Two Hilltoppers, graduate transfer Bailey Zappe and 2019 Conference USA Defensive Player of Year DeAngelo Malone, were named to the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watchlist Thursday morning.

Zappe is one of 26 quarterbacks to make the list while Malone is one of 69 linebackers to make the cut. The Reese’s Senior Bowl brings some of college football’s best seniors together after the regular season for a nationally televised game to help boost players’ draft stock.

Zappe is entering his first year on the Hill after a record-breaking season with Houston Baptist in 2020. He was named the Southland Conference Fall Player of the Year that season after throwing for 1,833 yards and 15 touchdowns with only one interception across just four games. He threw for 458.3 passing yards a game, which led all of college football. Zappe put up 567 yards against Texas Tech on Sept. 12, 2020, the most ever for an FCS quarterback against an FBS defense.

Malone has been a fixture in WKU’s defense during his time as a Hilltopper. He was named 2019 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year after racking up 11.5 sacks to go along with 99 tackles and 21 tackles for loss. The Georgia native followed up his stellar 2019 season by tallying 71 tackles and 11 tackles for loss to go along with six sacks in 2020. He earned All-C-USA First Team Honors for the second consecutive season. 

The full watchlist can be found here.

Football reporter Wyatt Sparkman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @wyattsparkman3.