Super Bowl Sunday arrives in less than a few hours as the Seattle Seahawks prepare to face the New England Patriots.
This matchup features two teams who’ve both had remarkable seasons that led them to this big moment.
Seattle’s season has been led by quarterback Sam Darnold, who is having the best year of his career. In his first season with the Seahawks, Darnold silenced critics about his poor playoff performance from a season ago by turning Seattle into a championship contender.
Senior sport management student Avery Smith believes Darnold will finish the job, leading Seattle to their first Super Bowl since 2014.
“Sam Darnold will win the Super Bowl MVP award,” Smith said.
Senior marketing and sports management double major Maya Winczura felt similarly, explaining that “Super Bowl MVPs are often the QB of the winning team” and that if Darnold avoids costly mistakes, he can “take the win.”
Darnold has also benefited from the breakout year of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN), who was just named the 2025 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) on Feb. 5.
Seahawks fan Matthew Nazario, a junior double major in sports business management and communication, believes JSN will shine again and deliver when the Hawks need big plays.
Sophomore journalism major Giovanni Mule agrees, predicting Smith-Njigba as Super Bowl MVP.
The matchup between Smith-Njigba and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez is one of the most exciting storylines of the game. Gonzalez has been a shutdown corner all year, while Smith-Njigba has become one of the most dangerous playmakers in the league.
“I think it’s going to be a great battle,” Winczura said. “But ultimately I think Christian Gonzalez will outshine Jaxon Smith-Njigba.”
Smith, however, thinks otherwise.
“Jaxon Smith-Njigba will win the matchup vs Gonzalez,” Smith said. “It’s a big moment, and I think he’ll step up on this stage.”
Alexandra Scherer, a sophomore dual degree bio PA major from Seattle, agreed with Smith.
“For the matchup, I got to go with [JSN],” Scherer said. “He’s the OPOY for a reason.”
Seattle’s defense is another major reason why most students are picking the Seahawks.
“My bold prediction is that Seattle holds the Patriots to 10 points,” Smith said.
Nazario believes special teams could also make the difference.
“A special teams touchdown from Seattle will be one of the reasons Seattle wins,” Nazario said. Just three weeks ago, in the Seahawks’ 41-6 win over the 49ers in the Divisional Round, wide receiver and punt returner Rashid Shaheed took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown.
Like Nazario, Scherer is anticipating “Rashid Shaheed coming out with another crazy kickoff return.”
On the other side, the Patriots’ journey to the Super Bowl has been even more impressive. After finishing near the bottom of the league a year ago, New England completed a quick turnaround. In his first season as head coach, former Patriot Mike Vrabel has led New England back to the Super Bowl. His leadership changed the culture and brought toughness back to New England.
Second-year quarterback Drake Maye has been the key part of the Patriots’ quick turnaround. Maye finished second in the MVP race behind Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, and proved he can handle pressure almost every game this season.
Still, several students believe he may struggle against Seattle’s defense.
“He’s been sacked five times in each of his three playoff games so far,” Nazario said. “Maye will do well but not well enough in my opinion.”
Smith agreed with Nazario, saying how Maye will struggle against “the Dark Side,” but that it will still be a valuable learning experience for the 23-year old quarterback in just his second-season.
“Against the Seattle defense, I expect Drake Maye to struggle a bit,” Smith said. “It will be beneficial for the rest of his career, but he is a young quarterback.”
Mule thought differently: he believes Drake Maye will “shock people” and play well under pressure, but will still not be able to come away as the victor.
Winczura shared a similar view.
“While it may not be enough to win the game, I think he’ll still prove that he’s going to be a top QB moving forward.”
When asked who would win the game, every student interviewed picked Seattle.
“It will not be a blowout,” Nazario said. “I think it will be Seattle that makes enough big plays to win.”
“As unfortunate as it is for me as a 49ers fan,” Winczura added. “I think the Seahawks will win the Super Bowl.”
Whether it’s Darnold finishing his incredible first season in Seattle with a ring, JSN finishing off his breakout year with an MVP performance in the biggest game of his life, or the defense making one last big stop, SHU students believe the Seahawks have the edge. Still, with a rising star in Maye and a Patriots team that has shocked the league under Vrabel over and over again all season, this Super Bowl could be closer than many expect.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
