Tuesday night’s East West Shrine Bowl featured two teams of NFL hopefuls showcasing their skills in the unofficial start to draft season. The West won the game 21-17 in a hard fought, highly competitive game, but at the end of the night, the score meant very little.
This was the prospects first opportunity to perform exclusively for NFL scouts and coaches. Let’s take a look at 5 players who stood out.
Mark Gronowski, QB, Iowa
- 6’2″, 235 pounds
- 68 career starts
- 12,049 passing yards, 63.6%, 103 TDs, 27 INTs
- 2x FCS Champion
- 2x FCS Championship MVP
Mark Gronowski (24) will enter the NFL draft after 6 years of college football. In his final season, the two-time FCS champion transferred to Iowa to become their starter. In his lone FBS season, he went 9-4 as a starter, threw for 1,741 yards and 10 TDs. He also added 545 yards on the ground with 16 rushing TDs.
Serving as the starting QB for the West, Gronowski helped his draft stock by showing great poise in the pocket and delivering the ball accurately, and on time. He lacks ideal arm strength but showed that he can deliver the ball to receivers by playing within the offense efficiently. The former Hawkeye QB turned heads with his willingness to get physical by throwing a critical block on an early TD run.
Gronowski undoubtedly helped his draft stock, unfortunately there was little to begin with. His impressive game could begin the process of him earning a late day 3 selection. If he goes undrafted, I will still expect him to be on a roster throughout training camp as his 68 starts is rare experience for a young QB.
Mason Reiger, EDGE, Wisconsin
- 6’4″, 248 pounds
- 13 career sacks
- Missed 2024 due to injury
- 32 hurries in 2025 (pff)
Despite being on the losing side, nobody helped their draft stock more than Mason Reiger. The former Wisconsin Badger lived in the backfield all night long, recording 3 sacks and a forced fumble and being awarded MVP of the game.
He showed the ability to bend around the tackle, played with non-stop effort and most importantly, finished at the QB. Reiger without question moved up draft boards last night and has entered the conversation as a potential mid-round pick.
Chip Trayanum, RB, Toledo
- 5’11”, 227 pounds
- First team All-MAC in 2025
- Experience at RB, LB, and KR
- 428 carries, 2,272 yards, 25 TDs
- 5.3 career YPC
Chip Trayanum showed well at the Shrine Bowl, showing solid vision, quick feet, great burst and an exceptional ability to finish. On several occasions, he reached the second or third level of the defense and finished his runs strong by bowling defenders over.
Trayanum is a borderline day 3 or undrafted free agent as of now, but coaches will love his positional flexibility having played on all three phases during his collegiate career. He may earn a draft selection with a willingness to contribute heavily on special teams.
Shad Banks LB, UTSA
- 6’1″, 230 pounds
- TCU 2021-2024
- UTSA 2025
- First Team All-AAC in 2025
- 94 TKL, 7.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 3 FRs, 2 Defensive TDs in 2025
Banks showed valuable ability in coverage and run defense in the Shrine Bowl on Tuesday night. He made several stops showing good gap discipline and downhill tackling. He also saved a touchdown in coverage.
With the NFL slightly reverting back to a running league, linebackers who can stuff the run and cover the middle of the field are becoming more valuable. Banks will be worth a close look throughout the scouting process in 2026.
Eli Heidenreich, RB/WR, Navy
- 6’0″, 206 pounds
- Positional versatility
- 3,205 career all-purpose yards
- Second Team All-American Conference
Heidenreich has a rare combination of speed and strength in a generally undersized body. His “super-power” is his versatility, lining up and running back and wide receiver in the Shrine Bowl – all while playing special teams throughout the entire game.
He will get a serious look by NFL teams for his toughness, discipline, and physical ability. He is a bit undersized but could make an NFL roster as a Shanahan type fullback (see Kyle Jusczcyk), kick returner, slot receiver, or all of the above. As of now, I believe Heidenreich will have his name called on day 3 of the NFL draft.
Just the Beginning
The East West Shrine Bowl marks the official beginning of the scouting process for many. NFL franchises are largely filling out their coaching staffs or preparing for the playoffs while their scouts are in tune with draft prospects. Coaches and front offices will begin their scouting shortly – many begin with the Shrine Bowl.
At Blitz, we have already been hard at work preparing for our biggest year yet covering the NFL draft. We will have a brand new mock draft simulator, consensus draft board, and profiles for seemingly countless prospects.
Follow me on X at JLSports24 for my own team specific draft boards, player profiles, and mock drafts.
