2024 Shrine Bowl Day 1 practice: 4 West players to keep an eye on feat. CFL star Qwan’tez Stiggers, USC's Tahj Washington and more
The West squad took the field Saturday soon after their East counterparts concluded the first Shrine Bowl practice of 2024. And while several pass catchers made an impression on scouts as they did earlier in the day, it was primarily players on the defensive side of the ball who were most impressive. Included was a player from north of the border.
1] Qwan’tez Stiggers, CB, Toronto Argonauts
It’s a bit interesting, if not confusing, but “Toronto Argonauts” is listed as the college represented by Stiggers here at the Shrine Bowl. That’s because Stiggers played in the CFL last season. On Saturday, he showed that he’ll be playing on Sundays in the NFL this fall. Stiggers did a terrific job shutting down opponents during one-on-one drills and showed the ability to make plays with his back to the ball. He has the size teams want in a cover corner and the ball skills to match. A bit of an unknown, scouts are quickly familiarizing themselves with Stiggers’ game.
2] Myles Murphy, DT, North Carolina
Murphy was tough to stop Saturday, and at times he dominated opponents. He was a one-man show during drills and handled blockers on almost every snap. Murphy showed a lot of quickness and power, as well as the ability to beat opponents with a variety of moves. And while he was terrific Saturday, Murphy has not always been known as a defender who plays with an all-out mentality, something he’ll have to convince scouts he possesses through the rest of the week.
3] Grayson Murphy, Edge, UCLA
One half of the twin Murphy brothers on hand at the Shrine Bowl, Grayson was the one who stood out Saturday. Primarily used standing over tackle, Murphy beat opponents in drills as well as scrimmage. He’s looked athletic, easily moving around the field and consistently penetrating the line of scrimmage to disrupt the action. And while he looked better than his brother Gabriel on Saturday, it’s Gabriel who has already received the coveted combine invitation, while Grayson has not.
4] Tahj Washington, WR, USC
There were multiple receivers who impressed during the West’s first practice, though none as much as Washington. The slightly built wideout runs scissor-sharp routes and had defensive backs chasing him from behind. He possesses super-soft hands and caught everything thrown to him, including some difficult contested throws. Washington made tough catches on crossing patterns over the middle, won out for most of the corner patterns and made a super over-the-shoulder reception in the deep field to end Saturday’s practice.