Football Gameplan is on the scene in St. Petersburg, Florida for the 2020 Shrine Bowl!
Here’s our Preview, Interviews and some exclusive video from all of the Shrine Bowl Practices!

We got cleats on the ground at another college all-star event, this time in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida for the 2020 East West Shrine Bowl. Under the bright lights and cozy, comfortable atmosphere of Tropicana Field, over 130 NFL Draft prospects performed throughout the week in front of every NFL and CFL team, as well as in front of XFL scouts who were in attendance.

There was non-stop action throughout the week, as many players had good days, some had great days, some were consistently good throughout the week, and some had outstanding performances in the actual game.

We saw a lot of moving and shaking with the roster throughout the week as well, as some of the LSU & Clemson players, WR Derrick Dillon (LSU), LB Michael Divinity (LSU), WR Diondre Overton (Clemson), OL Sean Pollard (Clemson) & Gage Cervenka (Clemson) were able to make it to the game, after playing in what seemed like a 75-hour National Championship Game on Monday Night. Defensive Tackle Chris Williams from Wagner College arrived on Tuesday to fill a spot due to an injured player.

Yale QB Kurt Rawlings, after a solid start to the week, surprisingly retired from football completely. Good thing I caught up with him before he made the decision:

And OL Charlie Heck, who stood out all week, was able to play himself into a Senior Bowl invitation, and will be there this week.

Being at the practices all week gives you a different perspective than just watching the game on Gameday. That’s why it’s important to always ask your favorite draft analyst, “who stood out to you during the week”, as having cleats on the ground there is critical. Otherwise, you’re just faking the funk and not doing your job in serving the reader properly.

Now that we’ve taken care of some the house cleaning items, let’s dive into the news, notes, tidbits, standouts and highlights from the week that was in St. Pete!

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Day 3: East Team

QB Kevin Davidson – 6’4 225, Princeton: I thought Davidson was the most consistent QB there in attendance. From the onset, he took control and command of the opportunity, and threw the football well at all levels of the field.

RB Tavien Feaster – 5’11 222, South Carolina

RB Benny LeMay – 5’8 216, Charlotte: LeMay has a unique patience about his game, where his eyes and feet are always in unison. He’s a consistent chain-mover. I caught up with him to talk about the RB position and his week in general at the Shrine Bowl.

Skill Positions 1-on-1s

WR Malcolm Perry – 5’9 190, Navy: Perry got off to a great start to the week and had a tremendous performance in the game. His speed and explosiveness, as well as his ability to handle the ball as a QB, gives him a different dynamic as a prospect:

WR Aaron Parker – 6’1 205, Rhode Island: Parker will be a name to definitely get familiar with during this offseason draft circuit. He was tremendous, both at Rhode Island, and at the Shrine Bowl. Parker was one of those ‘consistent’ players I spoke about earlier in the article. Here’s my chat with him earlier in the week, breaking down his game.

Red Zone 7-on-7

CB Isiah Swann – 5’11 185, Dartmouth: Same thing for Swann, he balled out at the College Gridiron Showcase a week and a half ago in Fort Worth, Texas, and received a call up to the Shrine Bowl. Again, CLEATS ON THE GROUND. He was also able to catch a couple of interceptions this week as well. Obviously, I caught up with him to get his thoughts on both the CGS and Shrine Bowl:

CB Parnell Motley – 5’11 180, Oklahoma

CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver III – 6’1 185, FIU: Thomas-Oliver had an impressive 9 days, as he was a call up from the Tropical Bowl. Funny how you guys now know what the Tropical Bowl is because you follow my work here on The Athletic. I told you guys, having cleats on the ground at these different events is doing true, valuable work as a draft analyst. Thomas-Oliver has strong matchup skills and transitions well for such a taller corner.

Team-vs-Team

OG Cameron Clark – 6’4 300, Charlotte: Clark was one of 3 Charlotte 49ers in attendance, and had an impressive week of work in front of scouts I thought during the 1-on-1 period he truly shined. Those drills are hard for any OL to have success because of how the drill heavily favors the defensive player, but Clark was able to supersede that and rack up a lot of wins.

