The first major college football all-star game takes place in the 90th playing of the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg Florida. Many of the nation's best players from this past college season will get one more shot to showcase themselves on a national stage while also hoping to boost their NFL draft stock.
Like the NFLPA Bowl, this game offers prospects a chance to interview and practice in front of NFL scouts and executives for an entire week before playing in this game. Players who play in this game get drafted every year, and some earn a spot in the more prestigious Senior Bowl the following week.
Either way, this is football on Saturday, something that's about to go away for a long time, so enjoy it while it's here.
How to Watch/Listen
Date: Jan. 17, 2015
Time: 4 p.m. EST
Place: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
TV: NFL Network
Announcers: Paul Burmeister, Mike Mayock, Charles Davis
Radio: Yahoo! Sports Radio, Sirius Channel 136, XM Channel 201, SiriusXM Channel 88 (4pm ET)
Online radio: East-West Shrine Game official site / NFL.com/live
Online Stream: NFL.com
NFL prospects who boosted their stock this week, per CBS Sports:
WR Tre McBride, William & Mary (6-1, 205)
Entering the week, McBride was my highest-rated Shrine Game prospect and after a full week of practice, that hasn't changed. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds with 4.50 speed, he doesn't have imposing size or blazing speed, but he prides himself on the details, selling routes and using his foot quickness in his breaks to create just enough separation. McBride did an excellent job attacking the ball in the air with his quick eyes and hands, also taking reps as a punt returner.
C B.J. Finney, Kansas State (6-4, 324)
The interior line play this week was inconsistent, but Finney stood out consistently during drills and held up well in one-on-ones. He was quick to engage and square his target, using proper mechanics and leverage to shield defenders from the pocket. As a former walk-on, Finney has the toughness, competitive appetite and strong intangibles, both on and off the field, that NFL coaches covet.
MLB Taiwan Jones, Michigan State (6-3, 258)
Considered the top linebacker prospect on the Shrine Game rosters by several NFL scouts, Jones is an aggressive thumper who enjoys contact and brings violence to the field. His physical presence stood out on the practice field, laying the lumber on several occasions and drawing "oohs" and "ahs" from the crowd.
CB Damian Swann, Georgia (6-0, 180)
Although his tape has a lot of ups and downs, Swann showed the foot quickness and high level of competitiveness during Shrine Game practices that will give him a shot in the NFL. He tends to play overanxious at times, but his click-and-close ability to drive and blow up plays is a terrific asset for the position.
Ten other prospects who created buzz during Shrine Game practices:
QB Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion
RB John Crockett, North Dakota State
WR Darren Waller, Georgia Tech
TE MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois
OT Sean Hickey, Syracuse
OT Tayo Fabuluje, TCU
DT Tyeler Davison, Fresno State
LB Ben Heeney, Kansas
CB Josh Shaw, USC
CB Craig Mager, Texas State
EAST ROSTER
Offense
OL David Andrews 6'2 295 Georgia
OL Ben Beckwith 6'4 310 Mississippi State
OL Jamon Brown 6'6 328 Louisville
OL Dillon Day 6'4 300 Mississippi State
OL Jonathan Feliciano 6'5 320 Miami
OL Mark Glowinski 6'5 310 West Virginia
OL Sean Hickey 6'5 300 Syracuse
OL Shane McDermott 6'4 300 Miami
OL Darrian Miller 6'5 290 Kentucky
OL John Miller 6'3 315 Louisville
