NFLPA Collegiate Bowl 2015: Rosters, Top Prospects for College All-Star Game
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl gives some of the less-touted prospects of the upcoming draft to showcase their skills against the best, and the 2015 edition is set to be the best yet.
The college all-star event has only been up and running since 2012, but it has produced some of the best postseason play and valuable glimpses at future draftees for NFL personnel.
Not only do the players get to work with some of the best coaches in football—Mike Holmgren and Mike Martz will man each sideline Saturday—but if they impress, they can shoot up draft boards as well.
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Standing out from the pack isn't easy when every player is on his way to the NFL, but only those who turn heads in the predraft season hear their name called in April and May.
Let's break down what you need to know about the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
2015 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
When: Saturday, January 17, 2015
Where: StubHub Center, Carson, California
Start Time (ET): 4 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Team Rosters
| QB Jerry Lovelocke (Prairie View) | QB Jameill Showers (UTEP) |
| QB Rakeem Cato (Marshall) | QB Brandon Bridge (S. Alabama) |
| QB Cole Stoudt (Clemson) | QB Andrew Hendrix (Miami Oh.) |
| RB Prince-Tyson Gulley (Syracuse) | WR Geremy Davis (UConn) |
| RB Joe Bergeron (Texas A&M C) | RB Ross Scheurman (La.-Lafayette) |
| RB Marcus Murphy (Missouri) | RB Ricky Seale (Stanford) |
| RB Kenny Williams (Texas Tech) | RB Malcolm Agnew (So. Illinois) |
| FB Paul Lasike (BYU) | RB Jahwan Edwards (Ball St.) |
| G Jarvis Harrison (Texas A&M) | RB Terell Watson (Azusa Pacific) |
| G Al Bond (Memphis) | FB Channing Fugate (E. Kentucky) |
| C Joe Townsend II (Vanderbilt) | C Nick Easton (Harvard) |
| OT Sean Donnelly (Tulane) | G Chad Slade (Auburn) |
| G Antoine Everett (McNeese St.) | OT Cole Manhart (Neb.-Kearney) |
| OT Micah Hatchie (Washington) | OT Jake Rodgers (E. Washington) |
| G Takoby Cofield (Duke) | OT Kyle Roberts (Nevada) |
| OT Cody Clay (Azusa Pacific) | OT Quinterrius Eatmon (USF) |
| OT Darrell Williams (USF) | G Marcus Reed (Fayetteville St.) |
| OT Malcolm Bunche (UCLA) | G Mitchell Bell (La. Tech) |
| TE Westlee Tonga (Utah) | G Tom Farniok (Iowa St.) |
| WR Kaelin Clay (Utah) | WR Chris Conley (Georgia) |
| TE Brian Volger (Alabama) | WR Demarco Robinson (Kentucky) |
| WR Anthony Johnson (West Texas A&M) | WR Rodney Whitehead (FAU) |
| WR Bradley Marquez (Texas Tech) | WR Nick Harwell (Kansas) |
| WR Mario Alford (West Virginia) | TE Devin Mahina (BYU) |
| WR Vernon Johnson (Texas A&M C) | TE Cameron Clear (Texas A&M) |
| TE Eric Tomlinson (UTEP) | WR Dawan Scott (Miami Oh.) |
| WR Javess Blue (Kentucky) | WR Tony Jones (Northwestern) |
| WR Jake Kumerow (Wisconsin-Wh.) | WR DeAndre Carter (Sacramento St.) |
| - | TE Corey Simmons (Northwestern St.) |
| CB Troy Hill (Oregon) | CB Cody Riggs (Notre Dame) |
| CB Anthony Jefferson (UCLA) | CB Al-Hajj Shabazz (West Chester) |
| CB Johnathan McKnight (Arizona) | CB De'Ante Saunders (Tennessee St.) |
| CB Terell Floyd (Louisville) | CB Travell Dixon (Washington) |
| CB Deshazor Everett (Texas A&M) | DB Emmanuel Johnson (Southern Miss.) |
| CB Donald Celiscar (W. Michigan) | CB Jimmy Jean (UAB) |
| DB Erick Dargan (Oregon) | DB Keeston Terry (Pittsburg St.) |
| DB Tony Bell Jr. (UT-Martin) | CB Chris Dunkley (USF) |
| DB Cedric Thompson (Minnesota) | DB Ace Clark (W. Carolina) |
| DB Ryan Murphy (Oregon St.) | DB Jourdon Grandon (Arizona) |
| LB Jabral Johnson (Oregon St.) | LB Terrance Plumber (UCF) |
| LB Michael Doctor (Oregon St.) | LB Braylon Mitchell (Arkansas) |
| LB John Timu (Washington) | LB D.J. Welter (LSU) |
| LB Josh Keyes (Boston College) | LB Zaire Anderson (Nebraska) |
| LB Damien Wilson (Minnesota) | LB Cameron Lynch (Syracuse) |
| LB John Tavai Jr. (USC) | LB Stephon Sanders (SMU) |
| LB Chase Williams (Virginia Tech) | DE LaDarius Owens (Auburn) |
| DT Cameron Botticelli (Minnesota) | DE Kendall Montgomery (Bowling Green) |
| DT Olsen Pierre (Miami) | DE Marcus Rush (Michigan St.) |
| DE Dan Pettinato (Arizona) | LB Kyle Woestmann (Vanderbilt) |
| DE Andrew Hudson (Washington) | DT Leon Orr (Florida) |
