The East-West Shrine Bowl on Thursday revealed 120-plus players who have accepted invitations to participate in the 2026 installment of the annual all-star game.
Last year's Shrine Bowl featured a first-round pick, nine selections in the first four rounds and 51 total picks in the 2025 NFL draft -- a very respectable haul. Ninety-two of their players were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine a year ago, too.
Shrine Bowl director of football operations and player personnel Eric Galko believes this year's crop of NFL talent at the game is arguably even stronger, especially on defense.
"I mean, I think we'll comfortably have our most draft picks (from the game)," Galko said. "I'd be surprised if we didn't."
There might not be a household name at this year's game on the level of Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who attended last year's Shrine Bowl, but Clemson's Cade Klubnik -- once bandied as a possible first-rounder -- headlines a worthy QB crop. There also are notable non-quarterbacks attending, including WRs De'Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss) and Skyler Bell (UConn), Wake Forest RB Demond Claiborne, Ole Miss OT Diego Pounds, Indiana TE/FB Riley Nowakowski and Navy's Swiss Army knife, RB/WR Eli Heidenreich.
"I think it's probably the most top-heavy roster we've had," Galko said.
Practices will run from Jan. 23 to Jan. 26, followed by the 101st annual East-West Shrine Bowl -- at the Dallas Cowboys' Ford Center at The Star -- on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The game will air on NFL Network at 7 p.m. ET.
Here are three things you need to know about this year's Shrine Bowl roster, along with the player roster as of Thursday, Jan. 15.
1) Quarterback crop includes familiar names
The Shrine Bowl will add two more quarterbacks to the roster before all is said and done, per Galko, but it currently has six quarterbacks who have accepted invitations to the game, including some names very familiar to college football and NFL draft fans.
The most familiar might be Clemson's Cade Klubnik, who was earning some first-round speculation coming into the season following his 36-TD, six-INT campaign in 2024. The 2025 season didn't go as planned for Klubnik or the Tigers, but Galko believes there's a talented QB prospect worth revisiting and reevaluating.
"I think he'll challenge to be, if not actually will be, one of the earliest-round senior quarterbacks in a draft class that we know is maybe not super top-heavy at quarterback," Galko said. "I'm still a very, very big believer in Cade Klubnik, who people thought (could go) first round coming into the year.
"I don't think Cade got worse. I think he just had a tough season, but he's going to be a good player."
Mark Gronowski committed to the Shrine Bowl last year out of South Dakota State before returning to college and transferring to Iowa, and he's back at the game after throwing for 10 TDs, running for 16 more and also catching a TD pass for the Hawkeyes. Gronowski and Georgia Tech's Haynes King both fit the mold, Galko said, of the developmental QB who will be "incredible in the quarterback room" and can give teams additional utility with their run skills and versatile athletic profiles.
Texas Tech's Behren Morton, who once battled Saints starter Tyler Shough for snaps with the Red Raiders, is another intriguing addition after a few strong seasons in Lubbock. Same goes for Miller Moss, who transferred from USC to finish his career at Louisville.
Perhaps the most fascinating quarterback at the game is Connecticut's Joe Fagnano, whom the Boston-based Galko admits was not truly on his radar prior to last season, despite Fagnano playing just down the road from him. Since October, however, scouts have been buzzing about the Huskies' QB who shocked observers by throwing for 3,448 yards on 69.0% completions with a sterling 28:1 TD-INT ratio.
"Even talking to people at UConn (before the season), they were excited, but maybe a little bit hesitant how they kind of valued him and his NFL future," Galko said. "But you know, he's had one of the most efficient seasons I've ever seen. ... And it's because he's a really special play progressor and decisive and knows what he's looking at. If he was a little faster and had a bigger arm, he'd be a first-round pick."
Galko compared Fagnano to former Shrine QB Aidan O’Connell -- a pocket passer who can find a steady home in the NFL.
2) Defensive heavyweights
Mirroring the 2026 NFL Draft as a whole, the Shrine Bowl features a wealth of talent on the defensive line -- both inside and out, Galko said.
