On Monday, the 2026 Senior Bowl announced the coaching staffs for the two all-star college teams, and an interesting Detroit Lions name is on the roster.
Lions offensive assistant Marques Tuiasosopo will coach the American team’s quarterbacks during the week of practices and the game.
Tuiasosopo joined the Lions’ staff just this past year, but he previously worked with the Rice Owls as their quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator from 2021-24. After hiring him last year, coach Dan Campbell indicated
that Tuiasosopo would work with the quarterbacks while fellow former quarterback Bruce Gradkowski would work with the receivers.
“That’s how I felt with those interviews with Tuiasosopo and then Gradkowski both. It was like, man, these guys, they belong here, man,” Campbell said. “They ought to be with us because I can just see that they’re going to take off. I think they’re going to be really good coaches for us.”
Working with the American team quarterbacks next week during the Senior Bowl, Tuiasosopo will work directly with the following quarterbacks who were announced to be on the team’s roster:
- LSU QB Grant Nussmeier
- Arkansas QB Taylen Green
- Illinois QB Luke Altmyer
Obviously, Tuiasosopo will get some inside knowledge on these three quarterbacks, so here’s a quick look at what they offer:
Nussmeier is probably the most well-known quarterback at the Senior Bowl, as he entered the 2025 season considered one of the top signal callers in the country. Unfortunately, Nussmeier’s senior season didn’t go as he would have hoped, as lingering upper-body injuries led to inconsistent play, and he was eventually benched near the end of the season. When healthy, Nussmeier has “pro-ready” skills but no real “elite” traits. Instead, he is most productive as a rhythm passer who wins with confidence, anticipation, and the patience to let plays develop. He’s a strong leader who understands the nuances of football (his dad is Saints’ offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier) and has the potential to be drafted on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
Green originally started for two years at Boise State before transferring to Arkansas for his final two years of college ball. In those two combined seasons with the Razorbacks, Green completed 428-of-707 passes (60.5%) for 5,868 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. He was also a huge rushing threat, amassing a total of 1,379 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on the ground over two seasons. The duality of his play has led to some lofty comparisons from Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who coached Lamar Jackson himself:
Despite some serious production and flashy athleticism, Green is still projected to be a Day 3. He’s listed as Mel Kiper’s No. 8 quarterback this class
Altmyer’s career started at Ole Miss, but after failing to win the starting job, he transferred to Illinois, where he played for three seasons, including two very successful seasons the past two years, where the team finished 10-3 and 9-4 in 2024 and 2025. This past year, he’s completed 246-of-365 yards for 3,007 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Here’s what our friends at The Champaign Room had to say about Altmyer’s scouting profile:
Among the attributes they like about him are his performance in clutch situations, his release and touch, his ability to throw high-velocity, accurate passes, his read progression in passing situations, his ability to navigate the pocket, his toughness, his preparedness, and his mental approach to the game.
Like Green, Altmyer is expected to be a Day 3 pick. He’s 10th on Kiper’s quarterback big board.
Senior Bowl practices begin next week on Jan. 27-29 before the game on Jan. 31.
