National outlets report several Syracuse players turning heads at East-West Shrine Bowl practices
Several Syracuse Orange players, especially quarterback Kyle McCord and wide receiver Jackson Meeks, received the attention of national media outlets at the 100th East-West Shrine Bowl practices.
SU’s five participants at the 2025 Senior Shrine Bowl trails only Colorado (six) for the most among FBS programs. It’s the sixth straight Shrine Bowl with at least one Syracuse player in attendance.
Whole Lotta Orange @CuseFootball | #ShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/RCzZ8xDkYm
— East-West Shrine Bowl (@ShrineBowl) January 25, 2025
McCord’s received the bulk of the attention so far. NFL Network and NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, included McCord on his ‘10 players who stood out in East-West Shrine Bowl practices’. Reuter was impressed with McCord’s accuracy throwing moving left and right and his ability to work under center and hit targets downfield downfield on play action. He said, ‘McCord did what was required to wrap up a top-125 draft grade’ — Gadsden was listed on Reuter’s honorable mention list.
Reuter was not the only national media member to praise McCord’s play over the weekend.
CBS sportswriter Ryan Wilson said, ‘With Shedeur Sanders sitting out, Kyle McCord was the top-performing QB [at the Shrine Bowl this weekend].’ Sanders only talked to the media on Saturday after watching practice in sweats. Wilson included Meeks, in addition to McCord, and others, among his Shrine Bowl standouts. In his words, he said Meeks is ‘making his case’ to be the No. 1 wide receiver at the draft prep camp.
Easton Butler, who covers the Green Bay Packers for 247Sports’ Packer Report, posted on X that Syracuse defensive back Alijah Clark allegedly met with the Packers organization over the weekend. And, just because it’s awesome, here’s a video of Fadil Diggs coming off the edge during QB drills from Thomas Christopher.
Syracuse EDGE Fadil Diggs may have murdered Cam Miller if he could hit the QB in these drills. He is having a MONSTER day. #ShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/WLahfX64VW
— Thomas Christopher (@ThomasCP_NFL) January 26, 2025
Kickoff for the 100th East-West Shrine Bow is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium on Thursday, Jan. 30, with exclusive coverage beginning on NFL Network with Patrick Claybon and “NFL GameDay Kickoff” at 7 p.m. ET.