Galko name-checked the Texas A&M duo of Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim, Florida State's Darrell Jackson Jr. and Clemson's DeMonte Capehart as some of the stronger DL prospects at this year's Shrine Bowl, with multiple prospects from that position showing the potential to be top-100 picks.
But there are two well-known linebacker prospects who might go even higher.
Cincinnati's Jake Golday and LSU's Harold Perkins Jr. might end up as two of the first players drafted from this year's game.
Golday possesses a pro-ready frame and he's able to help NFL teams in a variety of ways: blitzing the A-gap, rushing around the edge, stopping the run from off the ball and dropping back into zones. Galko believes Golday will have an earnest shot at cracking Round 1, with the top 50 as his floor.
"I think we've got a handful of guys that could be first-round picks," Galko said. "I think Golday is one of the 30 best players in this class. ... Teams are oftentimes now not maybe valuing linebacker the same way they used to, but having a guy like Golday who can do all those things, he's a really special, special player."
A former five-star recruit, Perkins earned early attention with the Tigers his first two seasons but appeared less impactful his final two. He was moved around on LSU's defense -- as both a rush end and an off-the-ball linebacker -- and wasn't always used the way NFL teams might deploy him. Galko believes Perkins can distinguish himself at the Shrine Bowl.
"Shrine Bowl week, you'll see him dropping coverage," Galko said. "You'll see him match up against tight ends as a Sam linebacker in coverage. And then you'll see him rush the edge as a two-down edge rusher as well, too. I know he'll show NFL teams like, hey, this is the same elite talent that you saw earlier in his career."
Other LB prospects Galko mentioned as possible standouts include Michigan's Jimmy Rolder, Utah's Lander Barton, USC's Eric Gentry and Texas A&M's Taurean York, an undersized demon in the mold of the 49ers' Eric Kendricks.
"I mean, just ignore the height," Galko said of York. "He's one of those outliers."
3) The next Croskey-Merritt?
One of the best "finds" at the 2025 Shrine Bowl was Arizona RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who played only one game his senior season but stood out at Shrine practices and earned Offensive MVP honors at the game. The Commanders drafted him in Round 7, and Croskey-Merritt finished fourth among all rookies in rush yards (805) and third in rush TDs (eight).
So, is there another Croskey-Merritt in this year's class, a diamond in the rough who has been overlooked?
Galko nominated LSU WR Chris Hilton Jr., who barely had more receptions (41) than career college games (38), and only 10 of those catches came last season. In addition to being hindered by injuries in college, Hilton also found himself competing for time over his LSU career with the likes of Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Kayshon Boutte, Jack Bech and Trey Palmer, along with a few other 2026 WR prospects.
Hilton's situation might be different than that of Croskey-Merritt, but the Shrine Bowl opportunity is similar, Galko said.
"It's not like (Hilton) didn't play last year, but in terms of scouting-wise, someone who jumps out in particular is Chris Hilton," Galko said. "If you put the over-under at 4.3 (seconds) for his 40 time at the combine, I am taking the under. That's how fast he is, and it shows on film."
Hilton already competed at the Hula Bowl, where Galko felt he was the best WR prospect at the game. At the Shrine, Hilton might be able to continue rising and give scouts more to chew on following a disappointing college career.
"We've been following Chris Hilton for many years," Galko said. "I think if you watch his whole college career, you're saying, 'Man, if this guy's career plays out differently, this is a top-100 pick all day long -- and an eventual NFL starter.' He's my guess for the guy who goes (later in the draft), but you look back and the talent says he should have gone way higher."
