Many players who participated in the Boca Raton Bowl went on to have successful professional careers. From being the second overall draft pick in the NFL Draft to undrafted free agents, the Boca Raton Bowl has become a staple for players to make a name for themselves during their college years. Here are some of the best athletes that have participated in the draft and where they are now: 

Haason Reddick – Temple Owls – 2015 Marmot Boca Raton Bowl (MBRB) 

Reddick at Temple: Reddick joined the Owls as a walk-on in 2012. He began as a running back/safety before being moved to the defensive line. By the time he was a senior he was first-team all-conference and was invited to participate in the 2017 Senior Bowl where he was moved to inside linebacker. Reddick had a game-high nine tackles in the Senior Bowl, greatly improving his draft prospects. 

Reddick in the 2015 MBRB: Reddick started at defensive end and was limited to just one tackle in the Owl’s loss to Toledo.

Reddick in the NFL: Reddick was selected 13th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2017 NFL Draft, becoming the first Boca Raton Bowl alum to be selected in the first round. He played 16 games with 12 starts and finished with 80 tackles. In 2021, he signed a one- year contract with the Carolina Panthers, reuniting with his Temple head coach Matt Rhule. In 2022, Reddick joined the Philadelphia Eagles where he went on to play in Super Bowl LVII. During his two years with the Eagles, he was twice named to the NFL Pro Bowl (2022 and 2023) and earned second team All-Pro honors in 2022 when he led the league in forced fumbles. 

Diontae Johnson – Toledo Rockets- 2015 MBRB

Johnson at Toledo:Johnson played three seasons at Toledo primarily as a wide receiver and kick returner. He twice earned first-team all-conference honors and was Mid-American conference Special Teams Player of the Year in 2018.

Johnson in the 2015 MBRB: Johnson was a freshman during the Rocket’s 2015 trip to Boca Raton. He came off the bench to catch two passes for 28 yards.

Johnson in the NFL: Johnson was drafted in 2019 by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the  third round with the 66th overall pick. In five seasons in the NFL, Johnson has caught 391 passes for 4,363 yards with 25 touchdowns. As a rookie he earned All-Pro second-team honors as a punt returner, returning 20 kicks for 284 yards (12.4 avg.) including a career long 85-yard punt return for a touchdown. He also recorded a 1,000-yard receiving season in 2021 with 107 catches for 1,161 yards (10.9 avg.). 

Jake Elliott – Memphis Tigers – 2016 Boca Raton Bowl 

Elliott at Memphis: Elliott had a storied career at Memphis, earning the starting placekicker job as a freshman and holding it all four years with the Tigers. He made an immediate impact when he set the school record with a 56-yard field goal against USF. He garnered “Stars of the Week” recognition by the Palm Beach County-based Lou Groza Award. He completed his freshman season with a game tying 54-yard field goal in the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl, helping his team defeat BYU in two overtimes. At the time, the 54-yard kick was the fourth longest in bowl game history. As a sophomore, he led the American Athletic Conference by averaging 9.2 points per game. Elliott was twice named AAC Special Teams Player of the Year and received second-team All-American honors in 2016. 

Elliott in the 2016 Boca Raton Bowl: Elliott had 4 extra points converted and 1 field goal kicking from 33 yards out in the 2016 Boca Raton Bowl.

Elliott in the NFL: The Cincinnati Bengals selected Elliott in the fifth round (153rd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft but then traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles after losing the training camp competition for the starting placekicker job. The Eagles had lost their starting placekicker to injury and Elliott stepped right into the opening with standout performances, including a game winning 61-yard field goal to beat the New York Giants in the final play of the game. The kick was the seventh longest in NFL history, an Eagles team record and the longest-ever by an NFL rookie. Ultimately Elliott and the Eagles made it all the way to Super Bowl LII where they defeated the New England Patriots. Five seasons later, Elliott would make his second Super Bowl appearance in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Over his seven seasons with the Eagles, Elliott has set six team records, named second-team All-Pro (2023) and earned a spot in the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl. In March of this year, he signed a four-year contract extension with Philadelphia.  

