2025 East-West Shrine Bowl Notes Day 1 Practice

by Zachary Somma

5 Notes from Day 1 of the East-West Shrine Bowl

The 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl officially got underway on Saturday with early practice sessions for both teams being held at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Both sides ran through practice for an hour and a half, in both team and position drills and some early looks at some 1 on 1 opportunities. Here are 5 notes and takeaways from Day 1 of the East-West Shrine Bowl practice:

1.) Shedeur Sanders will not take the field; other notable absences

While not the biggest surprise, Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders will not be suiting up for both practice and the bowl game itself this week. The potential first round pick is still present, opting to take the opportunity to meet and interview with teams while cheering on his former Colorado teammates from the sidelines. He also opted out of having his measurements taken. With Cam Ward not attending any collegiate bowl game, that means the next chance for any evaluation for the top 2 QBs will be at the NFL Combine in February. 

A few other players were absent from the field today. It was reported that Texas RB Jaydon Blue was a late withdrawal from the roster. LSU EDGE rusher Bradyn Swinson also appears to be a no-show, as his name is no longer on the roster for either side. There are plenty of players still attending but also only going through interviews due to injury, notably East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr., UCLA DT Jay Toia, and Clemson RB Phil Mafah to name a few.

2.) QB position is wide open for a surprise riser

With Sanders not participating, a lot more eyes will be drawn to the QBs remaining on the field. There will be a focus on the East sessions, where Syracuse QB Kyle McCord will be the main player to watch. The former Buckeye had a solid showing on Day 1 but will get plenty more opportunity to capitalize on a weak QB class throughout the week. The East also has North Dakota State QB Cam Miller, who also had an impressive Day 1. He’s got smooth mechanics and a quick release. 

For the West, all three QBs looked solid as well. Both UCLA’s Ethan Garbers and Missouri’s Brady Cook were late additions, but the veteran signal callers held their own well on Day 1. Maybe the most intriguing QB at the Shrine Bowl though is Minnesota’s Max Brosmer. A transfer from the FCS level out of New Hampshire, Brosmer has a lightning quick release and good arm strength. He had a few notable throws early in practice but was a tick late on each of them. 

3.) The defensive line group will be the most fun to watch for both rosters

Rightfully so, the IDL and EDGE group got a lot of time to shine on Day 1 of practice, and there are already several standout names across both teams to watch out for the rest of the week. The East had some notable DTs get to work early, with Nebraska’s Nash Hutmacher and South Carolina’s Tonka Hemingway looking explosive in drills. Both Georgia DTs, Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse also (unsurprisingly given the Bulldog’s track record) looked stout and consistent. The highlight player was the Virginia Tech EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland though, who had some great 1 on 1 reps, including a dominant spin move win. 

For the West, fittingly, it was Indiana DT CJ West who had the most impressive day. Despite being a bit undersized in terms of height, the former Hoosier displayed power, burst, and pulled off some nice counter moves today. Boston College DT Cam Horsley was right behind him in terms of notability, as he also had a dominant day. For the EDGE rushers, Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein stood out the most.

4.) Lots of names to watch on the OL

Opposite said defensive line, the offensive line had a bit of an up and down Day 1 of practice but has a lot of promise moving forward. Each side has an absolute giant; the East with Oregon State tackle Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, who measured in at 6 '8 and 328 pounds, and the West with Rutgers tackle Hollin Pierce, at just under 6' 8 but 342 pounds. Each side also had an impressive amount of small school players who looked like they held their own against higher level competition today. To name a few, Montana State guard Marcus Wehr, Lindenwood’s Gareth Warren, Minnesota-Duluth’s Aiden Williams all had solid days despite coming from non-FBS programs. But the two biggest standouts of the day were Boston College center/guard Drew Kendall, who held up very well despite being a bit undersized, and Kansas guard Bryce Cabeldue.

5.) Wide receivers already beginning to separate amongst themselves

The last position group of note for Day 1 of the practice were the wideouts. It’s a receiver class that is projected to be deeper than it is necessarily talented, but there were still a lot of standout moments early on from this group. The East felt a bit underwhelming, but Georgia’s Dominic Lovett had a few nice routes during 1 on 1 drills, which bodes well for the former Bulldog. Efton Chism III, from FCS Eastern Washington, had easily the strongest day of anybody on the East though. A very late addition to the roster, Chism III was not only the best route runner out there but had strong hands as well. He could make himself a lot of money this week if he keeps up his strong performance. 

The West, meanwhile, appears to be much more loaded at WR than the East. Of the three notable Colorado receivers, LaJohntay Wester had the strongest showing, as the smaller WR was able to produce some nice routes 1 on 1. Miami’s Jacolby George and Ole Miss’s Antwane “Juice” Wells also had strong showings. Maybe the biggest surprise of the group was Pitt receiver Konata Mumpfield, who produced some big plays in the team drill portion of practice. He had some nice, contested catches throughout the day. But the MVP of the day would probably go to UNLV’s Ricky White. The ultra-productive receiver was consistently routing DBs up and showed off his strong hands to boot throughout the day.