FRESNO, Calif. - A trio of seniors from the 2024 Fresno State football team are preparing for four days in Orlando for the Trillion Tropical Bowl, January 16-19. Wide receiver Mac Dalena, cornerback Cam Lockridge and offensive lineman Mose Vavao have accepted their invitations and been announced on rosters for this year's edition of the Tropical Bowl.
Being a part of these all-star games allows the former Bulldogs the opportunity to showcase their skills, on and off the field, to numerous NFL and professional level scouts. Lockridge will suit up for the National Team while Dalena and Vavao are on the American Team.
The Tropical Bowl is a premier FBS Division I level College Football All Star Game played in Orlando, Florida annually in mid January. The Tropical Bowl showcases the top college football seniors to NFL scouts and general managers who travel from around the country to the event. The weekend is focused on scouting, teaching, and football.
The 10th annual Tropical Bowl will kickoff on Sunday, January 19 at 8 a.m. PT. Streaming options are available by pay-per-view options. More streaming information is available here.
A look back at 2024:
Dalena: The fifth-year senior was the Bulldogs' leading receiver in 2024. He became the program's 13th all-time 1,000 yard receiver with 1,065 yards receiving as a senior. He had 64 catches and eight touchdowns, all for single-season career-bests. A first team All-Mountain West selection in 2024, Dalena started in all 13 games. His peak performance on the year came in a 235 yard showing against Sacramento State on Sept. 7. His 235 yards were the most by any player in the Mountain West this season.
In his career, Dalena finished with 1,761 yards receiving on 126 receptions. He scored 13 receiving touchdowns in his career. Dalena was also a consistent member of the special teams units in his career.
Lockridge: A first team All-Mountain West selection in 2024, despite only appearing in nine games, Lockridge had 39 tackles, 2.0 TFL, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, five interceptions and seven pass breakups in 2024. His five interceptions in a partial season led the MW and were third in the FBS. He had two multi-interception games in his senior season, moving his career total to three games with multiple interceptions at Fresno State. His career began at Reedley College (2019), but he transferred to Hawai'i (2020-21) from there and eventually ended up at Fresno State (2022-24). In his career, he totaled 14 interceptions at the FBS level. Fourteen interceptions tie for the FBS lead in career interceptions by all active players. Having 14 interceptions in 45 career games is the third-best average among active players.
Vavao: The Bulldogs' starting center for all 12 games played in 2024, Vavao was one of the most stable pieces to the offensive line last season. In a season that saw eight different starting offensive line combinations, Vavao missed just one game with an injury. It was the only game he missed in his career, having appeared in 58 career games as a Bulldog. Minus the one game he missed, he was the starter in 38 straight games in that span, being named a starter for the final two games as a true freshman in the 2020 season, and on. Vavao began his career as the Bulldogs' left guard, but moved to right guard in 2022 and then moved to center in 2024.