The Reese’s Senior Bowl means many things to those who play in it each year.

For those such as Troy defensive end Javon Solomon and running back Kimani Vidal, it’s an opportunity to once again silence doubters and prove they belong with the elite of college football. Solomon and Vidal are among several Group of 5 stars in Mobile this week displaying their skills for NFL coaches and talent evaluators.

“It’s been wonderful,” Solomon said. “Guys like me don’t really get a lot of opportunities to be able to showcase their talent on a level like this. To get this chance means a lot to me. Not just, but my teammate Kimani Vidal as well. We poured our heart and soul into this game, and to be rewarded on a stage like this, with all these guys from championship programs, it means a lot.”

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Not that Solomon and Vidal aren’t championship players themselves. The two helped Troy to a 23-5 overall record and back-to-back Sun Belt Conference championships in 2022 and 2023.

Solomon (6-foot, 247 pounds) led the country in sacks this past season with 16.5, and was a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference pick. Vidal (5-8, 215) was second nationally in rushing yards with 1,661, and was Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year.

“Group of 5 guys don’t always get the same look as some of the Power 5 guys — that’s just a true statement,” Solomon said. “When you get around somebody from a Group of 5 program, sometimes people just think less of them. But you’ve got ‘dogs’ at every single level of the game — whether that’s (Division III) or D1 playing for Alabama. You’ve got dogs everywhere, but sometimes they just don’t get a look. So now that we’re getting this opportunity, we’re gonna go out here and make it count. I don’t take this opportunity for granted.”

Solomon and Vidal are among six Sun Belt players in this year’s Senior Bowl, along with South Alabama quarterback Carter Bradley, Georgia State linebacker Jontrey Hunter and the Marshall duo of running back Rasheen Ali and offensive lineman Ethan Driskell. Other top G5 prospects who participated in Senior Bowl practice this week and/or will suit up for Saturday’s game include Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley, Western Michigan edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland, Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, Fresno State cornerback Carlton Johnson and Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt.

Solomon grew up in Tallahassee, Fla., just a few hours east of Mobile on I-10. Vidal’s connection to the home of the Senior Bowl is much more poignant, however.

Vidal is the great-nephew of arguably the most-famous Mobilian of them all, the late Henry Aaron. The Braves legend and long-time MLB home run king was the uncle of Vidal’s mother, Dayna.

Though Vidal grew up outside Atlanta in Marietta, Ga., he has spent plenty of time in Mobile during his life. He was even baptized at his family’s ancestral church in the Port City, and he significance of playing his final college game in Aaron’s hometown isn’t lost on him.

“It’s been great,” Vidal said. “I learned a lot from him, and to be able to be back and play in his hometown, it’s been a privilege.”

Though a bit undersized among edge rusher prospects, Solomon “won the weigh-in” to a degree with hands that measure 10-5/8 inches and an 80-inch wingspan. Those tools help provide the type of strength and leverage to get around and through larger offensive linemen.

Also on the smaller side, Vidal has also impressed during Senior Bowl practice. ESPN’s Jordan Reid identified him as one of his practice players of the day on Thursday, noting that Vidal “showed quickness as a route runner” and might be “trending up” in the middle rounds of April’s NFL draft.

“At the end of the day, it’s still football,” Vidal said. “Even if you’re producing at a different level, it really doesn’t matter as long as you produce. I feel like you at least deserve a chance at the next level.”

The 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl kicks off at noon Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The game will air live on NFL Network.