This weekend, all eyes will be on SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA as the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams face off in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday night.
The Big Ten is well-represented in the NFL’s final game of the season, with a combined 21 B1G alumni combined on the Bengals and Rams rosters. Here are the Big Ten representatives on the Cincinnati Bengals.
CINCINNATI BENGALS.....
RB Chris Evans (Michigan)
The rookie out of Michigan has seen a bit of postseason action so far, with two rushes for 13 yards and one total tackle. Evans is fourth on the Bengals in postseason rushing yards.
WR Stanley Morgan Jr. (Nebraska)
Morgan Jr. caught two passes for 11 yards in the regular season, but has yet to play in a playoff game for the Bengals.
OT Isaiah Prince (Ohio State)
Prince has been a mainstay on Cincinnati’s offensive line this season and has started the last six consecutive games for the Bengals. The Bengals are 5-1 in that six-game stretch.
DE Sam Hubbard (Ohio State)
Hubbard came up big in the AFC Championship, recording two of his three playoff sacks on consecutive plays against the Chiefs. Kansas City had gotten to Cincinnati’s four-yard line before Hubbard stopped QB Patrick Mahomes twice, forcing a fumble on third and goal to take the Chiefs out of the red zone. Hubbard also has 14 total tackles this postseason.
LB Keandre Jones (Maryland)
Jones has been part of the special teams unit for Cincinnati since Week 14 and has played 49 snaps in the postseason.
LB Markus Bailey (Purdue)
Bailey has recorded five total tackles this postseason for the Bengals and has appeared in 68 total snaps, 53 of which on special teams.
CB Eli Apple (Ohio State)
Apple has recorded 16 total tackles and two pass deflections, one of which caused a vital interception in closing stages of the AFC Divisional round against the Titans. He also tackled the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill short of the goal line just before halftime of the AFC Championship, keepign the score at 21-10 as Cincinnati eased an 18-point deficit to win, 27-24.
CB Trae Waynes (Michigan St.)
Waynes, while recording 11 total tackles in the regular season, one riddled with injury and Covid, he’s played 10 snaps for special teams in the playoffs for Cincinnati.
S Vonn Bell (Ohio State)
Bell has been a menace on defense for Cincinnati, recording 16 total tackles (12 solo), one sack and an interception. His interception is the reason the Bengals are even in the Super Bowl as he caught the deflection off a pass to Tyreek Hill in overtime of the AFC Championship to give the Bengals the ball back after losing the OT coin toss to Kansas City. The rest is history.
S Ricardo Allen (Purdue)
Allen has one solo tackle this postseason for the Bengals in their Wild Card Weekend victory over the Las Vegas Raiders and has seen 27 snaps on special teams.
LS Clark Harris (Rutgers)
The 13-year NFL vet and 12-year long snapper of the Bengals has appeared in 26 special teams snaps for Cincinnati this postseason.
LOS ANGELES RAMS.....
And here are the representatives from the Rams.
RB Jake Funk (Maryland)
Funk has been a depth running back option for the Rams this entire season, rushing for just five yards on two carries in the regular season and six yards on two carries in the postseason.
TE Brycen Hopkins (Purdue)
Hopkins has yet to catch a pass this postseason, playing in 23 total offensive/special teams snaps between the Wild Card and Divisional round games.
OL AJ Jackson (Iowa)
Jackson appeared in 61 snaps and 21 special teams snaps during the regular season, allowing just one sack. He has yet to appear in a playoff game for the Rams this postseason.
OL David Edwards (Wisconsin)
Edwards has been one of LA’s main starting guards this postseason and has yet to allow a sack this postseason after allowing just six in the regular season over nearly 1,100 snaps.
OL Brian Allen (Michigan St.)
Allen is the Rams starting center and hasn’t allowed a sack in the 209 postseason snaps he’s played. He was tied for first in the league in the regular season, allowing just five sacks off his defenders.
OL Rob Havenstein (Wisconsin)
Havenstein has been another key starting tackle for the Rams, allowing just seven sacks in the regular season and having yet to allow a sack in the postseason while playing in every offensive snap for LA.
DT Sebastian Joseph-Day (Rutgers)
Joseph-Day was just activated off injury reserve and could possibly play in his first game since Week 7 against the Detroit Lions. He recorded three sacks, 23 solo tackles and three tackles for a loss in the regular season before his injury.
CB David Long Jr. (Michigan)
Long helped the Rams take over momentum of their Wild Card weekend game against the Arizona Cardinals, intercepting QB Kyler Murray’s wild escape throw attempt in the end zone for an easy, 3-yard pick-six. He has eight total tackles this postseason, including one tackle for a loss.
S Jake Gervase (Iowa)
Gervase has been used primarily on special teams for the Rams in the playoffs, playing 50 snaps between their three postseason games so far. He also had two combined tackles during the regular season.
DB Grant Haley (Penn St.)
Haley, after being promoted to the active roster on January 8, has appeared in every playoff game, recording three total tackles and playing in 49 special teams snaps.
S Nick Scott (Penn St.)
Scott has been a great defender for the Rams this postseason, recording an interception in their Divisional round game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and three pass deflections overall. He has 12 total tackles in three playoff games.
