WILLIAMSBURG — After establishing himself as one of college football’s elite players and top NFL prospects, William & Mary All-America linebacker John Pius was selected to the 2024 Senior Bowl Watchlist.
The watch list is comprised of the nation’s top NFL Draft prospects and was selected by the Senior Bowl staff that includes 11 scouts with more than 200 years of NFL experience.
The Senior Bowl is college football’s longest continual-running all-star game and has produced more than 100 NFL draft picks in each of the last three years. More than 900 NFL personnel, including key decision-makers from all 32 teams, were credentialed last year.
Earlier this month, Pius was chosen to the 2023 Butkus Award Watch List, which honors the nation’s top collegiate linebackers. He was the lone Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) player on the watch list.
Honored as an All-American by seven organizations last year, Pius was voted as the runner up for the 2022 Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the national defensive player of the year in the FCS. Additionally, he was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year and the Virginia Defensive Player of the Year by VaSID.
En route to garnering the accolades, Pius ranked fourth nationally in sacks (11.5) and fifth in TFL (19). A two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Week, the Arlington, Va., native led W&M in tackles (72) and quarterback hurries (12).
Ranked fourth nationally in multiple preseason polls, W&M is coming off a historic 2022 campaign in which it equaled a school record with 11 victories, advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals and won a share of the CAA title.
Led by 2022 Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Finalist Mike London, the Tribe returns a host of talent on both sides of the ball this fall as it looks to defend its CAA title and make a return to the NCAA Playoffs. Tickets are on sale and available at TribeAthletics.com.
The Tribe will open its 2023 slate at Campbell on Thursday, Aug. 31, while its home opener at Zable Stadium against Wofford will be the following weekend (Sept. 9).
