Tag: East-West Shrine Bowl

Two Vols to play in East-West Shrine Bowl

Two Vols will play in the East-West Shrine Bowl on Thursday.

Two former Vols will compete in the East-West Shrine Bowl on Thursday.

Tight end McCallan Castles and running back Jabari Small will play in the all-star game, which will be contested at Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. Ford Center is the indoor practice complex for the Dallas Cowboys.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST and NFL Network will televise the game. The game benefits Shriner’s Children’s Hospital and is the longest running college all-star contest.

In one season with the Vols, Castles totaled 22 receptions for 283 yards.

Small appeared in 11 games for Tennessee in 2023. He recorded 475 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Jabari Small (2). Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Here are the rosters for the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl

Here is the roster of players participating in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl tonight.

The 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl will be played at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. MT. The college all-star game will be televised on NFL Network and available to stream on fuboTV (try it free).

The Denver Broncos will have scouts and coaches in attendance for the game and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb will serve as offensive coordinator for the West team. His QBs will be Taulia Tagovailoa, John Rhys Plumlee and Kedon Slovis.

Here is the full list of quarterbacks at the East-West Shrine Bowl this year:

  • Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
  • Devin Leary, Kentucky
  • Cameron Ward, Washington State
  • Jordan Travis, Florida State
  • Kedon Slovis, BYU
  • John Rhys Plumlee, UCF

See the full roster of players at each position below.

East-West Shrine Bowl Preview: Running backs to watch for Packers

Previewing the East-West Shrine Bowl by looking at four running backs the Packers could target in the 2024 NFL draft.

The East-West Shrine Bowl practices start on Saturday with the game scheduled to take place on Thursday, Feb. 1 in Frisco, Texas. 

Zach Tom, Jon Runayn Jr, Samori Toure, Ka’Dar Hollman, James Looney and Hunter Bradley are all draft picks that played in the Shrine Bowl that Brian Gutekunst has selected. 

With AJ Dillon set to hit the open market let’s take a look at four running backs that the Green Bay Packers could be keeping close tabs on throughout the week.

Jonathon Brooks, Texas

No, Brooks won’t be playing as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL that he suffered in November. However, he’s listed on the roster so we are listing him here. 

Brooks may miss the majority of his rookie season as he continues his rehab. Even with that cloud hanging over his head he has the talent to be the first running back off the board in April.

The Texas running back was a tackle-breaking machine and has outstanding contact balance. In 11 games this season, Brooks forced 63 missed tackles and picked up 732 yards after contact. 

Blake Watson, Memphis

Watson was a star at the Hula Bowl and now will get a chance to shine at the Shrine Bowl. The Old Dominion transfer rushed for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. He proved to be a weapon in the passing game, hauling in 53 receptions for 480 yards and three touchdowns. 

The Memphis running back keeps his legs running through contact and has good vision. Watson racked up 719 yards after contact and forced 50 missed tackles. 

Frank Gore Jr, Southern Miss

The son of a famous running back, Gore Jr. is no slouch. The Southern Miss running back rushed for 2,513 yards and 19 touchdowns to go along with 46 receptions for 505 receiving yards and three touchdowns over the past two seasons.

Gore Jr has good vision and is a hard-nosed runner. Gore forced 67 missed tackles and picked up 824 yards after contact this season.

Carson Steele, UCLA

The Ball State transfer was No. 21 on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks list. During his lone season as a Bruin, Steele rushed for 847 yards and six touchdowns. Steele added two receiving touchdowns.

Steele has good vision and quick feet to make sharp cuts. The UCLA running back has a good combination of power and quickness. 

East-West Shrine Bowl Preview: Safeties to watch for Packers

Previewing the East-West Shrine Bowl by taking a closer look at four safeties the Packers could target in the 2024 draft.

The East-West Shrine Bowl practices start on Saturday with the game scheduled to take place on Thursday, Feb. 1 in Frisco, Texas. 

Zach Tom, Jon Runayn Jr, Samori Toure, Ka’Dar Hollman, James Looney and Hunter Bradley are all draft picks selected by Brian Gutekunst who competed at the Shrine Bowl. 