DE Kendall Coleman – 6’3 261, Syracuse: Coleman essentially owned the 1-on-1 drills this week. He found multiple ways to defeat the offensive lineman. During 9-on-7 and Team-vs-Team periods, he still was showing up consistently.

LB Michael Pinckney – 6’0 225, Miami: Pinckney has a great feel for the game. I’m a big fan of his football awareness, as he seemed to always be in the right spot, especially in the passing game. He had a great week.

LB Shaquille Quarterman – 6’1 238, Miami

LB Cam Gill – 6’2 234, Wagner: Gill was put in a disadvantageous situation this week to see how he’ll respond, playing all 3 linebacker spots, after playing primarily as an EDGE rusher at Wagner, and he responded really well. Here’s Gill speaking about his experience this week:

DT Mctelvin Agim – 6’3 300, Arkansas: Agim was in a zone all week long. He was the talk of the town amongst the scouts who I sat nearby. Burst off the ball, violent hands, and ability to quickly find the ball was key. I was able to talk with him after practice to get him to discuss his purpose out there this week.

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Day 3: West Team Practice Highlights

QB Tyler Huntley – 6’1 205, Utah: Huntley was one of the more efficient QBs in college football this year, and was equally as efficient throughout the week of practices. While other QBs had their moments, Huntley was more consistent in having them. I spoke with him after practice about his season and what he wants to prove to NFL scouts.

RB LeVante Bellamy – 5’9 191, Western Michigan: Bellamy just operates at a different speed than everyone else. Once his plants his foot in the ground, his acceleration is excellent. He talks about what a team would be getting from him if they draft him:

RB James Robinson – 5’9 219, Illinois State; Robinson went off during the Shrine Bowl on Saturday. I voted him Offensive MVP of the game, but the award went to Charlotte’s Benny LeMay. Robinson, throughout the week, showcase very good acceleration and vision. In the game, he put it all together for a spectacular performance, finishing with over 150 yards on the ground.

WR Dezmon Patmon – 6’4 223, Washington State

WR Binjimen Victor – 6’4 199, Ohio State: Victor is such a smooth, fluid athlete that plays as big as his size. He also showed the ability to get in-and-out of his breaks with ease for being such a taller corner. I thought he was the most consistent receiver out there this week, making “WOW” plays each day, and even in the actual game.

WR Nick Westbrook – 6’2 215, Indiana

TE Ben Ellefson – 6’4 245, North Dakota State: Talk about the model of consistency, that aptly describes the former Bison TE. Ellefson ran good routes, caught virtually everything thrown his way, and just kept making positive plays throughout the week to have scouts buzzing about his performance.

WR/DB 1-on-1s

S David Dowell – 6’0 206, Michigan State: Dowell was all over the field this week. It didn’t matter if it was 1-on-1s, 9-on-7 or Team-vs-Team, he consistently made a play. During the game, Dowell also stepped up big time on a couple of key 3rd down situations.

CB Keith Washington II – 6’0 177, West Virginia: Washington was stellar all throughout the week. He has great man-to-man skills, and was able to consistently find the football. Last year it was CB Jimmy Moreland (Redskins) who had this type of week as a corner, this year, it was Washington.

Team-vs-Team

OL/DL 1-on-1s

OL Carter O’Donnell – 6’6 315, Alberta: O’Donnell is one of the top offensive linemen in the 2020 CFL Draft. Back in May, I was up in Ottawa at the USports East West Bowl, which is their college all-star game that’s played before the season (CLEATS ON THE GROUND), and O’Donnell became a name to watch amongst NFL scouts. Here, he got better each day and started to play stellar ball by week’s end.

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Tuesday kicked off the second day of the 2020 East West Shrine Bowl. The energy and intensity was the same on Day 2 as it was on Day 1, and many guys got after it, under the bright lights at Tropicana Field.