TE Gerald Christian 6'3 245 Louisville
TE Khari Lee 6'4 235 Bowie State
TE Wes Saxton, Jr. 6'4 240 South Alabama
WR Andre Davis, II 6'2 210 South Florida
WR Devin Gardner 6'4 216 Michigan
WR Deon Long 6'1 195 Maryland
WR Tre' McBride 6'1 205 William & Mary
WR Keith Mumphery 6'1 211 Michigan State
WR Darren Waller 6'6 240 Georgia Tech
FB Larry Dixon 5'10 235 Army
RB Dominique Brown 6'2 240 Louisville
RB Kenny Hilliard 5'11 230 LSU
RB Terrence Magee 5'9 213 LSU
QB Anthony Boone 6'1 225 Duke
QB Taylor Heinicke 6'1 210 Old Dominion
QB Hutson Mason 6'2 210 Georgia
K Marvin Kloss 6'0 209 South Florida
Defense
DL Anthony Chickillo 6'4 275 Miami
DL B.J. Dubose 6'5 263 Louisville
DL Darius Kilgo 6'3 311 Maryland
DL Derrick Lott 6'4 298 Tennessee at Chattanooga
DL Jermauria Rasco 6'3 252 LSU
DL Za'Darius Smith 6'5 265 Kentucky
DL Davis Tull 6'3 245 Tennessee at Chattanooga
DL Leterrius Walton 6'5 305 Central Michigan
DL Daryl Waud 6'5 290 Western-Ontario
LB Cole Farrand 6'3 245 Maryland
LB Amarlo Herrera 6'2 233 Georgia
LB Deiontrez Mount 6'5 246 Louisville
LB Quayshawn Nealy 6'0 235 Georgia Tech
LB Edmond Robinson 6'3 244 Newberry College
LB Jake Ryan 6'3 240 Michigan
CB Justin Coleman 5'11 190 Tennessee
CB Craig Mager 5'11 195 Texas State
CB Tye Smith 6'0 185 Towson
CB Damian Swann 6'0 185 Georgia
CB Cam Thomas 6'1 200 Western Kentucky
S Detrick Bonner 5'11 195 Virginia Tech
S Parrish Gaines 6'2 215 Navy
S Dean Marlowe 6'2 205 James Madison
S Ronald Martin, Jr. 6'2 215 LSU
S Damian Parms 6'2 210 Florida Atlantic
P Spencer Roth 6'4 225 Baylor
WEST ROSTER
Offense
OL Mickey Baucus 6'8 305 Arizona
OL Brett Boyko 6'7 310 UNLV
OL Tayo Fabuluje 6'6 363 TCU
OL Cameron Clemmons 6'6 305 Western Kentucky
OL Miles Dieffenbach 6'3 303 Penn State
OL Bobby Hart 6'4 322 Florida State
OL B.J. Finney 6'4 312 Kansas State
OL Gregory Mancz 6'5 297 Toledo
OL Terry Poole 6'5 310 San Diego State
OL Collin Rahrig 6'2 285 Indiana
OL Adam Shead 6'4 320 Oklahoma
OL Brandon Vitabile 6'3 305 Northwestern
TE Blake Bell 6'6 260 Oklahoma
TE A.J. Derby 6'5 250 Arkansas
TE MyCole Pruitt 6'2 250 Southern Illinois
WR Da'Ron Brown 6'0 196 Northern Illinois
WR Austin Hill 6'3 215 Arizona
WR Addison Richards 6'5 210 Regina
WR Ezell Ruffin 6'1 210 San Diego State
WR Jordan Taylor 6'5 210 Rice
WR Kasen Williams 6'3 218 Washington
FB Aaron Ripkowski 6'1 260 Oklahoma
RB Malcolm Brown 5'11 230 Texas
RB John Crockett 6'1 215 North Dakota State
RB Zachary Zenner 6'0 220 South Dakota State
QB Cody Fajardo 6'2 215 Nevada
QB Taylor Kelly 6'2 205 Arizona State
QB Dylan Thompson 6'3 220 South Carolina
K Niklas Sade 6'3 219 North Carolina State
Defense
DL James Castleman 6'3 305 Oklahoma State
DL Tyeler Davison 6'2 310 Fresno State
DL Kyle Emanuel 6'3 250 North Dakota State
DL Chucky Hunter 6'1 307 TCU
DL Martin Ifedi 6'4 270 Memphis
DL David Parry 6'2 305 Stanford
DL Travis Raciti 6'5 285 San Jose State
DL Ryan Russell 6'5 265 Purdue
DL Xavier Williams 6'2 308 Northern Iowa
LB Bryce Hager 6'2 230 Baylor
LB Benjamin Heeney 6'1 228 Kansas
LB Taiwan Jones 6'3 250 Michigan State
LB A.J. Tarpley 6'2 235 Stanford
LB James Vaughters 6'2 255 Stanford
LB Zachary Vigil 6'2 235 Utah State
LB Tony Washington 6'4 245 Oregon
CB Bernard Blake 6'1 175 Colorado State
CB Bryce Callahan 5'10 185 Rice
CB Gregory Henderson 5'11 185 Colorado
CB Bobby McCain 5'11 190 Memphis
CB Joshua Shaw 6'1 200 Southern California
S Samuel Carter 6'1 213 Texas Christian
S Corey Cooper 6'1 214 Nebraska
S Fritz Etienne 6'2 210 Memphis
S Tevin McDonald 5'11 191 Eastern Washington
S Jordan Richards 5'11 210 Stanford
P Darragh O'Neill 6'2 185 Colorado