While Ohio State won't be playing in the Rose Bowl this year, at least one Buckeye will be making a trip to Pasadena next month.
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, one of several postseason all-star games for NFL draft prospects, announced Friday evening that Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hill has accepted an invitation to play in this season's game.
Congratulations to @MichaelReal77 for accepting his invite to the #NFLPABowl. pic.twitter.com/6bvRImdAi4
— The Collegiate Bowl (@NFLPABowl) December 16, 2017
Hill is the second Buckeye to be announced as a participant in one of this season's postseason all-star games for NFL prospects, joining Jalyn Holmes, who was announced as a Senior Bowl participant on Monday.
A Pendleton, South Carolina product, Hill started all 13 of Ohio State's games at defensive tackle as a junior in 2016, recording 21 total tackles with three tackles for loss. Hill has been relegated to a reserve role for the Buckeyes this year, however, recording just one tackle (a sack against Michigan) after being suspended for the first six games of the season.
While the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is considered to be a second-tier all-star game in comparison to the Senior Bowl, 23 participants in the 2017 NFLPA Bowl were selected in the 2017 NFL draft.
The 2018 NFLPA Bowl will be played on Jan. 20 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.
