Former Mizzou star Zion Young wins Player of the Game award at Senior Bowl
By David Wasson
Published:
Senior Bowl week is the first official step every year for former collegians making the leap to the National Football League, as athletes go through several days of workouts in front of NFL scouts in Mobile, Ala., leading up to the annual game.
The longest continually running all-star game in football, the Senior Bowl commenced Saturday afternoon in Mobile – with the American roster earning a 17-9 victory over the National roster and former LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier earning MVP honors.
The Senior Bowl also honored Players of the Game from both the American and National squads, with former Missouri standout Zion Young earning the trophy off the American squad and North Dakota State product Cole Payton earning the trophy off the National squad.
Young, who had two total tackles with a solo stop in the Senior Bowl, had a stellar 2025 campaign at defensive end for Missouri. The 6-foot-5, 262-pound Young earned 20 solo tackles and 42 total stops in his senior season with 6½ sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defended.
In his four-year career that included the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Michigan State, Young finished with 50 solo tackles, 130 total stops, 11½ sacks, 5 passes defended and 3 forced fumbles.
Payton, who went 5-of-10 for 72 passing yards and added five carries for 22 yards with a 19-yard burst in the Senior Bowl, passed for 2,719 yards and 16 touchdowns against four interceptions in 2025. His four-year totals at North Dakota State included 3,190 passing yards, 1,919 rushing yards and 59 total touchdowns.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