Devin Singletary- Florida Atlantic University – 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl (CTCBRB)

Singletary at FAU: Singletary joined the FAU Owls during the 2016 season where he rushed for 1,021 yards on 152 carries (avg 6.7 yards per carry). He also had 12 touchdowns that season. During his sophomore year he rushed for 1,918 (avg. 6.4 yards per carry) while recording 32 touchdowns and set the Florida Atlantic single-season record for rushing yardage. He was also selected as a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. Singletary rushed for 22 touchdowns the following season with 1,348 rushing yards on 261 attempts. He was named a second- team All-American by Sporting News for his performance. At the end of his college career he finished as FAU’s all-time rusher and tied with the sixth-most rushing touchdowns in FBS history. 

Singletary in the 2017 CTCBRB: In the 2017 Boca Raton Bowl, Singletary scored three touchdowns and had 124 rushing yards and one receiving yard. 

Singletary in the NFL:

Singletary was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 74th 

overall pick in the third round of the NFL Draft. Singletary made his professional debut against the New York Jets rushing for 70 yards on four carries in addition to five receptions for 28 yards. The Bills went on to win that game 17-16. Singletary had his breakout game in week 9 against the Commanders, previously known as the Redskins. He rushed for 95 yards, with one touchdown and 45 yards receiving on three receptions in a 24-9 win. On March 31st, he signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans. In week 4 against the Steelers, Singletary threw a touchdown pass on a trick play. During the 2022 season while playing for the Bills, Singletary had 177 carries for 819 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 38 receptions for 280 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. On March 21, 2023, Singletary signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans. In week 10, he rushed for a career-high of 150 yards and a touchdown in a 30-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals where he went on to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week. On March 14, 2024, Singletary signed a three-year contract with the New York Giants. 

Greg Joseph – Florida Atlantic University – 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl

Joseph at FAU: Joseph spent all five years at FAU after walking onto the football team and redshirting his freshman year. He graduated as the Owls’ all-time leader in field goals made (57), points scored (336), points after touchdown (PATs) made (165; in 170 attempts), and field goals attempted. He also set the university’s single-game records for PATs, field goals, points scored by kicking, and the Owls’ longest field goal (54 yards). 

Joseph in the 2017 CTCBRB: In the 2017 Boca Raton Bowl, Greg Joseph went 5/5 with extra points which contributed to the 50-3 Owls win over Akron.

Professional Career: Joseph went undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft but was signed by the Miami Dolphins. He made all three kicks he attempted in preseason but was still released. Joseph was then signed by the Cleveland Browns on September 17, 2018. In his single season with the Browns he made 17 out of 20 field goal attempts with a long one of 51 yards. On December 18, 2019, the Tennessee Titans signed Joseph to a three-year contract off Carolina’s practice squad, after waiving kicker Ryan Santoso and placing kicker Ryan Succop on injured reserve. He made his Titans debut on December 22, kicking four extra points in a 38–28 loss to the Saints. In the next game against the Houston Texans, Joseph went 5-for-5 on extra points as the Titans won on the road by a score of 35–14. Joseph did not attempt a field goal until his fifth game with the Titans when he made a 30-yard kick in the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Joseph went 15-for-15 on extra points before his first field goal attempt. On February 11, 2021 Joseph signed with the Vikings. He made a 54–yard game winning field goal against the Lions and a couple weeks later he made a 29–yard game winning field goal against the Packers. The following year he made a 40–yard field goal in overtime against the Colts. Joseph went on to hit a 61-yard game winning field goal once against the Giants.  On March 28th of this year, Joseph signed with the Green Bay Packers. 

Jacob Harris University of Central Florida – 2020 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl (RBRB)

Harris at UCF: Harris transferred to UCF at the start of his sophomore year. He played in all 13 games in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons.  He recorded 448 yards and 1 touchdown on 19 receptions in the 2019 season. In his senior year, he racked up 30 receptions gaining 539 yards and 8 touchdowns for the 3rd most in the American Athletic Conference. 

Harris at the 2020 RBRB: In the 2020 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, Harris had 4 receptions for 67 yards where he averaged 16.8 yards per carry and had 1 touchdown. 

Harris in the NFL: Harris was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams with the 141st (4th round) pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Harris was placed in the IR list with a season-ending injury but the Rams went on to win the Super Bowl that year. That season he moved from tight end to wide receiver. In 2024 he signed a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Dillon Gabriel – University of Central Florida – 2020 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl 

Gabriel at UCF: Gabriel joined the Knights as a backup for Brandon Wimbush in 2019. He won the battle for QB1 during the first game and became the permanent starter for the Knights for the remaining 12 games of the season. The Knights finished with a 10–3 record capping a 48–25 victory over Marshall at the Gasparilla Bowl. For his debut season he completed 236 of 398 passes for 3,653 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. On September 17, 2021, in a regular season game against Louisville, Gabriel was injured on the final play of the game, a multilateral attempt at a miracle touchdown by the Knights. He suffered a broken left clavicle that, despite not requiring surgery, ultimately ended his season early. On November 27, 2021, Gabriel announced via social media that he would be transferring from UCF. 

