5 Takeaways from Day 2 of East-West Shrine Bowl Practices

by Zachary Somma

The 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl continued as Day 2 of practice got underway on Sunday with early practice sessions for both teams being held at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. This time, the West roster took the field first in the morning, before the East got in their time later in the day. 

Here are 5 notes and takeaways from Day 2 of the East-West Shrine Bowl practice:

1.) CJ West might be the best player on the West roster

Indiana defensive tackle CJ West had another dominant day at practice, following up his fantastic showing on Saturday. Despite coming in at just over 6 foot tall, West has been nearly unblockable in the 1 on 1 periods. He’s got a great get off the line of scrimmage and has shown off both the ability to anchor and be stout against the run while also showing a ton of pass rush upside. He’s shown a wide variety of moves he’s pulled out of his bag so far, including spins, rips, and swim moves aplenty. One thing that is helping CJ be so dominant is his arm length. He measured in with 9 ⅞ inch arms despite his height, which is remarkable, especially when paired with his already apparent leverage advantage.

2.) The DBs came to play today

After a somewhat tough Day 1 of practice, the defensive backs for both teams showed up in a big way today. For the West, guys like Rutgers CB Robert Longerbeam, Cal CB Nohl Williams, and Arizona State S Shamari Simmons had strong days. Williams has easily been the most physical DB for either roster, and has been extremely tough to beat in press scenarios. 

But the standout West DB has been UNC CB Alijah Huzzie. He’s been around the ball, breaking up passes on a ton of his reps so far. It is impressive for Huzzie, who is a versatile DB likely to play his NFL career in the slot. Huzzie has also gotten some work as a punt returner, something he did very well in college. 

For the East, Delaware CB Tyron Herring had a really nice Day 2 and was one of the few guys to keep pace with early standout WR Efton Chism III in 1 on 1s. Unsurprisingly though, Kansas CB Cobee Bryant has probably been the best DB at the Shrine Bowl. A highly productive ball-hawk, Bryant’s instincts and ability to break on the football have been apparent through both days of practice. The former Jayhawk had one of the best reps in team drills on Day 2, ripping a ball out of a receiver’s hands for an INT.

3.) Linebackers starting to shine

One of the harder positions to get a lot out of from these all-star bowls are the linebackers, as they are mainly limited to covering the RBs 1 on 1 and can't fully come downhill and lay some big hits in the run game. But we have still seen some good moments from both groups in their limited opportunities. The West ran the Oklahoma drill against the RBs, and both UNLV’s Jackson Woodard and Cal’s Teddye Buchanan were impressive. Woodard is a throwback, thumping style of linebacker who loves to lay a big hit, while Buchanan is more versatile and more adept in his pass defense and movement skills. For the East, Miami LB Francisco Mauigoa had a good day of practice, notably having some big plays in team drills in run defense. Ole Miss LB Chris Paul Jr. had a much more involved Day 1 than Day 2, but his leadership skills and high football IQ are evident despite his underwhelming size.

4.) Efton Chism III has been the surprise of the Shrine Bowl

Despite only being added right before the event started, Eastern Washington WR Efton Chism III has been the biggest surprise of the Shrine Bowl to this point. He’s a small, likely slot-only receiver at the next level, but he’s demonstrated an impressive ability to recognize DB leverage and great foot speed to pull off some phenomenal routes in 1 on 1 drills. The Cooper Kupp comparisons will be there thanks to both being from the same school (despite Kupp being nearly 4 inches taller). Coming into the all-star bowl circuit as a relative unknown, Chism III still has a ton to prove over the next few days, but he’s certainly put himself on the map as a Day 3 sleeper for many teams.

5.) A disappointing start for a few players

While it’s much more fun to keep track of the players off to great starts, there have also been a handful that have been a bit underwhelming over the first two days of practice. There’s still plenty of time to turn things around, but these guys really must lock in to finish out the week strong. One player that's been surprisingly inconsistent despite his pedigree has been Florida OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson. The in-season film on him was solid, and he seemed like a lock to go in the mid-rounds of the NFL Draft. But he’s been beaten easily multiple times in 1 on 1 drills in a wide variety of ways. Sometimes he is oversetting and getting beat inside, and sometimes it's vice versa. 

Another has been Arkansas RB Ja’Quinden Jackson, who has had some decent reps, but has already racked up multiple fumbles in team drills, with another 2 on Day 2. The former QB turned RB had a great season for the Razorbacks but has failed to separate himself in a loaded class to this point. 

Finally, San Jose State WR Nick Nash has had a rough go of it to start his Shrine Bowl. Despite putting up an absurd 104 receptions for 1,382 yards in the regular season, he’s had some bad drops so far in practice, including one that led to an INT. The Biletnikoff runner-up needs to finish strong if he wants to find his way into the Draft.