I thought it would be useful to create a thread for discussion of prospects playing in this game and for discussing the game itself. Following is a list of the rosters of both teams found in the Star Ledger http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2016/01/2016_east-west_shrine_game_rosters.html 2016 East-West Shrine Game rosters By Matt Lombardo | For NJ Advance Media on January 22, 2016 at 10:05 AM, updated January 22, 2016 at 10:49 AM The 91st playing of the East-West Shrine Game is set for Saturday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla. and features college football players looking to grab the attention of NFL scouts, including one Rutgers Scarlet Knight. Charlie Weiss coaches the East team with June Jones serving as head coach of the West squad. Here's a look at the rosters for both teams: EAST TEAM: Quarterbacks: Blake Frohnapfel, UMass, Jake Rudock, Michigan, Joel Stave, Wisconsin Running backs: Joshua Ferguson, Illinois, Devon Johnson, Marshall, Keenan Reynolds, Navy, Brandon Ross, Maryland Receivers: Robby Anderson, Temple, Chris Brown, Notre Dame, Cody Core, Ole Miss, Arkansas State , Rashawn Scott, Miami (Fla.), Tajae Sharpe, UMass Tight ends: Kyle Carter, Penn State, Darion Griswold, Steven Scheu, Vanderbilt Offensive linemen: Donavon Clark (G), Michigan State, Fahn Cooper (OT), Ole Miss, Parker Ehinger (G), Cincinnati, Taylor Fallin (OT), Memphis, Graham Glasgow (C), Michigan, Robert Kugler (C), Purdue, Keith Lumpkin (OT), Rutgers, Sean McEwen (C), University of Calgary, Brandon Shell (OT), South Carolina, Joe Thuney (G), N.C. State, Charles Vaillancourt (G), Laval Defensive linemen: Trevon Coley (DT), Florida Atlantic, Javon Hargrave (DT), South Carolina State, Nile Lawrence-Stample (DT), Florida State, Dean Lowry (DE), Northwestern, Victor Ochi (DE), Stony Brook, Romeo Okwara (DE), Notre Dame, Mike Rose (DE), N.C. State, Anthony Zettel (DT), Penn State Linebackers: Joe Bolden (ILB), Michigan, James Burgess (ILB), Louisville, Anthony Harrell (ILB), Florida, Darien Harris (OLB), Michigan State, Terrance Smith (OLB), Florida State, Antwione Williams (ILB), Georgia Southern Defensive backs: Anthony Brown (CB), Purdue, Juston Burris (CB), N.C. State, Deon Bush (S), Miami (Fla.), Jamie Byrd (S), South Florida, Cre'von Leblanc (CB), Florida Atlantic, Jordan Lomax (S), Iowa David Mims II (CB), Texas State, Brian Poole (CB), Florida, Elijah Shumate (S), Notre Dame, Justin Simmons (S), Boston College, Andrew Williamson (S), Vanderbilt Specialists: John Lunsford (K), Liberty, Will Monday (P), Duke WEST TEAM Quarterbacks: Vernon Adams, Jr., Oregon, Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky, Nate Sudfeld, Indiana Running backs: Daniel Lasco, California, Derek Watt (FB), Wisconsin, Storm Woods, Oregon State Receivers: Geronimo Allison, Illinois, Danny Anthrop, Purdue, Devon Cajuste, Stanford, Colorado State, Jared Dangerfield, Western Kentucky, Texas-San Antonio, Hunter Sharp, Utah State Tight ends: Kivon Cartwright (TE), David Morgan II (TE) Offensive linemen: Siaosi Aiono (C), Utah, Jake Brendel (C), UCLA, Chase Farris (G), Ohio State ,Marcus Henry (C), Boise State, Alex Huettel (G), Bowling Green, Ted Karras (OG), Illinois, Alex Lewis (OT), Nebraska, Lene Maiava (OT), Arizona Tyler Marz (OT), Wisconsin, Stephane Nembot (OT), Colorado, Vi Teofilo (G), Arizona State Defensive linemen: Alex Balducci (DT), Oregon, James Cowser (DE), Southern Utah, David Dean (DT), Virginia, Gerald Dixon, Jr. (DT), South Carolina, Tyrone Holmes (DE), Montana, Cory Johnson (DT), Kentucky, Bronson Kaufusi (DE), BYU, Luther Maddy (DT), Virginia Tech, David Onyemata (DE), Manitoba, Aziz Shittu (DE), Stanford Linebackers: De'Vondre Campbell (OLB), Minnesota, Travis Feeney (OLB), Washington, Paul Gionni (OLB), Utah, Cory James (OLB), Colorado State, Antonio Longino (ILB), Arizona State, Anthony Sarao (ILB), USC, Aaron Wallace (OLB), UCLA Defensive backs: V'Angelo Bentley (CB), Illinois, Briean Boddy-Calhoun (CB), Minnesota, Michael Caputo (S), Wisconsin, Lloyd Carrington (CB), Arizona State Tevin Carter (S), Utah, Ken Crawley (CB), Colorado, Clayton Fejedelem (S), Illinois, Jamal Golden (S), Georgia Tech, Michael Jordan (CB), Missouri Western State, LeShaun Sims (CB), Southern Utah, R.J. Williamson (S), Michigan State Specialists: Taylor Bertolet (K), Texas A&M, Drew Kaser (P), Texas A&M
I know this game usually has players that aren't as highly ranked as the Senior Bowl, but if someone who has followed more college football this season than I could highlight some of the players to watch, I would appreciate it. The only names of players I've either seen or heard mention that I remember are: Joshua Ferguson, RB Brandon Doughty, QB Nate Sudfeld, QB Will Monday, P
On the freaking NFL network. Oh well, at least I can listen to it on the radio. Thud! That was the sound of Brandon Doughty's draft stock dropping after he locked onto his receiver, threw into triple coverage in the red zone and saw his pass intercepted and run back 98 yards for a TD.
The NFLPA (or whatever it's called) Bowl was supposedly on ESPN2 according to one of the local rags, but it isn't.
none of these RBs can catch ... Vernon Adams is killing it inside the pocket and outside the pocket. Poor man's Russell Wilson?
Josh Ferguson RB from Illinois has over 100 career receptions. This kid from Stony Brook Vic Ochi DE looks really good
I listened to the game on the radio, but it was hard to get a feel for any of the players. Vernon Adams sounded like he was playing great, but I remember seeing him play in the Oregon bowl game and he didn't look very good in it. I did hear that Ferguson was returning punts and the announcers were saying that he would probably be a 3rd down-type back in the NFL.
I don't know what time the NFLPA game came on ESPN2, but it eventually came on. I saw the last half of the 3rd quarter and 4th quarter. There was a LB who was killing it, Jatavis Brown from Akron. He had 12 sacks this past season, and is supposedly explosive. He certainly looked it and had plenty of speed. He was making plays sideline to sideline and hitting hard, but he looked on the small side. I looked him up and he's 5'11" and 227 lbs. Probably too small for us. He's supposed to be great on STs. CBS/Draft Scout has him as a 7th round pick UDFA, but after today, he probably made himself some money today and could move up. He's probably more of a 4-3 OLB however.
Javon Hargrave DT from SCST and Victor Ochi DE from Stony Brook were 2 of the players that I noticed the most. Ochi seemed to be in the backfield on every pass play, and he also showed great hustle by running down Adams after he just missed sacking him. I was disappointed that Reynolds didn't play, but he probably helped himself a lot by returning punts and kickoffs, playing RB, and playing slot WR all week during practice.
Thanks for doing this, as you know I like Ferguson a lot and I hope he becomes a Jet. Unfortunately I was unable to watch the game because of the 18 inches of snow that I was clearing from around my house.
Thanks for the correction. I guess that I was confusing Adams with the backup, or maybe it was an earlier game where he didn't look good.
Exactly. You can't watch Adams and not think Wilson. A very dynamic player, he makes things happen. Keeps the play alive with his feet, throws pretty good on the run, has a great arm for a guy his size. Two of his TD's were darts from about 15 yards out, the other was a 93 yd. TD throw (a record) that went 40 yds in the air after a scramble. Ochi was impressive on defense for the East. Very quick off the ball. (A poor man's Kahlil Mack?) I like to check out the QB's in these games to see if there's a possible Tom Brady hiding but didn't see one in this game. The guy from Wisconsin (Stave) seemed to throw the best ball (other than Adams), but he wasn't able to move the team much.
Ochi was definitely the best player in the game on defense. Probably best player overall. Anthony Zettel was in the backfield every play but wasn't able to finish the plays. DBs are hard to learn about in games like this. Both Caputo and Boddy-Calhoun made really nice plays in this game but hard ot say if it's a flash in the pan type of thing or indicative of their abilities without watching more. Dangerfield had a very nice game at wideout despite the announcers gushing over Geronimo Allison. Alex Huettel was good at both guard and center. Wonder where he'll end up getting drafted. He played well against Tennessee early this season. Adams was very good. Wonder how good he'd be if he had spent all four years at an FBS school. All the other QBs have serious flaws: Sudfeld is too slow in his delivery and way too streaky. Doughty is an unlikeable narcissist. Stave and Rudock are unskilled. Frohnhapel has no idea what's going on. JMO.
Thanks, Steve! I was doing some work while I had the game on the radio, so wasn't paying as close attention as I should have, but I remember hearing the announcers raving about Caputo, and they made a couple of nice comments about Huettel. On one play they raved about how he had gotten downfield and was blocking.
