Observations from the NC/SC Shrine Bowl

I had the opportunity to take my sons to the 77th annual Shrine Bowl where some of the best high school seniors from North and South Carolina represented their respective states.
The game culminates a year of fund raising and almost $1.5 millions were raised to donate for care of children in the Shriners' hospitals.
This game has featured a lot of future college and NFL players such as Fridge Perry, Reuben Davis, Natrone Means, Steven Davis, Peter Boulware, Leonard Little, Tony Dingle, Courtney Brown, Julius Peppers, Albert Haynesworth, Mario Williams, Sidney Rice, DJ Moore, Hakeem Nicks, Cliff Matthews, Alshon Jeffrey, David Amerson, and Marcus Lattimore to name but a few.

The SC 'Sandlappers' defeated the NC 'Tarheels' 28-23.

Roster for 2013 Shrine Bowl:
(Copied from shrine-bowl.com)

North Carolina Roster
No. Name Ht. Wt. Pos. School City
1 Trevion Thompson 6-3 185 WR Hillside Durham
2 Jalen McClendon 6-0 6-4 QB West Mecklenburg Charlotte
3 Marquell Cartwright 5-9 185 RB T.W. Andrews High Point
4 Emanuel Moseley 6-0 165 DB James B. Dudley Greensboro
6 Chris Register 6-4 235 LB James B. Dudley Greensboro
7 Germaine Pratt 6-3 200 DB High Point Central High Point
9 TreShun Wynn 6-0 173 DB Monroe Monroe
10 Austin Proehl 5-10 175 WR Providence Charlotte
15 Tejon Monley 5-10 175 DB Scotland Lurinburg
19 Hasaan Klugh 6-3 185 QB Central Cabarrus Concord
20 Cody Purdie 5-11 190 LB New Bern New Bern
22 Stephen Askew 6-0 220 LB Mallard Creek Charlotte
26 Cameron Mattison 6-1 190 DB Mallard Creek Charlotte
28 Shaun Wilson 5-9 180 DB West Mecklenburg Charlotte
30 Robert Dinkins 6-2 255 DL Olympic Charlotte
32 MyQuon Stout 6-1 236 DL Jesse Carson China Grove
33 Isaac Martin 5-10 195 RB Cleveland Clayton
34 Elijan Hood 6-0 220 RB Charlotte Catholic Charlotte
35 Thomas Ferguson 6-0 215 DL Lee County Sanford
36 Cayson Collins 6-1 215 LB Phillip O. Berry Charlotte
37 Isaac Stewart 6-2 230 LB David W. Butler Matthews
42 Tyler Bray 6-0 190 RB South Point Belmont
44 Marcelias Sutton 5-9 185 DB James Kenan Warsaw
48 Freeman Jones 6-0 190 P/K Bunn Bunn
50 Jabril Robinson 6-3 256 DL North Brunswick Shallote
51 Tobias Edge Campbell 6-2 277 DL Hoke County Raeford
52 Arthur Williams 6-5 289 DL E.E. Smith Fayetteville
60 Davonte Spruill 6-5 245 OL Plymouth Plymouth
63 Nathan Dalton 6-6 315 OL East Henderson East Flat Rock
64 Jacob McCreary 6-0 275 OL W.A. Hough Cornelius
66 Cameron Burton 6-0 250 OL A.C. Reynolds Asheville
68 Trip McNeill 6-5 305 OL Davie County Mocksville
70 Nathan McConnell 6-5 300 OL Jacksonville Jacksonville
71 Shaun Best 6-7 315 OL New Bern New Bern
74 Johnathan Sugg 6-2 245 OL Northwest Guilford Greensboro
78 Will Richardson 6-6 291 OL Hugh Cummings Burlington
82 Maurice Trowell 6-0 175 WR Southern Durham Durham
84 Dominique Heath 5-8 175 WR Hopewell Huntersville
85 Curtis Burtson 6-2 213 WR Middle Creek Apex
89 Mykelti Armstrong 6-0 175 WR Forestview Gastonia

