Scores of them will do so in the East-West Shrine Game, which is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. The game, in its 85th year, is slated for 3 p.m. EST, and will be telecast by ESPN2.
At one time, college all-star events were magnets for pro scouts, who'd jump at the chance to catch top prospects in action. But in today's electronic age, there's much less need for that. Also, some stars figure they have more to lose than gain by playing in an extra game, and therefore steer clear.
Yet there is no shortage of graduating college seniors eager to show what they can do in front of national television cameras, and that's why the East-West Shrine Game is still in business. It doesn't attract as many big names as the NFL-backed Senior Bowl, but it is the longest-running college football all-star game.
The game will make its Florida debut. Seventy-nine of the first 80 Shrine contests took place in the San Francisco Bay Area, with the 1944 New Orleans-hosted event being the only exception. The game shifted to Texas, with San Antonio hosting in 2006, and Houston doing so from 2007 to 2009.
There's a lack of Heisman Trophy finalists and first-team All-Americans in the Shrine Game. Technically, the highest-rated player in the game is Brigham Young tight end Dennis Pitta, a second-team Associated Press All-American.
Yet there are plenty of highly decorated players, and many are hungry ones with plenty to prove to NFL scouts. One is Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes.
Record-Setting Barnes Looks to Quiet Skeptics
Barnes, who will play wide receiver for the East team, shattered the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record by making 155 catches during the 2009 season. The 6-foot, 210-pounder garnered 1,170 receiving yards and scored 19 touchdowns in 13 games. He ended his college career with 17 catches for 219 yards and three TDs in a 43-42 Humanitarian Bowl loss to Idaho.
But Barnes still faces questions as he enters the NFL draft. Critics say he lacks breakaway speed, and that he faced sub-par opposition in the Mid-American Conference. They note that when he faced an All-American cornerback — Boise State's Kyle Wilson — he was limited to four catches for 24 yards.
Perhaps the most interesting prospect in the Shrine game is Ali Villanueva, a wide receiver who had 34 catches for 522 yards and five touchdowns for a run-happy Army team. What makes him unique is that he's 6-10, 283 pounds.
East Defense Features Sack Specialist Schofield
The East defense includes Wisconsin's O'Brien Schofield, who was one of the nation's leaders in sacks with 12. But at 6-2, 250, Schofield is widely considered too small to play end in the NFL. He'll have to prove he can play linebacker, and the Shrine Game might be a good place to start.
East linebacker Ryan Stamper was good enough to be captain of a superb Florida defense for two seasons. But he was not electrifying enough to become a top-flight NFL prospect. He'll try to improve his stock Saturday.
Stamper's more celebrated teammate — quarterback Tim Tebow — declined an invitation. So East QB duties will be handled by Mike Kafka and John Skelton, and like Tebow, they'll be eager to show pro scouts what they can do.
Kafka was an athletic, effective, but oft-overshadowed performer for Northwestern. Skelton enjoyed a spectacular collegiate career, but did so at Hofstra, which hasn't exactly been a factory for NFL players.
Texas Tech Guard Anchors West Line
The QBs could benefit greatly from the presence of AP third-team All-American guard Brandon Carter. The 6-7, 350-pound Texas Tech star wants to provide additional evidence that he's far more than a big guy who just gets in the way of defenders.
Carter is one of the game's more distinguished players, as are Pitta and BYU quarterback Max Hall. Pitta (62 receptions, 829 yards, 8 TDs) faces questions about his blocking ability. Hall passed for 3,560 yards and 33 TDs, but lack of size and arm strength are an issue with draft analysts.
Hall will share snaps with Kansas' Todd Reesing and Eastern Washington's Matt Nichols. Like Hall, the two will have familiar targets. Kansas wide receiver Kerry Meier and Eastern Washington tight end Nathan Overbay are also on the West roster.
Oregon's Ward Part of Talented West Secondary
Oregon safety T.J. Ward made 101 tackles in 2008, but an ankle injury injury forced him to miss five games and limited him to 68 tackles. He'll get one game back when he plays in a talented West secondary that also includes UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner and Toledo safety Barry Church.
The defense includes two of the Pac-10 Conference's first-team linebackers in Oregon State's Keaton Kristick and UCLA's Reggie Carter.
Another Pac-10 star, Arizona State's Dexter Davis, could need to show linebacking skills of his own, as the 6-2, 255-pounder appears too small to play end in the NF.
West Leads Series
The West holds a 45-34-5 lead in the series, and has taken six of the last nine contests. But the East won 24-19 last year in Houston. The 2010 event will be the first Shrine game held East of the Mississippi River since 1944. The teams will be guided by former NFL coaches Romeo Crennel (East) and Marty Schottenheimer (West). Proceeds from the game benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Jon Matsune - Jon Matsune is a free-lance writer based in Northern California. He has 25 years of experience in newspaper journalism, mostly as a sports ...
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