Gabriel in the 2017 RBRB: In his sophomore year, Gabriel led the Knights to a 6–4 record and an appearance in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl completing 21 of 45 for 217 yards. 

Gabriel after 2017 RBRB: On December 16, 2021, Gabriel originally announced he would transfer to UCLA. Less than three weeks later Gabriel announced he would transfer to the University of Oklahoma instead. After two seasons with the Sooners, Gabriel once again stated that he would be leaving Oklahoma and again entering the transfer portal. He has since told the college football world that he will be attending the University of Oregon. According to ESPN’s David Purdum, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is now the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy surpassing Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers in an unusual July change for college football’s highest honor. Gabriel began July with 10-1 odds at ESPN BET. He passed for 3,660 yards with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions with the Sooners last season before transferring to Oregon, where he inherits what’s expected to be an explosive Ducks offense.

Zach Wilson – Brigham Young University/BYU – 2020 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl

Wilson at BYU: As a true freshman in 2018, Wilson played 9 games and started 7. His first game was against Hawaii Rainbow Warriors becoming the youngest quarterback to start a game for BYU. He finished his first season 120 passes for 1,578 yards with 12 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. In 2019, Wilson started nine games completing 199 out of 319 passes for 2,382 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.  In 2020 as a junior he started 12 games completing 247 out of 336 passes for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 255 yards and 10 touchdowns, breaking Steve Young’s school completion percentage in a season at 73.5 percent. 

Wilson in the 2020 RBRB: In the 2020 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl he completed 26 of 36 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns with a 49-23 win over UCF. He was selected as a recipient of the 2020 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.

Wilson in the NFL: Zach Wilson was selected second overall by the New York Jets becoming the highest overall player drafted to have played in the Boca Raton Bowl. In his debut against the Carolina Panthers, he finished the game with 258 passing yards two touchdowns and a rushing two point conversion. Wilson’s first win came in week 4 against the Tennessee Titans when he threw two touchdowns and completed 21 of 24 passes for 297 yards. The team went on to win 27-24 in overtime. In April of 2024, he was traded to the Denver Broncos. 

Bailey Zappe – Western Kentucky – 2021 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl

Western Kentucky Career: Bailey Zappe transferred to Western Kentucky for his senior year following former Houston Baptist offensive coordinator Zach Kittley. Zappe was named starting quarterback going into the 2021 season. For his first start, he passed for 424 yards and seven touchdowns in a 59-21 win over Tennessee-Martin. During the season, Zappe led the FBS in passing for 5,545 yards and threw for 56 touchdowns. Before the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, he threw for 1,100 more yards than the second ranked FBS quarterback and was within striking distance of FBS records for passing yardage and touchdowns set by B.J Symons of Texas Tech in 2003 and Joe Burrow of LSU in 2019, respectively. He finished the season with 5,967 passing yards and 62 touchdowns which ultimately led him to breaking the records set by Symons and Burrow.

Zappe in the 20201 RBRB: In the 2021 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, Zappe threw for 422 yards and 6 touchdowns. 

Zappe in the NFL: The New England Patriots selected Zappe (4th round) 137th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was named the third-string quarterback behind Mac Jones and Brian Hoyer. In week 4, both Mac Jones and Hoyer got injured which led to the professional debut of Zappe. He completed 10 out of his 15 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. He made his starting debut against the Lions completing 17 out of 21 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown in a shutout victory 29-0.  After a week 6 victory of the Browns, Zappe became the Super Bowl era’s first rookie quarterback to win his first two starts and have a passer rating of at least 100 in each. After Jones came back from injury in week 7, Zappe was named backup once again. In 2023, Zappe was signed to the Patriots practice squad but against the Los Angeles Chargers, he was once again named starter. The Patriots lost as Zappe completed 13 out of 25 passes for 141 yards marking Zappe’s first loss as a starter. He led the Patriots to an upsetting win over the Steelers with a 21-18 victory where he threw for 3 touchdowns in the first half alone.