The annual announcement of the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 is always an interesting way to see the impressive talent level of many of the top programs. But it also shows how far behind other programs are. There are six P4 programs that have five or less players on the list. As a comparison, there are eight G5 programs with at least five players on the list: Boise State (8), Washington State (7), Memphis (5), Oregon State (5), Toledo (5), Tulane (5), UNLV (5), Utah State (5)
Oklahoma State (3)
WR Christian Fitzpatrick, LB Bryan McCoy, K Gabe Panikowski
The skinny: Considering 2024 was Oklahoma State’s first non-bowl season since 2005, being on the list makes some sense. But to only have three players recognized prior to the 2025 season is also embarrassing for a program that had established itself as a winner over the last two decades. On top of that, all three of the listed players are incoming transfers. This further magnifies the lack of talent that existed on the roster last season.
Purdue (3)
CB Tony Grimes, RB Devin Mockobee, DE CJ Nunnally IV
The skinny: This one is even less of a surprise than Oklahoma State. Purdue just underwent a head coaching change and had gone 5-19 over the last two seasons. This doesn’t happen unless there is a void of talent on the roster. New head coach Barry Odom will try to revitalize the program, but the lack of players on the list shows that this won’t be an overnight transition.
UCF (4)
QB Cam Fancher, DE Nyjalik Kelly, LB Keli Lawson, OT Paul Rubelt
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The skinny: Head coach Scott Frost’s return to Orlando has sparked plenty of excitement, but as shown on this list, his arrival is just the start of what could be a lengthy process. The Knights have gone 10-15 during their first two seasons in the Big 12, so a winning season in 2025 would go a long way in bringing more talent back into the program.
Maryland (5)
OG Aliou Bah, WR Jalil Farooq, TE Dorian Fleming, CB Jamare Glasker, S Jalen Huskey
The skinny: After three straight winning seasons, the Terps suffered through a 4-8 season in 2024. This resulted in more than 30 players entering the portal, including numerous who ended up at other P4 programs. The Terps did replenish with several promising players, like Farooq, Fleming and Glasker, but overall there are more questions than answers heading into the 2025 season.
Stanford (5)
WR Caden High, OC Nathan Mejia, TE Sam Roush, CB Jordan Washington, CB Collin Wright
The skinny: This has not been a very promising stretch for the Cardinal, both on and off the field. On the field, they have only compiled a 12-36 season over the last four seasons, while off the field, the program had to undergo a much-publicized head coaching change in late March. Combining all of this results in a lack of talent on the field, as is proven with this list.
Syracuse (5)
S Duce Chestnut, LB Devin Grant, LB Derek McDonald, P Jack Stonehouse, DT Chris Thomas Jr.
The skinny: Coming off their best season since 2018 and with polarizing head coach Fran Brown in charge, the lack of players on the list is surprising. Is this a sign that 2024 was just an abnormality or will Coach Brown prove that he can continue to move the Orange in the right direction?
