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
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
Team-vs-Team
Over the past two seasons, Florida A&M’s 12 conference wins is on par with both A&T and Alcorn. This year, they have widely been recognized as the best D1 HBCU team in the country, but they still are not in Atlanta. That is because they self-imposed a ban for infractions that occurred at the university before most of the athletes on the team was even there. As a result, their 7-1 conference record this season does not yield a recognized championship. Instead they have to watch that title go to the Aggies between the Aggies. The Rattlers also have to watch their Celebration Bowl birth be claimed by a team they defeated 34-31 in overtime.
Yes, while A&T has represented the MEAC in four of the five Celebration Bowls, it could have easily been a different team.
easy for the Braves. Fellow SWAC frontrunner Grambling, has been the conference representative twice. Last season, the Braves barely squeezed by a Southern team that was hungry to make their first Celebration Bowl appearance.
The MEAC is a grinder. There are legitimately 4-5 teams that can win the conference every season. FAMU has no intentions of going backwards with Head Coach Willie Simmons leading the way. South Carolina State, with legendary Head Coach Buddy Pough, was just knocking on the door this season. And Head Coach Terry Sims at Bethune-Cookman is always hovering, proving to be a constant nuisance to both A&T and Florida A&M. North Carolina Central knows what it takes to get there, having played in the game 3 years ago and 2nd year Head Coach Trei Oliver had an impressive 1st season at his alma mater. Norfolk State Head Coach Latrell Scott has quietly developed a solid program, and his Spartans took both FAMU & South Carolina State to the brink this season. Also, don’t sleep on the Morgan State Bears, who are a sleeping giant in the conference, with Tyrone Wheatley at the helm, building a bully in Baltimore; And Delaware State is in good hands under Head Coach Rod Milstead, who has done fantastic work on the recruiting front for the Hornets.
Dawson Odums, and Prairie View A&M, with Head Coach Eric Dooley, joining Broderick Fobbs and Grambling as legitimate contenders in the West Division, as well as Alabama A&M, who has the Top QB in the SWAC, Aqeel Glass, who is also an NFL Prospect, returning next season. Quietly, Jackson State, along with Alabama State, continues to get better in the East Division and played with a lot of youthful talent in 2019, will make getting to Atlanta in 2020 a daunting task for Alcorn St.
For those who did not support the move, they pointed to the limitations of just one bowl game. It’s only an award for two teams, despite the fact that multiple teams might be worthy of some type of post-season play. Others wondered why HBCUs would eliminate the opportunity to play in the FCS playoffs. It is already difficult enough to garner the same level of respect as Predominantly White Institutions on the field, this bowl game essentially eliminates the chance to play PWIs in the FCS and prove their equality.
the inaugural game was over 35,000 fans. In 2016, the attendance was 31,000, proving that year one was not just an anomaly. The following year, in 2017, saw the attendance dip to 25,873. But in 2018, that number was back over 31,000. These numbers dwarf the average SWAC or MEAC home game attendance combined! The 1.6 rating the game received last season, according to www.sportsmediawatch.com, drew over 50% more viewers than the FCS National Championship Game.