Tag: Shrine Bowl

Wisconsin starting offensive lineman accepts invite to postseason all-star game

Wisconsin starting offensive lineman accepts invite to postseason all-star game

Wisconsin starting right guard Joe Huber accepted an invitation to play in the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl last week.

The two-year starter is one of two Wisconsin starting linemen off to the NFL after the 2024 season, joining left tackle Jack Nelson.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Huber transferred to the Badgers before the 2023 season after three years at Cincinnati, one as its starting right tackle. With Riley Mahlman entrenched at the position and Nelson set at left tackle, Huber’s path to playing time was along the interior.

He started all 25 games at right guard for the Badgers during his two years with the program. His strong play at the position was rewarded with being named to the All-Big Ten Third Team (coaches). For reference, Huber was the only Badger to land on an all-conference team after the 2024 season.

The accomplished lineman is currently projected to be signed as an undrafted free agent after the upcoming draft. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to change that standing, starting with the East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 30.

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Receiver Isaiah Neyor accepts Shrine Bowl invite

Isaiah Neyor has officially accepted an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Nebraska football wide receiver Isaiah Neyor accepted his invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl, set for January 30, 2025.

Neyor has been a veteran wide receiver on an offense that has been explosive at times this year. He has tallied 28 catches for 426 yards and five touchdowns. His best game of the season came against Illinois back in September. He had four catches for 90 yards in that game, as well as two touchdowns. He averaged 22.5 yards per catch in the process.

The wide receiver came over from the Texas Longhorns in January. He has been a needed veteran on a young team.

Now, he’ll have a chance to showcase his skill set nationally as Nebraska looks to wrap up the 2024 regular season on Friday.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Rivaldo Fairweather accepts invite to ‘East-West Shrine Bowl’

Fairweather will be the 30th Auburn football player to take part in the longest running “All-Star Game” in the sport

Auburn senior tight end Rivaldo Fairweather continued a second-straight stellar season on the Plains with a a pair of catches last Saturday against UL Monroe. The 22-year-old Tiger reportedly has kept the good times rolling into the week, as he accepted his invitation to participate in the ‘East-West Shrine Bowl’ on Thursday morning.

The event, which will take place on January 30 of next year, will be the 100th annual bowl showcasing some of the best talents in college football. Fairweather is the 30th Auburn football player to take part in the longest running “All-Star Game” in the sport. Last season, offensive lineman Gunner Britton and defensive tackle Justin Rogers represented Auburn in the event. Fairweather is also the first Auburn tight end to receive an invitation to the game since Cooper Wallace played in the game in 2006.

While the talented tight end has taken a step back from his production a season ago, Rivaldo Fairweather has been a key cog of an Auburn offense that has put up very solid yardage statistics this season. On the season, the Lauderhill, FL native has hauled in 26 receptions for 297 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Barring an injury, Fairweather should pass the 350-yard plateau for the second straight season on the Plains, and third consecutive season of his college career.

The ‘East-West Shrine Bowl’ is scheduled to take place on January 30, 2025, from Arlington, Texas. The game will be broadcast on NFL Network as well as streamed on ‘NFL+’. Fairweather will become the first Auburn offensive skill position player to take a snap in the game since 2019, when Ryan Davis represented the Tigers.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Top QB prospect Shedeur Sanders will play in this postseason bowl

Top QB prospect Shedeur Sanders will participate in the East-West Shrine Bowl, the event announced

The first major quarterback commitment to an all-star game is now official. Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders has committed to play at the Shrine Bowl.

In a release on social media, The East-West Shrine Bowl proudly announced that Sanders will be at the annual event. The move makes Sanders the first major quarterback prospect to commit to any of the postseason games.

 

Sanders is the consensus top quarterback prospect in the draft class of 2025, though some analysts peg Miami’s Cam Ward or LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier higher. Playing under his father, Deion Sanders, as the head coach, Shedeur has led the Buffaloes to an 8-2 record and a chance to qualify for the College Football Playoff.

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NFL cracking down on prospects skipping all-star games after accepting invites

The NFL is cracking down on draft prospects skipping all-star games after accepting invites

The NFL is hoping to end one of the more unsavory practices of the annual draft season. In a recent memo sent to agents well ahead of the end of the college season, the NFL made it clear that players ducking out of all-star games after committing to them is no longer acceptable.

It’s been a growing problem for all-star games like the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl, one that annoys the NFL teams in attendance as well as fans and media hoping to see players perform. As part of a larger memo, the league addressed the issue,

“Barring an injury, no prospect can be invited to an all-star game with an agreed upon intention that the prospect will not participate in activities. All invited prospects are expected to fully participate in both practice and game activities.”

Hopefully the memo hits home and the new rule is vigilantly enforced.

