The 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl invites have officially started to arrive for the annual collegiate all-star game. The Shrine Bowl is poised to be a top destination for big-name 2023 NFL draft prospects over the course of the lead-up to April’s annual player selection meeting for the NFL.
East-West Shrine Game Invites
Featured in Las Vegas over the week, the 2023 East-West Shrine Game will feature two full NFL coaching staffs as well as integration with the 2023 NFL Pro Bowl, access to NFL facilities and staff, and give back to the Shriners Children’s Hospital in a marquee event for 2023 NFL draft athletes.
Quarterbacks
- Aidan O’Connell, Purdue
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
The Shrine Bowl quarterback class started to shape up with the addition of Aidan O’Connell. With a big arm, O’Connell is a veteran of the sport and has NFL-ready skills that he can put on display.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s emergence over the past two years culminated with his acceptance to kick off December. The quarterback class at the Shrine Bowl added one of the best creators at the position with DTR’s accepted invite as the five-year veteran from UCLA has emerged as a legitimate draft-eligible prospect over the past two seasons.
Running Backs
- Xazavian Valladay, Arizona State
- Tavion Thomas, Utah
- Deneric Prince, Tulsa
- Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota
- Jordan Mims, Fresno State
- Jack Colletto, FB, Oregon State
A duo of Pac-12 running backs are in as Xazavian Valladay exceeded expectations at Arizona State after transferring from Wyoming. The tough, balanced, and strong Tavion Thomas joined soon after
Wide Receivers
- Zay Flowers, Boston College
- Jadakis Bonds, Hampton
- Dallas Daniels, Jackson State
- Jadon Haselwood, Arkansas
- Michael Jefferson, Louisiana
- Justin Shorter, Florida
- Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia
- Shaq Davis, South Carolina State
- Antoine Green, North Carolina
- Jake Bobo, UCLA
- DeMario Douglas, Liberty
- A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
- Jalen Cropper, Fresno State
Few players have the playmaking ability of Boston College WR Zay Flowers. His catch radius far outweighs any size issues he may incur in the NFL. Flowers also possesses elite athleticism and short-area quickness that will allow him to break free from his defensive backs on his routes or after the catch.
Two lower-tier receivers that needed more national attention got their invites and acceptances in quickly as Jadakis Bonds and Dallas Daniels are locked in. Former Oklahoma WR and current Arkansas speedster Jadon Haselwood also joined the fray.
Tight Ends
- Payne Durham, Purdue
- Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
- Leonard Taylor, Cincinnati
- Blake Whiteheart, Wake Forest
- Daniel Barker, Michigan State
The tight end class got off the ground and running in a big way with Purdue’s Payne Durham. With 17 career receiving touchdowns and in the middle of a career year, Durham’s best is yet to come. He’s 6’5″ and over 250 pounds, yet moves around like a smaller, much more nimble receiver.
Luke Schoonmaker made a splash against Ohio State but has been a consistent player for the Michigan Wolverines for years.
Offensive Tackles
- Quinton Barrow, Grand Valley State
- Dalton Wagner, Arkansas
- Connor Galvin, Baylor
- Jaxson Kirkland, Washington
- Kilian Zierer, Auburn
- Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Oregon
- Jacky Chen, Pace
- Luke Haggard, Indiana
- Earl Bostick Jr., Kansas
- Kadeem Telfort, UAB
- John Ojukwu, Boise State
A massive addition to the tackle class, literally, as Quinton Barrow tips the scales at 6’6″, 331. He’s nimble and quick, strong and balanced, a great pick up.
Interior Offensive Linemen
- LaDarius Henderson, Arizona State
- Henry Bainvalu, Washington
- Atonio Mafi, UCLA
- Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas
- Jerome Carvin, Tennessee
- Brent Laing, Minnesota Duluth
- Juice Scruggs, Penn State
- Chandler Zavala, NC State
- Spencer Anderson, Maryland
The No. 3 guard on the Pro Football Network Big Board was the first offensive lineman on the board for the Shrine Bowl. LaDarius Henderson has starts at three different positions for ASU over his tenure in the desert, handling duties on the inside this season. He’s a big man with great feet and terrific upside due to his versatility.
