BLACKSBURG – The Senior Bowl and Virginia Tech Football confirmed that safety Divine Deablo and running back Khalil Herbert have both accepted invitations to participate in the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
The game is currently slated for Saturday, Jan. 21, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The contest is scheduled to be broadcast by the NFL Network.
Herbert currently leads the nation with 1,629 all-purpose yards and ranks third among Power Five players (min. five games), averaging 162.9 yards per game. The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., native leads all active ACC players with 102.0 rushing yards per game. Saturday versus Clemson he became the 14th player in Tech history to register a 1,000-yard rushing season. Herbert was named to the 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl All-Star list.
Deablo is currently tied for the ACC lead with three interceptions. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native has played in 50 career games (32 starts) for Tech, accumulating 200 total tackles (112 solo) to go along with 12.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, nine pass breakups and 14 passes defensed. After beginning his Tech career at wide receiver, he has thrived in the secondary for Tech and returned a fumble for a 98-yard TD last season at Notre Dame.
In addition to Herbert, a pair of Tech defenders – linebacker Rayshard Ashby and defensive end Justus Reed – have also been named to the 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl All-Star list. Despite the 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl being cancelled due to challenges presented by COVID-19, game organizers are announcing all-star selections throughout December to recognize outstanding senior seasons. In conjunction with the National Football League, players will participate in virtual training sessions in preparation for the NFL Draft.
The 96th annual East-West Shrine Bowl had been scheduled for January 23, 2021, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The student-athletes will participate in various virtual training/informational drills with current NFL coaches and members of the NFL Operations staff.