mobile, Alabama. Allen, a linebacker at Kentucky, was not listed among the Senior Bowl linebackers on Monday. He could, however, have elected instead to play defensive end to better showcase his pass rushing skills.
Allen, one of the best pass rushers in this year's rookie class, is expected to be among the players selected at the top of the draft order. The 49ers own the No. 2 overall pick, and if the Arizona Cardinals choose Nick Bosa of Ohio State, Allen could find himself headed to Santa Clara.
Why are we assuming Allen will land on the Shanahan-led squad and not the North squad, which will be coached by Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders staff? Because when the defensive backs were announced on Tuesday, three Kentucky players landed on the South squad. The Senior Bowl typically keeps college teammates together.
Good news, #49ers fans! It looks like all 3 Kentucky DBs are on the South squad. The Senior Bowl tends to keep teammates together, so Josh Allen should be on the South squad as well, as long as he's still in the game (not listed among LBs, but may have elected to be a DE) #49wz https://t.co/GJeVjRyi0O
— Aaron Erickson (@EricksonAaron44) January 15, 2019
The #49ers were given 3 Kentucky DBs in the Senior Bowl. That should mean Kentucky pass rusher Josh Allen is on the South Team as well. We will find out for sure tomorrow. https://t.co/xX1yO8LPPL
— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) January 15, 2019
Again, this is all assuming Allen still plans to participate. If he doesn't and would rather focus on preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine next month, none of this really matters.
Complete rosters for the Reese's Senior Bowl are scheduled to be released on Wednesday. That is when we will officially learn Allen's Senior Bowl fate.