Let’s start the Shrine Bowl preview by taking a look at four safeties that the Green Bay Packers could be keeping close tabs on throughout the week in Frisco.

Kenny Logan Jr, Kansas

The Kansas safety flies all over the field for the Jayhawks. He has the range and ball skills to make plays on the ball in the backend and the quickness to fly downhill in run support. He led the Jayhawks in tackles in each of the past three seasons (254) but he also whiffed 56 times during that span as well. On top of everything he brings to the defense he has experience returning kicks and although limited (five) punts. 

Mark Perry, TCU

A Colorado transfer, Perry recorded 142 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and six pass deflections during his two seasons at TCU. Perry was a member of the track and field team during his time at Colorado and that athleticism shows on the field, showcasing good range and flying downhill to pop ball carriers. He brings an element of versatility to the secondary with the ability to play in the slot and deep. 

Dominique Hampton, Washington

Hampton is a player capable of wearing multiple hats in the secondary. He can line up in the slot, box or deep. At 6-3, 220 pounds, Hampton has outstanding length and size for the position. He finished the season with a team-leading 109 tackles to go along with two interceptions and seven pass deflections. 

Trey Taylor, Air Force

The Frisco native and Jim Thorpe Award winner will have a shot to boost his draft stock this week. Taylor started 36 games over the past three seasons and finished this past season with 74 tackles, five tackles for loss and three interceptions. It will be worth monitoring how the cousin of Ed Reed performs throughout the week. 

Broncos QBs coach Davis Webb will lead West offense at East-West Shrine Bowl

Broncos QBs coach Davis Webb will serve as the West team’s offensive coordinator at the East-West Shrine Bowl next month.

Denver Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb will get a close look at quarterbacks featured in this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl.

Webb has been named the offensive coordinator for the West team. Quarterbacks set to participate in the East-West Shrine Bowl include Devin Leary (Kentucky), John Rhys Plumlee (UCF), Jack Plummer (Louisville), Austin Reed (Western Kentucky), Kedon Slovis (BYU) and Jordan Travis (Florida State). Those QBs have not yet been assigned to specific teams.

Webb, 28, was a backup quarterback in the NFL from 2017-2022. He retired as a player last spring to become Denver’s QBs coach under new head coach Sean Payton.

Although he only has one year of experience under his belt, Webb has already been dubbed a coach to watch for promotion in the coming years. Webb impressed Payton in 2023 and he also drew praise from Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

Webb now gets another opportunity to gain valuable coaching experience while also scouting QBs for Denver ahead of April’s draft. The 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl will be played in Frisco, Texas on Thursday, Feb. 1.

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Panthers OLB coach Tem Lukabu named DC for East-West Shrine Bowl

Panthers OLB coach Tem Lukabu has been named a DC for this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl.

Carolina Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu is a busy man nowadays.

As first reported by CBS senior NFL insider Jonathan Jones on Wednesday, Lukabu has been named a defensive coordinator for this year’s East-West Shrine Bowl. The 42-year-old, per Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer, will be heading the West’s defense under New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka—the team’s head coach.

Lukabu was hired by the Panthers last February. Prior to his arrival in Carolina, he had served as a defensive assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012 to 2013, a defensive quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 and 2017 and the linebackers coach for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019.

On Monday, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the New England Patriots and new head coach Jerod Mayo are expected to interview Lukabu for their defensive coordinator role. That would be a familiar post in a familiar place for Lukabu, who was the defensive coordinator at Boston College from 2020 to 2022.

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Florida EDGE honored by East-West Shrine Bowl following Week 6 win

Florida’s front seven is led by edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, who was named a Breakout Player of the Week following the Vanderbilt win.

he East-West Shrine Bowl named Florida edge rusher [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] a breakout play of the week following the Gators’ win over Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Umanmielen is one of three defensive players and eight players overall to earn the weekly honor. Texas Tech edge rusher Steve Linton and Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley are the other defenders. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is the only other SEC player on the list.

While this may be a weekly honor, Umanmielen has been one of the best edge rushers in the country this season. Pro Football Focus gives him an 81.5 overall rating on defense, and his 90.3 pass-rushing rating is good for third-best among Power Five edge rushers who have played at least 100 snaps.

