Maverick McIvor to Play in American Bowl Tonight on NFL Network

LAKELAND, FL — Former San Angelo Central quarterback Maverick McIvor will try to impress pro scouts tonight when he competes in the American Bowl all-star game.

The game will be broadcast on NFL Network at 7 p.m.

McIvor will compete alongside players from some of the nation’s most high-profile programs, including Ole Miss, Notre Dame, LSU, Florida State, USC and Auburn.

McIvor, who played his senior season at Western Kentucky, was named the MVP of the New Orleans Bowl last month after coming off the bench to lead the Hilltoppers to a 27-16 comeback win over Southern Mississippi.

McIvor had an up-and-down season for Western Kentucky, leading the team to a 5-1 start before he was injured in the seventh game of the year. He never regained his starting job after freshman Rodney Tisdale played well while McIvor was hurt.

When Tisdale was injured in the New Orleans Bowl, however, McIvor again showed what he could do. He took over late in the second quarter and completed 12 of 19 passes for 199 yards and ran for a season-high 48 yards and a TD on eight carries.

McIvor began his high school career as a six-man football player at Fort Davis before transferring to San Angelo Central, where he immediately became a starting wide receiver as a sophomore.

He had a breakout season as a junior — throwing for 3,415 yards and 43 TDs, while rushing for 870 yards in 12 games — to earn scholarship offers from more than 20 NCAA Division I schools, including USC and Ole Miss.

He signed with Texas Tech but was injured in a preseason practice in 2019 and never saw game action.

McIvor finally returned to the field in 2022 after transferring to Abilene Christian University, where he led the Wildcats last year to their first-ever conference championship at the NCAA Division I FCS level.

He entered the transfer portal after last season and was offered by Wake Forest, North Texas and Miami (Ohio) before settling on Western Kentucky.

Now McIvor has one more chance to prove himself to pro scouts before the NFL Draft in April. Though he may be a long shot to get drafted, he has the potential to sign as a free agent afterward, a path taken by former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo.