The second day of practices from the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl gave us another terrific glimpse of some of the best college football had to offer in 2021. Those performances absolutely deserve to have their NFL Draft stock boosted and be labeled as Shrine Bowl Risers after Day 2 of practices (we’ll also mention the positional group featuring the Shrine Bowl Sliders).
As the practices move inside Allegiant Stadium on Monday, Sunday’s outdoor practices were yet another perfectly executed set of events. Inside of those events, UNC CB Kyler McMichael, Stanford DL Thomas Booker, and UCLA WR Kyle Philips were among those who earned a spot on our Shrine Bowl Risers list.
Want more after reading this? PFN Draft Analyst Tony Pauline has also published his Day 2 Practice Report from Shrine Bowl practice today (Sunday, January 30).
Shrine Bowl Practice No. 2: Risers
The East and West units practiced separately, but they’re combined here in our Day 2 (Sunday, January 30) Risers from the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl. Looking for what happened on Saturday? Click for our Day 1 Shrine Bowl Risers and Sliders.
Kyle Philips, WR, UCLA
It’s apparent that no one can really keep up with UCLA WR Kyle Philips at the Shrine Bowl. He’s turned defensive backs in circles and has sped past linebackers with ease. His routes are crisp, and his hands are soft. Philips’ ability to separate at the catch point has made everyone take notice.
He isn’t the biggest guy, but Philips doesn’t have to stand tall to play big. The former UCLA WR hauled in the biggest play during team drills, finding a hole in zone coverage that he scooted for a touchdown. It was a bright spot for the passing game that saw very little of it yet again from the quarterbacks.
Kyler McMichael, CB, North Carolina
The best play from any defender during team drills on Day 2 belonged to UNC CB Kyler McMichael. Staying in the hip pocket of his receiver, McMichael was in the perfect position to grab an overthrown, tipped pass on the boundary. He nabbed an interception and ran it up the sidelines for what would have been a pick-six for the defense.
McMichael has terrific hips and feet in and out of his backpedal during individual drills. He utilized those skills all across the practice sequence all the same. This marks the second time in as many days that he finds himself on our Shrine Bowl Risers list. He’s impressed everyone in attendance.
Thomas Booker, DL, Stanford
The single most dominant set of pass rushes from the individual drills in the trenches belonged to Stanford DL Thomas Booker. The big man who can play a bevy of defensive line positions had terrific balance in and out of contact on the line. And his hands were top-notch, clearly taking to the coaching he’s receiving.
Booker’s quick wins and impressive get-off during one-on-ones certainly receive praise. But his ability to take coaching from his outstanding positional coaches at the Shrine Bowl has paid off. He’s been the fastest to implement what he’s being coached and execute at a high level so far this week.
Cordell Volson, OL, North Dakota State
Arguably the biggest play of the day’s Shrine Bowl practice came when Cordell Volson pancaked a defensive lineman during one-on-one drills. Volson lifted his defender in the air and flipped him inside for the dramatic pancake block. Making it even more impressive, Volson did that on his lone snap from the right tackle spot as he rotated in and around the offensive line.
Volson also showcased positional versatility as he played guard and tackle nearly identically. He was sharp with his hands and better with his feet. Volson is turning heads for all the right reasons.
Isaih Pacheco, RB, Rutgers
Making the most of his carries during drills, Rutgers RB Isaih Pacheco took multiple carries for big gains. He even had the biggest run of the day that would’ve been a touchdown had they allowed him to finish. He utilized a quick first step and a faster ability to recognize the crease to get upfield with great speed.
Pacheco also hauled in multiple passes out of the backfield during the team 11-on-11 scrimmage. He picked up blockers in the passing game to boot.
George Moore, OL, Oregon
After a sluggish first day, George Moore picked up steam on Day 2 of Shrine Bowl practices. He recognized pass rushers’ moves in one-on-one drills and moved well in the run game. Moore is a larger-than-life interior offensive lineman who loses nothing in terms of speed. After a slight hiccup on Day 1, Moore has made plenty of believers from his performance on Day 2.
Brock Hoffman, OL, Virginia Tech
Brock Hoffman blocked everyone in sight during the team scrimmage on the second day of practice. He was quick to react and moved well up and down the field. Hoffman passed off first-level defenders and found second-level linebackers to attack in the run game. He was also solid in pass protection.
Hoffman was so good that he got under the skin of just about everyone he blocked because of his stymying of their attacks. His blocks caused a slight skirmish to break out because of how ferocious he was in the team scrimmage.
Tre Walker, LB, Idaho
Routinely making his presence felt all day long, Tre Walker has more than made the most of his opportunities. He’s patrolled the middle of the field well and made quick reactions in coverage, limiting every underneath throw he was targeted on to go for little yards.
Walker was in a great position more often than not and came downhill well in the run game. He’s playing at a high speed and adapting to his coaching well on the fly. It’s been an impressive two days for Walker but Day 2 of practice was special.
Jerreth Sterns, WR, Western Kentucky
Defensive backs had an incredibly difficult time covering Jerreth Sterns, a Day 2 Shrine Bowl Riser. He plays bigger than he measures in, and defenders found that evident on Sunday. Sterns moves well without the ball and creates separation almost at will.
His ball skills were hardly in question before the Shrine Bowl, but they’re not even in consideration to be anything but a massive strength of his after two days of action. Sterns makes a play on just about everything thrown his way, catchable or not. His body control has also been off the charts through two days of practice.
Armani Rogers, TE, Ohio
The former UNLV quarterback must feel right at home on his old practice fields as Armani Rogers has likely made himself some money while practicing as a tight end at the Shrine Bowl. He’s proven to be a hard cover in the passing game, routinely finding open spots against all types of coverage.
His ability to run routes is evolving and expanding before our eyes as well. Rogers is a ways away from a complete prospect at tight end, but if his growth from Day 1 to Day 2 of Shrine Bowl practices is anything to believe, he’ll be NFL ready in no time.
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Shrine Bowl Practice No. 2: Sliders
Though it may sound like a broken record at this point, the quarterbacks once again struggled to find anything consistently. There isn’t much they did without flaws, which is why they are on our Shrine Bowl Sliders list. Yet, Day 2 was better than Day 1 of Shrine Bowl practices, and the growth was apparent.
The quarterbacks still struggled under center with the exchanges, but it’s alarming how many times they’ve dropped shotgun snaps through two days.
There were some solid passes during team drills, but a lot of the reads were missed. More often than not, checkdowns were found too early. So far, the practices haven’t been kind to the six quarterbacks in attendance.