East Team Day 2 Observations

Skill Positions 1-on-1s

Standouts:

RB Tavien Feaster – 5’11 222, South Carolina
WR Ja’Marcus Bradley – 6’1 195, Louisiana

LB Michael Pinckney – 6’0- 225, Miami: Pinckney had one of the best coverage days by any of the linebackers so far on Tuesday. He looked fluid in mirroring the RB, and showed really good athleticism in breaking on the ball.

CB Parnell Motley – 5’11 180, Oklahoma

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Team-vs-Team

This section was broken up into two parts: Team Run and Team-vs-Team

Standouts

OL Cameron Clark – 6’4 300, Charlotte
RB Adrian Killins Jr. – 5’7 164, Central Florida
RB Benny Lemay, Jr. – 5’9 216, Charlotte

QB Kevin Davidson – 6’4 225, Princeton: Davidson has been nothing short of spectacular so far this week. He’s got such effortless throwing mechanics and is able to drive the ball with both velocity and accuracy to wherever he wants to throw it on the field. He’s looked decisive as well, as if he’s been in this offense for years.

OC Luke Juriga – 6’3 296, Western Michigan
CB Parnell Motley – 5’11 180, Oklahoma
LB Shaquille Quarterman – 6’1 238, Miami

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Offensive Line vs Defensive Line

Standouts

OL Cameron Clark – 6’4 300, Charlotte
OL Jon Runyan – 6’4 319, Michigan
OL Jake Benzinger – 6’7 296, Wake Forest
OL Matt Womack – 6’7 335, Alabama
OL Luke Juriga – 6’3 296, Western Michigan
OL Michael Onwenu – 6’2 350, Michigan

DL Agim Mctelvin – 6’3 300, Arkansas: McTelvin has been the most explosive DL here so far. I really came away impressed with his burst and ball get off. He won the majority, if not all, of his reps today in 1-on-1s. Every year there is an DL that just stands out above the rest, and this year it has been the former Arkansas Razorback.

DL Kendall Coleman – 6’3 251, Syracuse
DL James Smith-Williams – 6’3 255, N.C. State
DL Auzoyah Alufohai – 6’5 328, West Georgia

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West Team Day 2 Observations

Skill Positions 1-on-1s

Standouts:

RB Tony Jones – 5’11 225, Notre Dame: I’ve been very impressed with how natural of a receiver Jones has been this week. For a RB, he runs very good routes, shows the fluidity to make many different receptions, and has a good burst to accelerate past defenders.

RB LeVante Bellamy – 5’9 191, Western Michigan
WR Johnathon Johnson – 5’9 179, Missouri
WR Binjimen VIctor – 6’4 199, Ohio State
S David Dowell – 6’0 206, Michigan State
CB Keith Washington II – 6’0 177, West Virginia
CB Chris Williamson – 6’0 198, Minnesota
LB Mykal Walker – 6’3 225, Fresno State

CB Luq Barcoo – 6’0 175, San Diego State: Barcoo has kept up with the tradition of excellent corners coming out of that Aztecs program. He’s got top notch COD skills, and knows how to play the ball through the receiver without drawing a flag.

QB Mason Fine – 5’9 195, North Texas: Size is not a skill. As you know, that’s one of our favorite saying at Football Gameplan. Mason Fine exemplifies that. I like the way he throws the ball all over the yard, and has no fear throwing in certain areas of the field. I spoke with him about his stature and what he’s out here to show and prove to the scouts:

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Inside Run & Team-vs-Team

Standouts:

QB Tyler Huntley – 6’1 205, Utah
RB Reggie Corbin – 5’9 205, Illinois
RB James Robinson – 5’9 219, Illinois State

QB Kelly Bryant – 6’3 225, Missouri: Bryant has a live arm and that was on display during the Team-vs-Team periods. Also, during Pass Skel, Bryant looked rather sharp, completing numerous passes at the intermediate level of the field. He’s looked really good throwing the ball.

