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Players to Watch at the 2019 East West Shrine Game

Names for fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to keep an eye on

NCAA Football: East-West Shrine Game Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL playoffs are up to full-speed, the college football playoff and championship is complete, and the Senior Bowl is just weeks away. In the middle of it all is the annual East West Shrine Game.

This year in St. Petersburg, there will be a whole new collection of college football players looking to wow scouts and fans alike in hopes of gaining some traction moving towards their dreams of being a star at the professional football level.

Names like Dick Butkus, Joe Greene, Larry Csonka, Martin Gramatica, Steve Atwater, and Brett Favre all appeared in previous editions of the game.

2018 Buccaneers draft pick Justin Watson played for the East last year, and subsequently received an invitation to the Senior Bowl while Denver Broncos standout undrafted rookie, Phillip Lindsay played for the West team.

So, if you’re settling down to take in the action, here are a few guys to look for. First, let’s introduce you to the competitors.

EAST

2019 ROSTER

NUMBER POSITION NAME SCHOOL
NUMBER POSITION NAME SCHOOL
1 RB JORDAN ELLIS VIRGINIA
4 WR TERRY GODWIN II GEORGIA
5 WR RYAN DAVIS AUBURN
8 RB MARQUIS YOUNG MASSACHUSETTS
9 WR TERRY WRIGHT PURDUE
10 QB JORDAN TA'AMU MISSISSIPPI
11 QB DAVID BLOUGH PURDUE
14 QB TAYLOR CORNELIUS OKLAHOMA STATE
17 WR JAMAL CUSTIS SYRACUSE
19 K MATTHEW GAY UTAH
24 RB TY JOHNSON MARYLAND
33 RB DARNELL WOOLFOLK U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY
50 C SEAN RAWLINGS MISSISSIPPI
53 OG TYLER JONES NORTH CAROLINA STATE
54 C ALEC EBERLE FLORIDA STATE
55 C LAMONT GAILLARD GEORGIA
57 OT OLISAEMEKA UDOH ELON
58 OT JUSTIN SKULE VANDERBILT
65 OG BUNCHY STALLINGS KENTUCKY
66 OG JOSHUA MILES MORGAN STATE
67 OC NICK ALLEGRETTI ILLINOIS
71 OT ETHAN GREENIDGE VILLANOVA
73 OT MATREZ IVEY FLORIDA
78 OT TYREE ST. LOUIS MIAMI
80 TE DANIEL HELM DUKE
81 TE MATTHEW SOKOL MICHIGAN STATE
84 WR JESPER HORSTED PRINCETON
85 WR DAMARKUS LODGE MISSISSIPPI
87 TE CARSON MEIER OKLAHOMA
2 S DELVON RANDALL TEMPLE
6 CB DERRICK BAITY, JR. KENTUCKY
15 CB JIMMY MORELAND JAMES MADISON
16 CB RASHAD FENTON SOUTH CAROLINA
18 P AJ COLE III NORTH CAROLINA STATE
21 CB TIM HARRIS VIRGINIA
23 S LUKAS DENIS BOSTON COLLEGE
25 S CHRIS JOHNSON NORTH ALABAMA
31 CB ISAIAH WHARTON RUTGERS
34 LB MALIK CARNEY NORTH CAROLINA
36 S ZEDRICK WOODS MISSISSIPPI
40 LB KHALIL HODGE BUFFALO
42 LB SIONE TAKITAKI BRIGHAM YOUNG
44 LB TRE WATSON MARYLAND
45 LB ULYSEES GILBERT III AKRON
47 LS JACOB BOBENMOYER NORTHERN COLORADO
51 LB COLE HOLCOMB NORTH CAROLINA
90 DL MICHAEL DOGBE TEMPLE
91 DL JORDAN BRAILFORD OKLAHOMA STATE
92 DL KYLE LAWRENCE PHILLIPS TENNESSEE
95 DL CHRIS SLAYTON SYRACUSE
96 DL CORTEZ BROUGHTON CINCINNATI
97 DL KEVIN WILKINS RUTGERS
98 DL RICKY WALKER VIRIGINIA TECH
99 DL MATHIEU BETTS LAVAL

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: WR, JAMAL CUSTIS (SYRACUSE)

NCAA Football: Syracuse at Boston College Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Custis has had a solid week of practices, and a solid game this Saturday could improve his status on some NFL draft boards.

He’s got similar height to Buccaneers wide recevier Mike Evans, and then there was this tweet from Bucs staff writer, Carmen Vitali.

Anyone who models himself after the best receiver Tampa Bay has ever seen deserves a look.