Defensive Tackles
- Brodric Martin, Western Kentucky
- Dante Stills, West Virginia
- Taron Vincent, Ohio State
- Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona State
- Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina
- Keondre Coburn, Texas
- Kobie Turner, Wake Forest
- Truman Jones, Harvard
- Moro Ojomo, Texas
EDGE Defenders
- Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan
- Brenton Cox Jr., Florida
- Caleb Murphy, Ferris State
- Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State
- Andre Jones, Louisiana
- Tyrus Wheat, Mississippi State
- Habakkuk Baldonado, Pittsburgh
- BJ Thompson, Stephen F. Austin
- Derek Parish, Houston
The EDGE class had a huge pickup when Jose Ramirez accepted his invite to the Shrine Bowl. Ramirez has half of Eastern Michigan’s sacks (8) at the time of his acceptance and ranks in the top 10 nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss. He’s a slippery pass rusher with high upside due to his speed and athleticism.
Viliami Fehoko and Brenton Cox are known commodities and each possess elite pass-rushing skills.
Linebackers
- Charlie Thomas, Georgia Tech
- Ben VanSumeren, Michigan State
- Robert Beal, Georgia
- Kyle Soelle, Arizona State
- Cam Jones, Indiana
- Jeremy Banks, Tennessee
- Isaiah Moore, NC State
- Drake Thomas, NC State
- Jalen Graham, Purdue
- Mohamoud Diabate, Utah
- Shaka Heyward, Duke
- Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
The linebacker class got off to a hot start with Charlie Thomas and Ben VanSumeren hailing from Power Five schools. Thomas, a veteran stat-sheet filler, has been a staple for the Yellow Jackets for five years running.
VanSumeren was named a 2023 NFL Draft sleeper to start the year by PFN’s Ian Cummings.
“VanSumeren, standing at 6’3″, 235 pounds, was once a Michigan signee with a documented 40″ vertical. He’s a certifiable athlete with eye-catching range, a trait that allowed him to rack up 11 tackles and a tackle for loss. He has the physical tools to keep rising.”
Cornerbacks
- Kei’Trel Clark, Louisville
- Cory Trice, Purdue
- Lance Boykin, Coastal Carolina
- Nehemiah Shelton, San Jose State
- Nic Jones, Ball State
- Terrell Smith, Minnesota
- Starling Thomas V, UAB
- Myles Brooks, Louisiana Tech
- Mekhi Garner, LSU
- Sheridan Jones, Clemson
- Eric Scott, Southern Miss
- Cameron Brown, Ohio State
- Kahlef Hailassie, Western Kentucky
- D’Shawn Jamison, Texas
One of the top upperclassmen cornerbacks on the board, Kei’Trel Clark toyed with entering the draft a season ago. Ultimately deciding to come back, Clark’s draft value has skyrocketed in 2022. He’ll get the chance to put his ability on display on the biggest stage at the Shrine Bowl with his accepted invite.
Cory Trice has put his ball skills on display at Purdue and now gets to showcase them on the grand stage. Lance Boykin and Nehemiah Shelton are each incredibly lengthy cornerbacks who have had their flashes of brilliance at their respective schools.
Safeties
- Gervarrius Owens, Houston
- Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State
- Christian Young, Arizona
- Jaiden Woodbey, Boston College
- AJ Finley, Ole Miss
- Trey Dean III, Florida
- Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
Owens headlines the start of the accepted invites in the secondary. The Houston Cougar has terrific length and has exploded onto the national scene since making the leap from JUCO.
As PFN’s Oliver Hodgkinson penned this offseason, Owens has next-level speed and fundamentals. “Owens possesses enough speed to be aligned anywhere in the secondary and can be frequently found penetrating the opposition backfield.”
Specialists
- Michael Turk, P, Oklahoma
- Andre Szmyt, K, Syracuse
- Ethan Evans, P, Wingate