OL Yasir Durant – 6’6 340, Missouri
OL Kevin Dotson – 6’4 324, Louisiana

WR Nick Westbrook – 6’2 215, Indiana: Westbrook had a fantastic day in both Pass Skel and in Team-vs-Team. He had a couple of spectacular grabs that spotlighted his athleticism and big play ability. After practice, he was a very popular player amongst scouts in attendance.

DT Raequan Williams – 6’4 302, Michigan State
DT Khalil Davis – 6’0 305, Nebraska
LB Mykal Walker – 6’3 225, Fresno State
DE Ladarius Hamilton – 6’2 252, North Texas

LB Dante Olson – 6’2 241, Montana: Olson won the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the top defensive player in the FCS. He lived up to that billing this week in St. Pete. In coverage is where he stood out the most IMO. In the game, it was his ability to quickly close in on the run game and make tackles that helped round out his week.

S David Dowell – 6’0 206, Michigan State: Dowell just had an awesome Day 2 here at the Shrine Bowl. He stood out in both 9-on-7 and in the full team period. Good run fits, good instincts and a sound tackler.

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Offensive Line vs Defensive Line

Standouts:

OT Branden Bowen – 6’7 315, Ohio State: Bowen was a brick wall to opposing defensive linemen during the 1-on-1 period. He used his length to his advantage numerous times throughout the period, escorting essentially everyone out the club. I like how consistent his POA strength is.

OL Jake Fruhmorgen – 6’6 305, Baylor
OL Calvin Throckmorton – 6’4 316, Oregon
OL Drew Richmond – 6’5 315, USC

DL Raequan Williams – 6’4 302, Michigan State: Williams was another Spartan who had a stellar Day 2. He was able to showcase on Tuesday a variety of ways to get to the QB, and gave OL fits.

DL Khalil Davis – 6’0 305, Nebraska
DL Bryce Sterk – 6’3 257, Montana State

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The 2020 East West Shrine Bowl got underway on Monday afternoon at Tropicana Field, in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida. Sitting in the stands, and standing on the field, were scouts and personnel executives from all 32 NFL teams, as well as both CFL and XFL scouts. In what was a long first day, as it usually is, over 100 pro prospects put on a show in front of both media and scouts alike.

East Team

RB Adrian Killins Jr. – 5’7 164, Central Florida: The speed and quickness in what he displayed in the passing game, really stood out at practice.
QB Kevin Davidson – 6’4 225, Princeton: I thought he threw the ball extremely well throughout the day. Davidson also showed a lively arm, as he was able to drive the football wherever he wanted to on the field.
WR Aaron Parker – 6’1 205, Rhode Island: Impressive speed, acceleration and body control. I thought Parker was able to smoothly get in-and-out of his breaks, creating separation from the defensive back with ease. He also showcased those great hands that made him such a star at Rhode Island.
WR Malcolm Perry – 5’9 190, Navy: Perry, the former option QB, looked as natural as a receiver could look on Monday. This was impressive to see as he spent the majority of his career at QB and slot back for the Midshipmen. Perry just has a different level of explosiveness at the position.
OL Cameron Clark – 6’4 300, Charlotte: I like Clark’s ability to control a DL once engaged. His POA strength was extremely impressive.
OL Steven Gonzalez – 6’4 346, Penn State: Gonzalez had a strong showing in 1-on-1s. I thought his footwork was where it needed to be.
OL Jon Runyan – 6’4 319, Michigan: Speaking of performing well during 1-on-1s, it seemed as if it was Runyan’s drill as he won the majority of his reps in a convincing fashion.
OC Darryl Williams – 6’2 306, Mississippi State: Williams, to me, was the most impressive of the interior lineman on Monday. He dominated 1-on-1s, and was strong during both the Inside Run and Team-vs-Team periods of practice.
DT Mctelvin Agim – 6’3 300, Arkansas: I thought at times he looked unblockable. Agim has a great first step and explodes off the ball into the OL’s chest.
DE Alex Highsmith – 6’3 244, Charlotte: Explosive off the edge, showing very good body lean to dip under OTs. He started off 1-on-1s with a great example of those traits.
DE Austin Edwards – 6’3 280, Ferris State: The D2 product had a solid first day, showing a good blend of speed and finesse coming off the edge.
CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver III – 6’1 185, FIU: For a taller corner, Thomas-Oliver definitely has great body control and was in the hip pocket of receivers all day long.
CB Nevelle Clarke – 6’1 185, Central Florida: Another one of these taller corners who performed really well was Clarke. There’s no wasted movements when he gets out of his break to drive on the ball. He had an excellent day.
S Rodney Clemons – 6’0 205, SMU: Clemons show good ability in coverage vs TEs on Day 1. Didn’t panic, stayed patient and made some plays.