Plus, there’s no reason not to look at every position on the field when considering late round draft prospects.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: DL, JORDAN BRAILFORD (OKLAHOMA STATE)

NCAA Football: Texas Tech at Oklahoma State Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

Why should you watch Jordan Brailford? Becuase the Buccaneers are.

He’s listed on the roster as a defensive lineman, but he’s an edge guy. As a defensive coordinator, you could play him standing up or put his hand on the ground and have him attack that way.

It’s fully feasible for him to do both, which makes him very valuable to a scheme-less team like the Buccaneers’ new coaching staff is claiming to be.

A solid week of practices at the Shrine Game could lead up to a solid game performance as well.

Bottom line though, if Tampa Bay is talking to him, you want to know about him.

WEST

2019 ROSTER

NUMBER POSITION NAME SCHOOL
NUMBER POSITION NAME SCHOOL
2 WR KEESEAN JOHNSON CSU FRESNO
3 WR RON'QUAVION TARVER UTAH STATE
4 QB BRETT RYPIEN BOISE STATE
5 RB NICK BROSSETTE LOUISIANA STATE
6 QB MARCUS MCMARYION CSU FRESNO
9 WR JON DUHART OLD DOMINION
11 TE KENDALL BLANTON MISSOURI
12 QB EASTON STICK NORTH DAKOTA STATE
15 K JOHN BARON II SAN DIEGO STATE
19 WR SHAWN POINDEXTER ARIZONA
22 RB DEVINE OZIGBO NEBRASKA
24 RB DARRIN HALL, JR. PITTSBURGH
47 TE ANDREW BECK TEXAS
50 C NICK LINDER INDIANA
52 C JOHN KEENOY WESTERN MICHIGAN
57 OT PAUL ADAMS MISSOURI
60 OT BRIAN WALLACE ARKANSAS
66 OG KEATON SUTHERLAND TEXAS A&M
70 OT JACKSON BARTON UTAH STATE
72 OG LANARD BONNER ARKANSAS STATE
74 OG OSHEA DUGAS LOUISIANA TECH
76 OG JUWANN BUSHELL-BEATTY MICHIGAN
77 OT RYAN POPE SAN DIEGO STATE
78 OT TREY PIPKINS SIOUX FALLS
80 WR BRODY OLIVER COLORADO MINES
8 CB BLACE BROWN TROY
13 CB KA'DAR HOLLMAN TOLEDO
14 CB MAZZI WILKINS SOUTH FLORIDA
18 LB BJ BLUNT MCNEESE STATE
20 LB DREW LEWIS COLORADO
21 LB CODY BARTON UTAH
23 CB JORDAN WYATT SOUTHERN METHODIST
26 S ADARIUS PICKETT UCLA
27 S ANDREW WINGARD WYOMING
29 LB JOE DINEEN KANSAS
31 CB NMONTRE HARTAGE NORTHWESTERN
32 S TYREE KINNEL MICHIGAN
43 DL MARKUS JONES ANGELO STATE
46 DL LANDIS DURHAM TEXAS A&M
48 LB JUSTIN HOLLINS OREGON
49 DL DERICK ROBERSON SAM HOUSTON STATE
51 LS CHRIS WILKERSON STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE
82 P JACK FOX RICE
90 DL ARMON WATTS ARKANSAS
95 DL DAYLON MACK TEXAS A&M
96 DL DANIEL WISE KANSAS
97 DL CHRIS NELSON TEXAS
98 DL JOEL VAN PELT CALGARY

OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: RB, DEVINE OZIGBO (NEBRASKA)

NCAA Football: Michigan State at Nebraska Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Head coach Bruce Arians and his staff once made beautiful running back music with a young man named David Johnson.

Johnson, a third round draft pick out of Northern Iowa proceeded to become one of the best running backs in the league. In the last couple of years, Johnson has been derailed by injuries and was one of many Cardinals who underperformed in 2018.

Still, his underperforming topped any year the Buccaneers have seen from a running back in the last couple of seasons.

It’s a copycat league, and who better to copy than yourself, when you’ve had some success?

Devine Ozigbo is about the same height, size, and runs at about the same speed as Johnson did coming out of college.

Oh, and he’s projected to be a day two or early day three draft pick. Like David Johnson.

I’m not saying you should draft him first in your fantasy draft next year, but if we see some similarities, he may be a guy the Bucs look at when April comes around.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH: CB, Blace Brown (Troy)

NCAA Football: Boise State at Troy Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

If you like cornerbacks with some length and athleticism who like to play aggressively and targets the ball on every snap, then this is the guy for you.

Credit The Draft Network’s Trevor Sikkema for turning me on to him with this article on the TDN website.

Since then, I’ve only seen more of what I like to see out of a corner, and what I feel like new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will be looking for this off-season.