2017 East-West Shrine Game Preview

It's been just over a week ago that most of the country was watching the National Championship game. Yet, the football coverage continues we as speed toward National Signing Day, as well as picking up steam toward on the path to the NFL Draft this spring.

Regarding the latter, we're now past the deadline for underclassmen to declare for April’s draft this past Monday, forgoing the remainder of their "student-athlete” status. While the all-star circuit does not typically feature underclassmen, there are still a decent number of prospects that will attend to be poked, measured, and weighed like cattle to produce their exact measurements since some schools have a tendency to fudge and exaggerate the numbers (just a bit).

That will be the introduction for safety Jamal Carter this week as he participates in practices, interviews, getting his first taste of draft season at the 2017 East-West Shrine Game.

Billed as the nation’s first college all-star game in 1925, along with showcasing college football players transitioning to the NFL, the game works in-hand with the Shriners Hospital for Children. Players and coaching staffs from both East and West sides visit the kids in hospital to help bring a smile to the patients.

WR Stacy Coley was set to join Carter this week, but last Saturday told officials that he would not be taking part in the game. For Carter it means that he will be the lone man repping that U this weekend as he tries to make a favourable impression on team officials in attendance. Carter will be playing Safety for the East team on Saturday.

Ranked among in the low 20's among Safeties, a good week of practice and a good showing in the game on Saturday would go a ways to helping bump Carter’s stock before the National Scouting Combine and Pro Day.

Coming off a season that seen Carter post career-high numbers in just about every statistical category (85 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 passes defenses). Carter is projected to go undrafted by some experts.

Another All-Star game happening this Saturday is the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl taking place in the soon to be home of the now LA Chargers in the Stubhub Center. A pair of Cane alums CB Adrian Colbert and FB Marquez Williams will be participants. Each player is being mocked to go undrafted at this point in time.

Courtesy of UM Athletics,

Also courtesy of UM Athletics,

We wish the best of luck to these Canes as the make their journey towards the NFL.

You can watch the East-West Shrine Game at 3 pm EST on Saturday afternoon taking place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The game can be seen nationally on NFL Network.

The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will also air on Saturday at 4:15 pm EST live from Los Angeles, California. You can watch this game live on FS 1.

Go Canes!!