North Carolina schools will be well-represented in the three major all-star games for draft-eligible college football players.
No fewer than 23 players from state schools, including seven from NC State, have accepted invitations to play in the Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Game, NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and Tropical Bowl.
The biggest concentration of North Carolina talent will be at the Senior Bowl — the premier showcase for NFL hopefuls. Among those looking to improve or solidify their draft stock at the Jan. 26 game in Mobile, Ala., are NC State teammates Ryan Finley, Jakobi Meyers, Rimington Trophy winner Garrett Bradbury and Germaine Pratt, along with Duke quarterback Daniel Jones, Appalachian State running back Jalin Moore and Charlotte offensive guard Nate Davis.
The all-star game season begins this Sunday with the Tropical Bowl in Daytona Beach, Fla. The East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl at the Rose Bowl will both be played a week later, on Jan. 19.
As important as the games themselves are for the players involved, the week of practices leading up to them can be even more beneficial as an opportunity to showcase their skills for the multitude of NFL coaches, scouts and general managers that will be in attendance.
Here is the complete list of players from state schools committed to playing in postseason all-star games:
Tropical Bowl
Jan. 13, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Aaron Blockman, WR, Campbell
Zachary Cannon, DT, Johnson C. Smith
Anthony Flory, LB, Appalachian State
Reggie Gallaspy, RB, NC State
Breonte Matthews, OL, NC A&T
Garrett McGhin, OL, ECU
Eldrick Wilson, DE, Mars Hill
Kofa Workpeh, WR, Charlotte
East-West Shrine Game
Jan. 19, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Malik Carney, DE, UNC
A.J. Cole III, P, NC State
Daniel Helm, TE, Duke
Cole Holcomb, LB, UNC
Tyler Jones, OG, NC State
Udoh Olisaemeka, OT, Elon
NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
Jan. 19, Pasadena, Calif.
Trevon Brown, WR, ECU
Phil Haynes, OG, Wake Forest
Senior Bowl
Jan. 26, Mobile, Ala.
Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
Nate Davis, G, Charlotte
Ryan Finley, QB, NC State
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
Jakobi Meyers, WR, NC State
Jalin Moore, RB, Appalachian State
Germaine Pratt, LB, NC State
