Senior Bowl quarterback Carter Bradley already feels at home in Mobile and at Hancock Whitney Stadium, having played the last two seasons at South Alabama.

But even without his ties to the Jaguars, Bradley’s connection to the Senior Bowl goes back almost a decade. He was a teenager when his father, Gus Bradley, coached in the game three straight years from 2014-16 while with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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“It’s been awesome, still playing football in Hancock Whitney Stadium in January,” Bradley said. “So I’m excited to be here. I’m excited to play with some guys that are the best in the country at what they do and prove myself, that I can compete with them.”

Those experiences watching and learning at the Senior Bowl have come to reality this year, as Bradley is one of seven quarterbacks in this year’s game. He’s joined on the American team by South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, Tennessee’s Joe Milton and Tulane’s Michael Pratt for the 75th Senior Bowl, which takes place Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

The 6-foot-3, 216-pound Bradley and his teammates have been put through the paces through three days of NFL-style practice, plus individual meetings with professional scouts and talent evaluators. For Bradley, the Senior Bowl experience has been everything he hoped for, and more.

“The hype around it when I was a little kid, it was this huge thing and it still is to me today,” Bradley said. “When I got the invite, I was extremely excited. And I know my dad was excited for me too. I remember seeing him coach (future NFL quarterbacks) Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo and many other names. This has been a dream of mine for sure.”

Bradley has continued a run of South Alabama players in the Senior Bowl, a list that included wide receiver Jalen Wayne and cornerback Darrell Luter last year, wide receiver Jalen Tolbert in 2022 and linebacker Riley Cole in 2021. He’s the second former Jaguars quarterback to play in the game, after Brandon “Air Canada” Bridge in 2015.

In just two seasons after transferring to South Alabama from Toledo, Bradley re-wrote the Jaguars’ passing record books in leading the team to a 17-9 overall record. He’s the school’s all-time leader in career completions (496), attempts (751), yards (5,995) and touchdowns (47), and also holds numerous single-season and single-game records as well.

Despite being blessed with an extremely strong arm and decent mobility, Bradley is considered a late-round or fringe prospect for April’s NFL draft. But he’s had the chance to help himself with a good Senior Bowl week, Jaguars head coach Major Applewhite said.

“I’ve heard nothing but good things in the last two days,” Applewhite said. “I’ve seen a lot of the stuff that’s been reported, but I’ve also talked to some guys who have been out here for the practices, guys who have been in the National Football League, GMs (general managers) who have talked about his ‘draftability.’ It’s encouraging. It’s something I always knew was kind of there. I’m just really glad he’s gotten this opportunity to get this space to perform.”

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The 6-foot-3, 218-pound Bradley played in the Hula Bowl all-star game last month in Orlando, and completed 6 of 8 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown in Team Kai’s 24-17 victory over Team Aina at FBC Mortgage Stadium, the home of Central Florida. That experience not only gave him a head start on practicing with and playing with and against high-level talent, he said, but also allowed him to get in some individual interviews with scouts.

Bradley has roomed with National team quarterback Bo Nix of Oregon (and formerly of Auburn) during Senior Bowl week, and spent much of early January working out at Mobile’s QB Country with noted quarterback trainer David Morris. At QB Country, he’s had the chance to train alongside Nix and non-Senior Bowl draft hopeful Drake Maye of North Carolina, whom he first met at the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana last summer.

“I’ve been working with David for the past two years, and he’s an unbelievable person and an unbelievable coach,” Bradley said. “And I’m working with two guys who probably won’t leave the first round in Bo Nix and Drake Maye. And they’ve been unbelievable towards me, a guy who’s not as highly rated as they are. “But we make each other better in different ways. It’s been a great experience.”

Kickoff for the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl is set for noon Saturday, with television coverage on NFL Network.