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Eastern Invited to Senior Bowl
12/30/2025 7:35:00 PM | Football
Shakopee, Minn., native is 54th Gopher all-time invited to showcase bowl
Standout defensive lineman Deven Eastern was invited to participate in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl.Â
The annual showcase game will be played on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala. It will kickoff at 1:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on the NFL Network.
In 2025, the Shakopee, Minn., native made 38 tackles (18 solo) and had five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also broke up one pass and forced one fumble as he was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. Â
Eastern played in 45 game at Minnesota – starting the final 39 of his career – and ended his career with 97 tackles (43 solo), 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He also broke up five passes and forced two fumbles. Eastern was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, as he was recognized in 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022.Â
Eastern is the 54th Gopher all-time to receive an invitation to the Senior Bowl and he is the 14th player in the Fleck era to be invited.Â
All-Time Minnesota Senior Bowl Invitations
1950 Clayton Tonnemaker, C
1953 Roger French, E
1955 Bob McNamara, B
1958 Bobby Cox, B
1958 Frank Youso, T
1960 Jerry Shetler, C
1960 Mike Wright, G
1961 Roger Hagberg, B
1961 Greg Larson, C
1965 Kraig Lofquist, B
1966 Gale Gillingham, G
1967 Chet Anderson, E
1967 Kenny Last, E
1973 Tom McLeod, LB
1974 Keith Fahnhorst, TE
1978 Michael Hunt, LB
1978 Mark Slater, OL
1980 Gregory Murtha, OL
1984 Randy Rasmussen, OL
1990 Ron Goetz, LB
1990 Jon Leverenz, LB
1990 Jon Melander, OL
1990 Darrell Thompson, RB
1991 Mike Sunvold, DL
1991 Chris Thome, OL
1992 Sean Lumpkin, DB
1996 Chris Darkins, RB
1998 Lamanzer Williams, DL
2000 Tyrone Carter, DB
2001 Ben Hamilton, OL
2001 Karon Riley, DL
2001 John Schlecht, DL
2002 Ron Johnson, WR
2004 Thomas Tapeh, RB
2006 Mark Setterstrom, OL
2014 Ra'Shede Hageman, DL
2015 David Cobb, RB
2016 K.J. Maye, WR
2016 Eric Murray, DB
2017 Damarius Travis, DB
2019 Carter Coughlin, DL
2019 Kamal Martin, LB (DNP)
2020 Benjamin St-Juste, DB
2021 Daniel Faalele, OL
2021 Boye Mafe, DL
2021 Esezi Otomewo, DL (DNP)
2022 John Michael Schmitz, OL
2023 Tyler Nubin, DB (DNP)
2023 Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE
2024 Aireontae Ersery, OT
2024 Cody Lindenberg, LB
2024 Jah Joyner, DL
2024 Danny Striggow, DL
2025 Deven Eastern, DL
Â
The annual showcase game will be played on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala. It will kickoff at 1:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on the NFL Network.
In 2025, the Shakopee, Minn., native made 38 tackles (18 solo) and had five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also broke up one pass and forced one fumble as he was named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. Â
Eastern played in 45 game at Minnesota – starting the final 39 of his career – and ended his career with 97 tackles (43 solo), 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He also broke up five passes and forced two fumbles. Eastern was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, as he was recognized in 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022.Â
Eastern is the 54th Gopher all-time to receive an invitation to the Senior Bowl and he is the 14th player in the Fleck era to be invited.Â
All-Time Minnesota Senior Bowl Invitations
1950 Clayton Tonnemaker, C
1953 Roger French, E
1955 Bob McNamara, B
1958 Bobby Cox, B
1958 Frank Youso, T
1960 Jerry Shetler, C
1960 Mike Wright, G
1961 Roger Hagberg, B
1961 Greg Larson, C
1965 Kraig Lofquist, B
1966 Gale Gillingham, G
1967 Chet Anderson, E
1967 Kenny Last, E
1973 Tom McLeod, LB
1974 Keith Fahnhorst, TE
1978 Michael Hunt, LB
1978 Mark Slater, OL
1980 Gregory Murtha, OL
1984 Randy Rasmussen, OL
1990 Ron Goetz, LB
1990 Jon Leverenz, LB
1990 Jon Melander, OL
1990 Darrell Thompson, RB
1991 Mike Sunvold, DL
1991 Chris Thome, OL
1992 Sean Lumpkin, DB
1996 Chris Darkins, RB
1998 Lamanzer Williams, DL
2000 Tyrone Carter, DB
2001 Ben Hamilton, OL
2001 Karon Riley, DL
2001 John Schlecht, DL
2002 Ron Johnson, WR
2004 Thomas Tapeh, RB
2006 Mark Setterstrom, OL
2014 Ra'Shede Hageman, DL
2015 David Cobb, RB
2016 K.J. Maye, WR
2016 Eric Murray, DB
2017 Damarius Travis, DB
2019 Carter Coughlin, DL
2019 Kamal Martin, LB (DNP)
2020 Benjamin St-Juste, DB
2021 Daniel Faalele, OL
2021 Boye Mafe, DL
2021 Esezi Otomewo, DL (DNP)
2022 John Michael Schmitz, OL
2023 Tyler Nubin, DB (DNP)
2023 Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE
2024 Aireontae Ersery, OT
2024 Cody Lindenberg, LB
2024 Jah Joyner, DL
2024 Danny Striggow, DL
2025 Deven Eastern, DL
Â
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