Umanmielen has 25 total quarterback pressures, including 15 hurries, eight hits, and two sacks. Four of those hurries came against Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Florida’s defensive line might be the most-improved unit of the year, and much of that is thanks to Umanmielen leading by example. He’ll look to continue his career season as he moves closer to the 2024 draft.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

East-West Shrine Bowl moving to The Star in Frisco, Texas

The East-West Shrine Bowl will be played at a new location starting in 2024.

The East-West Shrine Bowl, a college football postseason all-star game will have a new home starting this upcoming year.

After spending the last two years at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, the East-West Shrine Bowl will be moving to The Star in Frisco, Texas. The headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys, The Star includes The Ford Center in which the game will be played.

The move was first reported by Brett McMurphy of Stadium.

The Ford Center is an indoor stadium that holds 12,000 spectators. It is shared by the Dallas Cowboys, the city of Frisco, and Frisco ISD. It has held numerous notable events including Major League Lacrosse’s championship game in 2017, Conference USA’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, boxing matches, and the AAF championship game in 2019.

The East-West Shrine Bowl has been played annually since 1925. It has played games in San Francisco, New Orleans, Stanford, Oakland, San Antonio, Houston, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Las Vegas, and now starting in 2024, Frisco.

Since the game’s inception in 1925, the game has been sponsored by Shriners Internationals. Proceeds from the shrine bowl are donated to numerous charities including Shriners Hospitals for Children.

This year’s version of the Shrine Bowl was won by the West with a final score of 12-3. Former Michigan kicker Jake Moody and Florida safety Trey Dean III were selected as the offensive and defensive MVPs.

Chiefs to host Stephen F. Austin EDGE BJ Thompson on top-30 visit

The #Chiefs are bringing in a standout edge rusher from the East-West Shrine Bowl for a top-30 visit.

The Kansas City Chiefs continue to bring players in for top-30 visits, this time hosting a standout from the East-West Shrine Bowl.

According to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, the Chiefs are one of two teams (along with the Detroit Lions) hosting Stephen F. Austin EDGE BJ Thompson on a top-30 visit. If you’re not familiar with top-30 visits, NFL teams receive an allotment of 30 visits with which they can host draft prospects. It’s an opportunity to bring players to team facilities to get to know them better in a more personal experience. This is now the third reported top-30 visit for Kansas City, alongside Pittsburgh DL Deslin Alexandre and Western Kentucky DT Brodric Martin.

Wilson also reports that Thompson, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds with 34-inch arms, is expected to perform extremely well at his pro day on March 21. He suggests that the edge rusher boasts 4.4 speed, a 40-inch vertical, and a 135-inch broad jump. Those would rival the athletic testing of Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith, who posted the top numbers at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Thompson originally began his career in Waco, Texas at Baylor and transferred to play for the Lumberjacks after two seasons with the Bears. He started 27 games with Stephen F. Austin from 2020-2022, recording 69 total tackles with 18.5 sacks.

Watching his tape, Thompson is much more of a threat to win with speed off the edge than he is with power. His first step is explosive, which was showcased in the East-West Shrine Bowl when he recorded four total tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits. Could Thompson end up being this year’s James Houston for the edge rusher group in the 2023 NFL draft?

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Broncos met with LB Mohamoud Diabate at the Shrine Bowl

The Broncos met with Utah linebacker Mohamoud Diabate at the Shrine Bowl last month.

The Denver Broncos met with Utah linebacker Mohamoud Diabate at the East-West Shrine Bowl last month, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Diabate (6-4, 222 pounds) was a “mac” inside linebacker for the Utes, but he is a versatile defender who can play as an outside linebacker as well.

After spending three years at Florida, he transferred to Utah for his senior season and totaled 58 tackles — 13.5 behind the line of scrimmage — five sacks, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery in 12 games last fall.

Mock drafts have varying opinions on Diabate’s draft stock. His average ranking is 274th overall, according to NFLMockDraftDatabase.com. That would put Diabate in the range of a late-round pick or undrafted free agent target.

The Broncos have a great history of finding UDFA gems. Perhaps Diabate could be a potential candidate to join the team’s list of success stories in 2023. Denver has five picks to use in April’s draft, but no selections in the seventh round.

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