2026 East-West Shrine Bowl participants
QUARTERBACK
- Joe Fagnano, UConn
- Mark Gronowski, Iowa
- Haynes King, Georgia Tech
- Cade Klubnik, Clemson
- Behren Morton, Texas Tech
- Miller Moss, Louisville
RUNNING BACK
- Max Bredeson, Michigan (FB)
- Kentrel Bullock, South Alabama
- Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
- Dean Connors, Houston
- CJ Donaldson Jr., Ohio State
- Eli Heidenreich, Navy
- Roman Hemby, Indiana
- Robert Henry Jr., UTSA
- Riley Nowakowski, Indiana (FB)
- Chip Trayanum, Toledo
WIDE RECEIVER
- Dillon Bell, Georgia
- Skyler Bell, UConn
- Malik Benson, Oregon
- Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
- Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas
- Chris Hilton Jr., LSU
- Kendrick Law, Kentucky
- Chase Roberts, BYU
- Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech
- De'Zhaun Stribling, Mississippi
- J. Michael Sturdivant, Florida
- Zavion Thomas, LSU
- Jalen Walthall, Incarnate Word
- Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
- Colbie Young, Georgia
TIGHT END
- Dallen Bentley, Utah
- Jack Endries, Texas
- Jaren Kanak, Oklahoma
- Lake McRee, USC
- Eli Raridon, Notre Dame
- Bauer Sharp, LSU
- Seydou Traore, Mississippi State
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
- Chris Adams, Memphis
- Evan Beerntsen, Northwestern
- Travis Burke, Memphis
- Jager Burton, Kentucky
- DJ Campbell, Texas
- Pat Coogan, Indiana
- Anez Cooper, Miami
- Garrett DiGiorgio, UCLA
- Giovanni El-Hadi, Michigan
- Fa'alili Fa'amoe, Wake Forest
- Riley Mahlman, Wisconsin
- Micah Morris, Georgia
- James Neal III, Iowa State
- Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma
- Pete Nygra, Louisville
- Brian Parker II, Duke
- Diego Pounds, Mississippi
- Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
- Keagen Trost, Missouri
- Dillon Wade, Auburn
- Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame
- Jayden Williams, Mississippi
INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE
- David Blay Jr., Miami
- DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
- Brandon Cleveland, N.C. State
- Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
- David Gusta, Kentucky
- Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
- Jackie Marshall, Baylor
- Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M
- Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana
- Albert Regis, Texas A&M
- Landon Robinson, Navy
- Gary Smith III, UCLA
- James Thompson Jr., Illinois
EDGE RUSHER
- Ethan Burke, Texas
- George Gumbs Jr., Florida
- Aidan Hubbard, Northwestern
- Keyshawn James-Newby, New Mexico
- Marvin Jones Jr., Oklahoma
- Nyjalik Kelly, UCF
- Malachi Lawrence, UCF
- Anthony Lucas, USC
- Patrick Payton, LSU
- Mason Reiger, Wisconsin
- Tyreak Sapp, Florida
- Bryan Thomas Jr., South Carolina
- Wesley Williams, Duke
LINEBACKER
- Lander Barton, Utah
- Wesley Bissainthe, Miami
- Jaden Dugger, Louisiana
- Eric Gentry, USC
- Jake Golday, Cincinnati
- Jackson Kuwatch, Miami (Ohio)
- Red Murdock, Buffalo
- Harold Perkins Jr., LSU
- Jimmy Rolder, Michigan
- Karson Sharar, Iowa
- West Weeks, LSU
- Taurean York, Texas A&M
CORNERBACK
- Marcus Allen, North Carolina
- Brent Austin, Cal
- Tyreek Chappell, Texas A&M
- Andre Fuller, Toledo
- Jaylon Guilbeau, Texas
- Ahmari Harvey, Georgia Tech
- Domani Jackson, Alabama
- Devon Marshall, N.C. State
- Avery Smith, Toledo
- DeVonta Smith, Notre Dame
- Jarod Washington, South Carolina State
- Ceyair Wright, Nebraska
SAFETY
- Austin Brown, Wisconsin
- Bishop Fitzgerald, USC
- Jalen Huskey, Maryland
- Dalton Johnson, Arizona
- Louis Moore, Indiana
- Ahmaad Moses, SMU
- Myles Rowser, Arizona State
- Miles Scott, Illinois
- DQ Smith, South Carolina
- Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma
- Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech
SPECIALISTS
- Tommy Doman, Florida (P)
- Tyler Duzansky, Penn State (LS)
- Garrison Grimes, BYU (LS)
- Trey Smack, Florida (K)
- Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse (P)
- Dominic Zvada, Michigan (K)
