Scouts from almost every NFL team are in Fort Worth for the College Gridiron Showcase
Fort Worth is the NFL scouting world’s home this week.
The 2021 College Gridiron Showcase, an all-star event that started in 2015, has grown in popularity and relevance over the years. And this year’s event carries added significance following a college season played amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The CGS is among the few postseason collegiate events that will conduct in-person activities. The Senior Bowl and Hula Bowl also plan to host in-person activities as scheduled, but the East-West Shrine Bowl and NFLPA Collegiate Bowl have gone to virtual formats.
The NFL Scouting Combine is also being altered significantly due to COVID-19.
As of late last week, CGS director of scouting and player personnel Mike Rittelmann said the event had 97 scouts planning to attend with 31 of 32 NFL teams represented. The Canadian Football League and other lower-level leagues usually attend the event as well, although it’s unclear how many CFL teams may be present given international travel restrictions during the pandemic.
Still, Rittelmann expects a strong showing by the NFL scouting community.
“It’s an exciting time,” Rittelmann said. “With COVID going around, a lot of these players didn’t have an opportunity to be seen by NFL teams in person. So this is a great opportunity for them to be in front of scouts and teams. The talent is great this year.”
The showcase started on Sunday with a free agent event. Monday and Tuesday will be the “small school” showcase with the “main” showcase taking place Tuesday-Thursday. All on-field events are happening at Farrington Field.
Among the notable players taking part in the “main” showcase include Tulsa quarterback Zach Smith, who started his college career at Baylor; Texas wide receiver Tarik Black; Texas Tech defensive end Eli Howard and wide receiver TJ Vasher; Texas A&M offensive lineman Ryan McCollum; SMU cornerback Brandon Stephens and linebacker Richard McBryde; and North Texas defensive tackle Dion Novil.
Due to COVID-19, this year’s event will be exclusively non-contact drills. In previous years, it’s been an OTA (organized team activities) style event with one-on-one drills and a controlled scrimmage. It’s still an OTA-style format this year, but will be reduced to running only positional drills like prospects do at the combine.
“Scouts want to see body type and how they move,” Rittelmann said. “For instance, a defensive lineman will be running the hoop and working the bags. Scouts will be able to see how they adjust to turning the edge, their flexibility and what not.”
Along with the on-field activities, the showcase will have interview rooms set up for teams to meet with the aspiring players. That portion may be more important than anything else as teams do thorough background checks on every prospect.
The CGS has had more than 500 participants offered pro opportunities since the inaugural event in 2015. Current NFL players who participated in the CGS include Dallas Cowboys linebacker Luke Gifford (2019), New York Jets wide receiver Vyncint Smith (2018) and Miami Dolphins running back Matt Breida (2017).
“Our event is a great opportunity for these guys to showcase their skills and get exposure,” Rittelmann said. “We’re excited about this year.”
