ASU WR Brandon Aiyuk accepts invitation to Senior Bowl

Arizona State will be represented in the 2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will dawn the Reese’s orange and black on Jan. 25, as announced by the Senior Bowl’s Twitter.

After ASU lost N’Keal Harry to the NFL last year, it needed a new go-to target, especially with a freshman quarterback coming in.

Aiyuk has not only been the best receiver on ASU this season but one of the best in the FBS.

He is 17th in the country in receiving yards per game (third in the Pac-12) with 92.5. His playmaking ability has been outstanding, especially once he has the ball in his hands.

He is second in the FBS in yards after the catch with 424 in seven games, according to Pro Football Focus’ Cam Mellor.

He has a 77-yard and 86-yard touchdown catch this season, both of which came on short passes after which he broke away.

#ArizonaState WR Brandon Aiyuk is one of the most underrated NFL prospects in this class.

Poor pursuit angle by the safety, but Aiyuk’s route speed forced the miss and did the rest. pic.twitter.com/smMjMdEm2w

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 12, 2019

His outstanding speed and ball skills are catching the attention of draft analysts around the country. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Aiyuk placed 36th on his big board for the 2020 NFL Draft. Brugler said about him:

One of the biggest senior risers this season, Aiyuk is the top senior receiver prospect on my board and is a darkhorse contender for the first round. After two seasons at the JUCO level and spending last year in N’Keal Harry’s shadown, Aiyuk is ascending at the right time, especially with his ability after the catch.

Jonah Tuls of The Draft Network said:

Aiyuk has the deep speed to make any given play a house call, but he has a lot more nuance to his game than I think a lot of people realize. He is incredibly deceptive and savvy with his release package to keep himself free. Once Aiyuk accelerates past the cornerback to create separation, he has a natural feel of how to track a deep ball.

The Senior Bowl will be another way that NFL evaluators can gauge Aiyuk’s skillset as he will work with NFL coaches against an NFL-coached defense.

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