Here are some notes from sites I have gathered.
* It was a strong group of tight ends at the East-West Shrine Bowl this season. Both Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon (6'5 and ¾ inches, 244 lbs,, 32 inch arms) and Texas' Jack Endries (6'4 and 1/8 inches, 244 lbs., 31.5 inch arms) did not practice on Sunday, but both were impressive as two-way tight ends in the two days they did practice. Raridon showed off that the Notre Dame tradition of tight ends is continuing.
* With both those players out on Sunday, it gave an opportunity for USC tight end Lake McRee (6'3 and 5/8 inches, 251 pounds) to step up and be a big part of the passing game. He was a constant target and showed off good hands as he caught several short passes throughout practice. Like Raridon and Endries, he is a traditional in-line Y tight end.
* His teammate Eli Heidenreich has been fun to watch. He is part third down back, part slot wide receiver at 5'11 and a quarter inch and 197 pounds. His quickness stands out, and he has had his way with linebackers and safeties in pass catching one-on-one situations.
* West practice began at 8:15 and my eyes kept getting drawn to Iowa return specialist and slot wide receiver Kaden Wetjen. At just under 5'9 and 195 pounds, he is very twitchy and consistently gets open. He also has sure-hands catching kicks and punts. He had the lone receiving touchdown during a lengthy red zone period during team drills, catching a quick out from the slot just beyond the pylon.
* Houston running back Dean Connors made a nice catch over the top, beating the coverage during one-on-one drills.
Kentucky IOL Jager Burton
Burton captivated me off the practice film with his quick feet and excellent hand/shoulder strength. He's a player I hadn't studied leading into the Shrine Bowl week, but his easy lateral agility and ability to stay squared up sent me to the Kentucky game tape looking for more.
Blessed with a wingspan over 80 inches and large hands, Burton proactively stuns heads-up rushers and can drive open a hole in the run game. He's got 47 career starts across all three interior line positions, and he was the best center in the three days of practices in Frisco.
FRISCO, Texas — Just like that, even with the threat of an incoming ice storm, we are off and running here for the 101st edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl, which is held at The Star and the Ford Center, home of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility. This year, Joe Clark, Dr. Melanie...
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As for the offensive linemen, Kentucky’s Jager Burton was really good in 1-on-1s. He played center and guard and more than held his own, locking up Clemson’s DeMonte Capehart and Navy’s Landon Robinson in back-to-back reps. He really impressed in team sessions, too.
I got a good look at the QBs featuring UConn’s Joe Fagnano, Georgia Tech’s Haynes King, Iowa’s Mark Gronowski, and Louisville’s Miller Moss. Gronowski, the all-time winningest QB in NCAA history, impressed me on Thursday at the Wilson Throwing Session, and then carried it over into the start of his first practice. He’s a mobile quarterback with a strong arm. There’s noticeable zip to his throws, and he made some nice throws on the move, too.
By all accounts QB Mark Gronowski was one of if not the best QB at the Shrine Bowl. Iowa WR Kaden Wetjen was the most "buzzed" and talked about prospect during the 3 days of practice as well. I saw him being compared to Efton Chism (of course) but let's not forget the NFL did not deem Chism a draftable prospect a year ago despite proving very much that he was. Any clips I saw of Wetjen were impressive and he embarrassed a few DBs this week. He's been the rare consesnus favorite athlete across all the different media platforms I have read. A rare achievement for a White skill position player.
After checking out individual QB drills, I remained with the QBs to watch the WRs and TEs take on the DBs in 1-on-1 sessions. BYU’s Chase Roberts had some strong moments as a route runner, winning a pair of reps with crisp routes. He’s not overly flashy, but he’s a technical route runner who knows how to get open, and he has a huge frame to make plays above the rim.
Later in the team sessions, Miami (OH) LB Jackson Kuwatch made the play of the day. Dropping into zone coverage, Kuwatch leaped high and picked off Fagnano on a spectacular catch. He’s big at 6036, 230 and he moves very well. The explosiveness to leap and high point the football was eye opening.
I was really impressed with Kentucky OGs Josh Braun and Jager Burton, and particularly Burton. Had a few impressive blocks in team and someone I will be keeping a closer eye on throughout the week.
Penn State OT Nolan Rucci had an impressive rep where he drove Wisconsin EDGE Mason Reiger into the ground.