| DT Ethan Farmer (North Carolina) | DT Quayshawne Buckley (Idaho) |
| DE Brock Hekking (Nevada) | DE Diaheem Watkins (UAB) |
| DT Kalafitoni Pole (Washington St.) | DT Chuka Ndulue (Oklahoma) |
| DE Zach Wagenmann (Montana) | DT DeShawn Williams (Clemson) |
| P Mike Sadler (Michigan St.) | K Jeremiah Detmer (Toledo) |
| K Josh Lambo (Texas A&M) | P Patrick Carney (New Mexico Highlands) |
| LS Alex Freeman (Texas A&M) | LS John Sheperdson (California) |
Note: Game rosters are courtesy of the NFLPA official site.
Top Prospects
Marcus Rush, DE, Michigan State
Michigan State's pass-rushers are pretty much an afterthought in the 2015 draft after potential first-rounder Shilique Calhoun decided to stay put, but defensive end Marcus Rush may be able to resurrect the movement.
Rush is best known as the school's all-time starts leader, but he has established himself as much more than your average starter throughout four years. The emergence of Calhoun allowed Rush to fly under the radar in NFL draft circles, but he showcased his gritty play with a pair of key plays in Michigan State's Cotton Bowl win over Baylor.
First, Rush blocked a would-be game-sealing field goal of Baylor's with just over a minute left. Once the Spartans retook the lead with seconds to go, he sacked Bears quarterback Bryce Petty to seal the deal.
What's more, Rush is turning heads already at practice for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, per Cody Tewmey of NFLDraftLab.com:
The big conundrum facing Rush is one that many pro hopefuls are dealing with. At 6'3" and 250 pounds, his size is far from ideal in terms of coming off the edge.
If he can showcase his motor and strength on Saturday and dominate a handful of plays, however, scouts will have no choice but to look his way.
Chris Conley, WR, Georgia
Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley missed most of 2013 with a season-ending injury and spent some of his senior season getting back to full health, but he's back and better than ever entering the predraft season.
Amassing 1,938 yards and 20 touchdowns for his career with the Bulldogs, Conley has proven to be the most reliable target for quarterbacks Aaron Murray and Hutson Mason when healthy. His best asset from a NFL perspective is his size, as his 6'3", 205-pound frame translates ideally to the next level.
Conley has the prototypical size, skill set and experience, yet he has never truly taken off as a prospect—mostly due to injury. But a tidbit from a story by Ron Clements of Perform Media via Sporting News during Georgia's Belk Bowl performance gives Conley some props:
"Georgia receiver Chris Conley got behind (Louisville safety Gerod) Holliman and the Louisville secondary early for a 44-yard strike from Georgia senior quarterback Hutson Mason. Conley is a 6-3, 206-pound senior and one scout said that because of Conley’s combination of size and speed, he has an NFL future. Brooks agreed and said Conley is the type of player teams look for 'at the bottom of the draft' because of their ability to contribute on special teams.
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All too often, serious injury can ruin a player's ability to get to the next level and perform at his best there. Fortunately for Conley, it appears he's playing better than ever as he ends his collegiate career.
Prince-Tyson Gulley, RB, Syracuse
There may not be a more intriguing prospect with a hopeful NFL future in Saturday's Collegiate Bowl than Syracuse's Prince-Tyson Gulley.
The running back has been a big part of Syracuse's offense over the last three years, amassing 369 total carries in that span and averaging well over five yards per carry. But it's his skill set that makes him all the more interesting.
Gulley is a morph between a tough-nosed bruiser and a speedy scatback. He's only 5'9" and can dominate defenses by slipping through the line unnoticed, but he is also 195 pounds and can run you straight over.
It's no surprise that he's been impressing so far in practice, per ESPN's Kevin Weidl:
Aspects like a heavy workload in college can turn NFL teams off when it comes to drafting running backs, but Gulley has shown no signs of tread on his tires. With plenty of experience returning kicks as well, Gulley will be a central focus for NFL scouts this weekend.
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