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The Hunt Report: East-West Shrine Bowl how to watch, top prospects, featured players, practice notes, more

I checked in from Las Vegas for a couple of days to watch practices for the East-West Shrine Bowl. This is the second year that the event and the game have been in Las Vegas, and it is a well organized event, full of talent.

It’s also great to see the Shrine Bowl continue the tradition of allowing a coaching scholarship pathway for coaches coming through the ranks of HBCU, like Grambling’s new offensive coordinator, Tony Hull, who worked this week with the Atlanta Falcons. Hull is a brilliant football mind and leader who will one day be a future head coach at college level. And he’s getting a chance to break into the pro game thanks to this Shrine Bowl initiative.

Before we get into the highlights of both teams during practice week, here’s all the game info for the East-West Shrine Bowl.

how to look

Date: Thursday February 2 | Hour: 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)
TELEVISION: NFL Network | Stream: fuboTV (try free)

For a more complete draft of content, please see our latest prospect rankings Y dummy drafts, as well as our new weekly podcast, “With the first selection”, with former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.

east team

RB Tavion Thomas: 6-1247, Utah

Tipping the scales at 247 pounds was shocking to watch, but once he got out on the field, it was easy to see that Thomas carries that weight pretty well. He looked like a big retro back with quick feet, like Bam Morris and such. I thought he looked quick and sharp during practice week.

WR Jadon Haselwood: 6-2 213, Arkansas

I was impressed with Haselwood’s acceleration. He has a certain level of fluidity to his game that, when combined with his ability to get to his top speed and continue to pick it up, makes him a tough receiver to cover.

OL Chandler Zavala: 6-3 322, State of North Carolina

Functional strength is just as important as strength in the weight room. And in some cases, the former is more important. Zavala was a tough matchup for interior defensive linemen during 1v1s. I thought his ability to hit and run DL effectively was the best of any offensive lineman this week.

DL Dante Stills: 6-3 289, West Virginia

Stills had his way with the West’s offensive line throughout practices, and it didn’t matter if it was during 1-on-1 or team periods. His speed on the ball was very impressive, along with his ability to work his hands well to get off blocks and make plays in the backfield.

LB Anfernee Orji: 6-1230, Vanderbilt

It’s been a good all-star circuit for the Vanderbilt Defenders, as they’ve made some noise during my rides. Orji made impressive plays all week; the kind of plays that stick in your mind. We saw him get very good run attacks during the inside run period, and he was able to get an interception during the team period as well. It’s that kind of ability on both ends of the defense that allows scouts to project their skill set so much better into the future.

EDGE BJ Thompson: 6-5 238, Stephen F. Austin

Thompson’s athleticism really came through during practice. There was one drill in particular, the zone drop drill during the defensive individual period, where it was evident. He has fluid hips, which helped him move smoothly through the drill as he displayed acceleration to gain ground in the process.

EDGE Caleb Murphy: 6-3 254, Ferris State

Murphy was another defenseman from a small college who showed some good athleticism this week. Where he also excelled was both in 1v1s and during team periods, where his coverage ability and his ability to establish a physical advantage to stop the run were on display. You could tell he was well trained at Ferris State and is a fundamentally sound player.

CB Kei’Trel Clark: 5-10 179, Louisville

During practice Sunday, Clark really excelled in all facets. He showed great ability to reflect and combine during 1v1, and was able to show his ability to communicate with his fellow defenders during 7v7. In the team period, his skill in run support is what drew the applause. of his teammates. Clark competed well and raised a few eyebrows.

S A J Finley: 6-2 202, Ole Miss

I joked on Twitter that Finley looked like he was playing offense with how much he had the ball in his hands. He was all over the field, and in some cases, Johnny was in place to intercept the pass. I thought in 1-on-1s he more than held his own in coverage against tight ends, and his knowledge of the ball and his instincts spoke loudly during 7-on-7s and team periods.

Other East Team highlights

Here’s a look at some of East Team WR/DB’s 1v1s:

west team

QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 6-1 191, UCLA

DTR, as it is also known, put in a solid showing this week against the scouts. I felt like he was the most consistent of the quarterbacks. The consistency combined with his live arm and speed really helped set him apart from the rest of the pack.

RB Xazavian Valladay: 5-11 199, Arizona State

Valladay, for me, was the most complete rear in practice. As a receiver, he showed that he could be a threat on the field. As a blocker, he was able to step up and push defenders well during blitz pickup. He didn’t waste time in the backfield during 9v7 or team vs. team periods. I thought he looked and played too, bigger than his size, in a good way.

WR Zay Flores: 5-9 182, Boston University

Flowers just has a different kind of speed, explosiveness and acceleration. This was evident during his first day of practice, which was Day 2 of the event. He can easily see why he’s getting first-round consideration. He already runs and plays at a professional pace.

WR Dallas Daniels: 5-10 176, Jackson State

You can’t train or teach speed and explosiveness, and that’s what made Daniels stand out all week. Due to his natural ability, you can easily imagine him as a slot receiver or return specialist. Giving you a free release is like signing your own death certificate.

OL Jaxson Kirkland: 6-6 322, Washington

Kirkland is a massive offensive lineman who showed his positional flexibility during 1v1s, when they had him working inside guard and outside tackle. He handled both tasks extremely well.

DL Taron Vincent: 6-1 305, Ohio State

Manual wrestling was his forte during the week, as it was a clear strength of his game. Vincent was a constant nuisance throughout practice and proved to be a tough block to the offensive line in every quarter.

EDGE Andre Jones: 6-4 250, Louisiana

Jones is a very strong attack point player who used a variety of ways to get to the QB during 1v1s. But what was impressive was his one-arm stab, as it was effective throughout practice, regardless of the drill. . He too passed the test “off the bus” as he felt that he kept growing as the practice progressed.

CB Myles Brooks: 6-0 201, Louisiana Tech

Brooks was super active around soccer. The wide receivers tried a couple of times, but he to no avail. It’s that kind of confidence when the ball is in the air that you want in the position. When asked to play outside and in zone coverage, he got close to the ball to break up passes.

CB Terell Smith: 6-0 207, Minnesota

Smith was the best corner of the week. The man’s coverage skills, ball skills and instincts, combined with physical tools, made him stand out in every facet. The All-Star Games are about rising to the moment, and he definitely made the most of his opportunities this week.

St. Trey Dean III: 6-2 211, Florida

Dean’s coverage skills and overall athleticism stood out the most to me. I knew he was an aggressive, downhill defender going into the week, but it was nice to see him match up in man coverage against tight ends. Also, I think he has more range than he realizes, as that also showed up this week during practice. This won’t show up on the stat sheet, but toward the end of practice Sunday, he walked down the defensive sideline and shook hands with all the defenders. I thought it was very funny.

P Michael Turk: 6-0 234, Oklahoma

The blow sounded different coming from Turk’s foot. What was interesting to see was the depth and hang time he was able to get on his punts. And when they chose to use the Jugs machine instead of letting him kick many times in a row, the next time he kicked, he outclassed the Jugs machine.

Other West Team highlights

  • D. L. Desjuan Johnson, Toledo
  • D. L. Jerron Cage, Ohio State
  • WR Demario Douglas, Freedom
  • CB Eric Scott Jr., Miss South
  • FB Jack Colletto, State of Oregon
  • S. Christian Izien, Rutgers
  • EDGE Titus Leo, Wagner
  • WR Justin Shorter, Fla.
  • WR Michael Jefferson, Louisiana
  • T E Travis Vokolek, Nebraska

Here’s a look at some of West Team’s OL/DL 1v1s:

Next stop: Reese’s Senior Bowl (Advance)