BYU WR Chase Roberts is one of my favorite prospects here. He has plus hands, he moves really well, and at 6031 and 216 pounds, has great size. Yesterday, during interview sessions, Roberts diligently studied the playbook in between speaking to the media. That work paid off today. He made a nice play in team (few and far between for the West team) and was a standout in individuals and 1-on-1s.
Iowa WR Kaden Wetjen is also a player I wanted to watch. A return specialist who started to get involved in the passing game last season, Wetjen’s burst was on full display. He routed up a corner during a 1v1 route and was consistent all day. A late-round prospect I’d love to see end up in Pittsburgh.
Brian Parker played OT at Duke, but he was a high school center, and his 6046/306 pound frame is probably better suited to play inside in the NFL. He took center snaps today, and outside of one low snap, played well and was a strong blocker.
Miami (OH)’s Jackson Kuwatch may have had the play of the day with a leaping interception in team that would’ve been a pick-six.
BYU WR Chase Roberts was head and shoulders (6031, but no pun intended) above every other receiver. Roberts is an incredibly reliable pass catcher and gets separation easily. In the WR vs. DB drill, he ran a good route on a crossing pattern and then used some quick footwork to shake the defender and gain additional yards. In a real game, it might have been a touchdown.
Texas EDGE Ethan Burke batted a pass and Central Michigan EDGE Michael Heldman, just added to the roster, got good pressure against his opposing tackles.
FRISCO, Texas — We are off and running here for the 101st edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl, which is held at The Star and the Ford Center, home of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility. This year, Josh Carney, Dr. Melanie Friedlander, and I are in Texas to cover the Shrine Bowl for Steelers...
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Today, the West team kicked things off after practicing second yesterday. It was a good day for Iowa WR Kaden Wetjen, his second one in a row. While he had two early concentration drops in individual drills, he turned things on during competition periods, winning his 1v1s and scoring a touchdown. He has a built-in connection with Iowa’s Mark Gronowski, who was easily the best quarterback for the West, and scouts had a lot of positive things to say about Wetjen’s performance today.
Oklahoma TE Jaren Kanak is a converted linebacker, playing tight end for the first time last season. But he’s a great athlete and another player scouts watched closely. He lined up at fullback during some team reps today, and he has real potential as an H-back at the next level.
Gronowski took a lot of reps at quarterback in team and was slinging the ball around, including a dart to Wisconsin TE Lance Mason for a big gain. He’s very comfortable throwing on the move.
Miami (OH) LB Jackson Kuwatch had an interception yesterday, and today he sniffed out a screen in red-zone team drills. He has impressive football IQ.
Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon’s size and speed combo stands out. There’s a reason the Fighting Irish used him as a big slot last year. He moves really well and has good hands.
Kentucky OGs Josh Braun and Jager Burton continue to stand out. Burton has really good footwork and drives guys out of their gap with ease. Braun had a few nice 1v1 reps and his natural strength is evident.
Wisconsin EDGE Mason Reiger had a few nice pass rushes in team.
One day after turning heads, Iowa wide receiver Kaden Wetjen once again stood out for the West team. Though things didn’t start out well with two drops in individual drills, Wetjen turned it on. He couldn’t be covered, consistently creating separation in 1-on-1 and team sessions.
Late in practice, when the West needed a play in red-zone work, it wasn’t surprising that it went to Wetjen, who won easily on a speed out for a score. He also impressed in special teams work. In a box drill, defenders barely even touched him as they worked on punt and kickoff coverage. Wetjen is a major weapon, and scouts are buzzing about him here.
Speaking of Iowa, Mark Gronowski continues to be one of the best quarterbacks down here. He is running the offense with a great deal of confidence, and his arm is showing up in a major way. During 7-on-7 drills, Gronowski had a great throw down the middle to Florida wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant. He put the ball on a rope over a leaping linebacker’s arms and hit Sturdivant in a tight window for an explosive play. He just made the right decisions over and over again.
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King bounced back from a disastrous first day with some good throws, including a deep shot to teammate Eric Rivers, as well as WR Anthony Smith, a late addition out of East Carolina. But there were still plenty of issues with King that showed up. His arm isn’t strong enough and his throws tend to die outside of the numbers.
UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano had a nice day and ripped a big-time throw to Rivers on a crossing route in 7-on-7. There was good zip on the ball and he layered it perfectly, putting it just over a linebacker’s hand right into Rivers’ chest underneath the safety. Heck of a throw in that setting.