East Team Practice Highlights

WR/DB 1-on-1s

OL/DL 1-on-1s

OG Kevin Dotson – 6’4 324, Louisiana: I am definitely not biased here, but, Dotson was the best OL at the Shrine Bowl this week A devastating run blocker, Dotson consistently cleared out expressway lanes up front on the right side. Also, in 1-on-1s, he virtually won all his reps. He put on an OL technical clinic during the week.

Team-vs-Team

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West Team

QB Tyler Huntley – 6’1 205, Utah: I thought Huntley looked sharp in Pass Skel and Team-vs-Team, putting all of his skills on display as a guy who can play on-schedule, who can improvise in the pocket, and one who can use his legs to pick up yards.
WR Binjimen Victor – 6’4 199, Ohio State: Victor had the best day of the WRs on the West Team. He’s a very fluid route runner that shows a lot of nuance in that regard. He also caught the football extremely well.
RB James Robinson – 5’9 219, Illinois State: Robinson’s game reminded me of Aaron Jones in how fluid he is running the ball. He also has very good acceleration to hit his top speed pretty quickly.
RB LeVante Bellamy – 5’8 171, Western Michigan: His speed is just different. Period. Bellamy was a tough cover in 1-on-1s, but also looked explosive during Inside Run periods.
WR Juwan Johnson – 6’4 231, Oregon: Johnson definitely passes the “off the bus” look, as his physical stature is impressive. He had a really good day catching the football.
TE Ben Ellefson – 6’4 245, North Dakota State: Every time you looked up, #81 was making a grab against a defender. Ellefson showed comfort in catching the ball away from his body, over his shoulder and while being draped by a defender.
OG Kevin Dotson – 6’4 324, Louisiana: Dotson has tremendous technique, and because of that, in conjunction with his power and explosiveness, he clears lanes in the run game. During 9-on-7 and Team-vs-Team, this was very evident. Also, in 1-on-1s, he showed great ability in mirroring DL, not giving up any pressures.
OG Calvin Throckmorton – 6’4 316, Oregon: Again, another lineman with great functional usage at the POA. No wasted movements, no wasted reps, Throckmorton looked really good in 1-on-1s and in the Team periods.
DL John Penisini – 6’1 324, Utah: I like the quickness and explosiveness off the ball shown on Monday by Penisini. He also is a great hand fighter as well, using them to quickly disengage from an OL. He had a disruptive day.
DL Bryce Sterk – 6’3 257, Montana State: I like the athleticism he showed coming off the corner. Sterk showed that he is more of a fluid athlete than given credit for.
CB Luq Barcoo – 6’0 175, San Diego State: Barcoo had himself a strong day in coverage, in all aspects of practice: 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s and Team Periods.
CB Keith Washington II – 6’0 177, West Virginia: I thought he was the best man-to-man cover guy on Day 1. Had a couple of interceptions and was plastered across receivers throughout the day.

West Team Practice Highlights

WR/DB and RB/LB/TE 1-on-1s

OL/DL 1-on-1s

Inside Run

DE Bryce Sterk – 6’3 257, Montana State: Sterk has a great 1st step that helped him gain leverage on the offensive lineman all week. I think he shocked a lot of folks in St. Pete with how nuanced his game is, and he’s not just a one-trick pony.

Team-vs-Team