South Carolina Roster
No. Name Ht. Wt. Pos. School City
1 Hunter Renfrow 6-0 175 ATH Socastee Myrtle Beach
2 Jaelon Oglesby 5-10 175 RB Daniel Central
3 Shykasheali Shy Phillips 6-1 170 DB Hartsville Hartsville
4 Shaquille Davidson 6-1 175 WR Gaffney Gaffney
6 Shaedon Meadors 6-2 180 WR James F. Byrnes Duncan
7 Blake Bone 6-5 195 WR Woodruff Woodruff
9 Jacob Park 6-3 210 QB Stratford Goose Creek
10 Mason Rudolph 6-4 220 QB Northwestern Rock Hill
15 Tyshun Samuel 6-0 185 WR Chapman Inman
19 Zeke Walker 6-3 205 DB Brookland-Cayce Cayce
20 Caleb Kinlaw 5-11 191 RB Goose Creek Goose Creek
22 Tyler Hickson 6-2 220 DL Edisto Cordova
26 Octavious Morgan 5-11 180 DB Greenwood Greenwood
28 Raheem Ward 6-0 180 DB Marlboro County Bennettsville
30 Joshua Harlan 6-0 215 LB Spring Valley Columbia
32 Kevin Crosby, Jr. 6-0 230 TE Bamberg-Ehrhardt Bamberg
33 Corey Seargent 6-1 185 DB Northwestern Rock Hill
34 Joe Blue 5-11 235 RB Dillon Dillon
35 Devandri Damu Ford 5-11 235 LB Dillon Dillon
36 Isaiah Lewis 5-11 170 DB Hillcrest Simpsonville
40 Keith KJ Ford, Jr. 6-1 282 DL Bluffton Bluffton
42 Alex Spence 6-3 180 K/P West Florence Florence
44 Kendall Joseph 6-1 235 LB Belton Honea Path Honea Path
46 Cameron Darley 6-3 245 ATH Manning Manning
48 Solomon Brown 6-1 195 LB Daniel Central
54 Kaylon Poona Ford, Jr. 6-1 300 DL Hilton Head Hilton Head Island
55 Isaiah Zeek Rodney 6-2 255 DL South Pointe Rock Hill
60 Zachary Cooper 6-0 260 OL Dorman Roebuck
61 Caleb Harris 6-6 270 OL Dutch Fork Columbia
63 Benjamin Clark 6-0 300 OL James F. Byrnes Duncan
64 Taylor Jordan Hearn 6-5 320 OL Williston-Elko Williston
66 Messiah Rice 6-6 265 OL Orangeburg-Wilkinson Orangeburg
71 Donell Stanley, Jr. 6-4 330 OL Latta Latta
73 Malik Young 6-4 290 OL Woodmont Piedmont
74 Dexter Wideman 6-3 265 DL Saluda Saluda
75 Christopher Mackey 6-3 335 OL Belton Honea Path Honea Path
83 DeQuan Reddick 6-4 250 DL Hartsville Hartsville
85 Kalan Ritchie 6-6 230 TE Goose Creek Goose Creek
99 Naquez Pringle 6-3 300 DL Carvers Bay Hemingway

A few observations:
The SC squad QB's were, as above, Mason Rudolph and Jacob Park-both misses for VT in recruiting.
Jacob Park (UGa commit) came in as 'Mr Football-SC' but it was Mason Rudolph (Ok. State commit) that stole the show.
Rudolph started, and ended up with most of the playing time as he was much more polished and effective. He was patient in the pocket and would go through his reads, only to tuck and run if pressured-he had a couple of gutsy rushes for positive yards. He had a great touch on his passes and could zip it in or float it over defenders.

I counted a series of 8 plays when Park got in the game: 4 QB keepers, 2 incomplete passes-one high, one low, 1 hand off and 1 sack with a fumble. He seemed inpatient and would tuck and run quickly. His release seemed off causing him to miss on the throws as noted where the WR was open. (I won't lie: I thought 'I've seen that before somewhere.....') It kinda surprised me as Georgia's offense is pass heavy and not so reliant on QB mobility.

Elijah Hood (UNC commit)-RB-was the real deal. He looked like an every down back-finished with 92 yards and was powerful inside. He was the NC squad offensive MVP.
The NC QB was a good-looking kid named Jalen McClendon from Charlotte. He was rangy and athletic and threw a good ball. 247sports and Rivals doesn't even have him listed!
Blake Bone (UK commit)-WR-led SC in catches, but Shaedon Meadows (likely ODU commit)-WR-led the team in yards with 3 catches for 84 yards.
Solomon Brown (Charleston Southern commit)-OLB-was the SC defensive MVP and Emmanuel Moseley (UTenn commit)-CB-was the NC defensive MVP.
One other kid of note to the Hokies was Austin Proehl-WR-another miss by VT. He caught a few passes under pressure with some nice moves for some YAC's, and even tried a trick WR pass which almost went for a touchdown if not for an athletic move by the SC safety to deflect it in the endzone.

It was fun to watch some of the kids that have been discussed play in person and it will be interesting to watch as they develop and compete against the Hokies starting next year.