I was really impressed with LSU tight end Bauer Sharp. He was clocked as the fastest player in practice yesterday at more than 21 miles per hour. In his second practice, he continued to flash as a good route runner. He also showed strong hands at the catch point over and over again. The quarterbacks are really starting to trust him here.
In team runs and 11-on-11 sessions, UCLA offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio caught my eye. He played right guard primarily and moved defenders in the run game, creating a ton of displacement. He played with a real edge and got under the skin of defensive linemen.
So too should Lander Barton. The Utah linebacker was outstanding in coverage, both in 1-on-1s and in team sessions. He’s a fluid athlete with long arms and is able to get his hands into the passing lanes to break things up.
Navy running back Eli Heidenreich had a great day. He’s a Pittsburgh native, too, and he was outstanding in 1-on-1s against linebackers. Twice, he cooked Perkins, winning with speed and crisp routes. He made a one-handed catch along the sideline on the second rep against Perkins to win. He’s a dangerous weapon and could be fun to watch in the NFL if he lands in the right spot.
I thought Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton was solid on Saturday. He has a funky release that is sidearm and it leads to accuracy issues, but he can really rip it and trusts his arm. He made some huge downfield throws to Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon as well as LSU wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr.
One name I want to highlight is Tennessee TE Miles Kitselman. He was a late addition on Saturday morning, and he immediately hit the field and produced. He consistently won in 1-on-1s against linebackers and safeties.
There are still no real standouts in this QB group but Mark Gronowski and Joe Fagnano are likely battling to get the start on Tuesday night. Gronowski had some nice passes in team drills and Fagnano looked sharp in the red zone drills.
FRISCO, Texas — Well, snow and ice-mageddon has reached the greater Dallas area. Plenty of freezing rain and some snow has accumulated here in Frisco, leading to things largely shutting down around the area. But not the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl, and not the Steelers Depot crew. This year, Dr...
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Wisconsin’s Mason Reiger really impressed on Sunday, too. No, he is not a true Wisconsin product like T.J. Watt or Nick Herbig off the edge. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise — he played multiple years at Louisville before one year at Wisconsin. But he’s having a quietly strong week and has the coaching staff raving about him.
Once again, Navy’s Eli Heidenreich had a good day. He is sudden in his movements and is able to shake defenders in space at the top of his routes, allowing him to easily separate. He won big once against LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. and once against Incarnate Word’s Declan Williams. Heidenreich’s best rep came against a fellow Pittsburgh native in Louisiana linebacker Jaden Dugger. The Penn Hills native has had a great week, and he and Heidenreich locked in a great battle that Heidenreich ultimately won with a leaping grab along the sideline.
Same with Utah’s Lander Barton, who is putting together some good days here in Frisco. He’s big and long for the position and has played well in coverage, remaining in the hip pocket of pass catches, allowing him to reach out and knock down passes in the short to intermediate areas.
This group is pretty solid at the receiver position, and it didn’t disappoint on Sunday. Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen continues to blow up here. He’s always open, and the quarterbacks are targeting him over and over again. He’s rewarding them in a big way. He still has the occasional focus drop, and has had some issues remembering his route in some looks, but he’s largely been unguardable this week.
Wyoming interior offensive lineman Caden Barnett is a bully and I love it. He plays so hard, has his gut hanging out, and just looks like he eats nails for breakfast with his mohawk. He had a great pass blocking rep on Saturday morning, and then followed up with more impressive work in pass protection Sunday. He also created a bunch of movement in the run game. He was a late add, but he’s taken the opportunity and run with it.
Wisconsin EDGE Mason Reiger looked sharp in OL v DL drills and team session. He applied what the coaches gave him and was shedding blocks effectively.
The take-home message from the West team practice is that it’s Iowa WR Kaleb Wetjen’s world, and we’re all just living in it. He reminds me of the prototypical New England Patriots wide receiver that Bill Belichick seemingly had on every roster. The obvious comparison is last year’s Shrine Bowl star Efton Chism. Wetjen is going to be a steal in this draft.
Another day, another standout performance from Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen. Wetjen has firmly put himself on the radar of NFL teams, and I could see him getting drafted in the middle rounds. Last year, it was Eastern Washington’s Efton Chism who stood out day after day, and this year, it’s Wetjen. I’m expecting him to make a big impact in the game on Tuesday.
Wyoming iOL Caden Barnett was consistently good. He created holes for his running backs in team and was probably the best offensive lineman during 1v1 drills today. A steady performance from him this week.
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