14 Wisconsin Badgers crack Shrine Bowl preseason watch list

14 Wisconsin Badgers crack Shrine Bowl preseason watch list

14 Wisconsin Badgers cracked the Shrine Bowl preseason watch list entering the 2024 football season.

With roughly one month remaining until Wisconsin begins its 2024 campaign, college football outlets have begun to craft preseason rankings and hierarchies for the fall slate.

One of those projections, the East-West Shrine Bowl watch list, includes hundreds of the most promising players across the nation.

The college all-star game allows the next generation of professional athletes to display their skill sets before all 32 NFL teams’ coaches, scouts and executives.

The 14 Wisconsin Badgers who cracked the watch list were: RB Jackson Acker, CB Ricardo Hallman, OL Joe Huber, OL Riley Mailman, RB Chez Mellusi, OL Jack Nelson, WR Will Pauling, OLB Darryl Peterson, OLB John Pius, OL Jake Renfro, LB Jaheim Thomas, DL James Thompson Jr., QB Tyler Van Dyke and S Hunter Wohler.

Since 1925, the East-West Shrine Bowl has helped support Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in its efforts to care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.

Staged in Dallas, Texas, January’s Shrine Bowl game will be the 100th installment of the event.

The Shrine Bowl sets venue and date for the 2025 event

The Shrine Bowl sets venue and date for the 2025 event, which will take place in late January

The 2025 Shrine Bowl will be the 100th edition of the venerable postseason game. It’s been one of the key stops on the scouting trail for decades, a can’t-miss look at over 90 draft prospects.

After playing the 2024 Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas, at the Dallas Cowboys training center (commonly known as The Star), the 2025 edition will step into the home stadium for the Cowboys. The 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl will be played on January 30th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Unlike other postseason games, the Shrine Bowl has moved around quite a bit in recent years, giving exposure in different parts of the country. Draft Wire will have staff in attendance for the practice sessions and the game itself next winter.

Saints select a little-known offensive lineman with their final 2024 draft pick

The Saints spent their final pick in the 2024 draft on Eastern Kentucky OT Josiah Ezirim, who Jahri Evans coached at the East-West Shrine Bowl:

The New Orleans Saints spent their final pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Josiah Ezirim, an Eastern Kentucky offensive lineman, who they selected at No. 239 overall. That’s the pick they got back from the Denver Broncos in exchange for Wil Lutz last year. So what’s his story?

Ezirim turns 23 in May, and he played a lot of snaps at Eastern Kentucky over  the last two years while starting at right tackle. Pro Football Focus charting found that he allowed just two sacks during that time, and he was nearly perfect on a career-high 490 snaps in pass protection last season. The Colonels ran with zone-blocking schemes on 81.4% of their rushing attempts the last two years, so he has a good feel for what the Saints are looking to do offensively.

He also has a clear connection to the Saints. Ezirim was one of the players Jahri Evans coached at the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this offseason, giving him a hands-on look at the future pro. And Ezirim hits many of the athletic thresholds the Saints value. He weighed in at 6-foot-5 and 328 pounds with 35-inch arms. His 8.50 Relative Athletic Score lines up well with the Saints’ preferences. We’ll see if he stays on the right side (the same side that first-round draft pick Taliese Fuaga will be playing) or if the Saints envision him at a different spot. But he checks all of their boxes. It makes sense to stack depth given Ryan Ramczyk’s health concerns.

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Saints schedule one of their first draft visits with Trevor Penning’s old teammate

The Saints scheduled one of their first pre-draft visits with Trevor Penning’s old teammate: Northern Iowa defensive tackle Khristian Boyd.

The New Orleans Saints have one of their first top-30 prospect visits lined up, as they will meet with Northern Iowa defensive tackle Khristian Boyd, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Boyd, a former college teammate of Saints offensive lineman Trevor Penning, didn’t get invited to the NFL combine last week but did have a nice showing at the East-West Shrine Bowl (where he weighed in at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds) to start his pre-draft process. His scouting report carries many of the same talking-points as Penning did after during the process, such as bringing a lot of energy and aggression off the snap.

The interior lineman looks like someone that could be a powerful run defender in the NFL, but he’s disruptive with 10.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss, plus 89 quarterback pressures in his college career per Pro Football Focus charting. If the Saints like what they get out of him in this interview and private workout, expect him to be either a late-round pick or priority undrafted free agent target.

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Panthers 2024 post-combine meetings tracker

Does anybody need a list of 2024 draft prospects the Panthers have spoken with thus far? We got you.

The 2024 scouting combine is now in the books. 40s have been dashed, 20s have been shuttled, benches have been pressed and vertical and broads have been jumped.

Oh, and there were plenty of talks to be had.

Among the annual activities at the combine are the meetings between prospects and potentially interested teams. And as far as the Carolina Panthers are concerned, we may have to pay a bit more attention to who they’re talking to since their first pick doesn’t pop up until the second round.

So, we’ll help you out.

Here are all the known players—whether they were at the combine, Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl or even the College Gridiron Showcase—the Panthers have spoken with to this point:

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