College Gridiron Showcase
The College Gridiron Showcase (CGS) is an independently operated annual post-season college football event hosted each January in Fort Worth, Texas.[1] The event consists of NFL draft prospects who have completed their eligibility in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and the NAIA. CGS also hosts the Pro Gridiron Showcase for non-draft eligible free agents. The event originated as a post-season all star game in 2015, but switched to its current drill showcase and "controlled scrimmage" format in 2016.[2]
| College Gridiron Showcase | |
|---|---|
| CGS | |
 | |
| Stadium | McNair Stadium |
| Location | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Previous stadiums | Pennington Field |
| Previous locations | Addison, Texas (2018) Bedford, Texas (2016–2017) Addison, Texas (2015) |
| Operated | 2015–present |
In addition to on-field drills, the event also features educational seminars including those on financial acumen and marketing.
History
2015
The inaugural CGS event, an All Star Game format was held in Addison, TX. Of the 104 participants, 10 were selected in the NFL Draft, 53 signed as undrafted free agents, and 22 were rookie camp invitees. The event also featured the number one overall pick in the 2015 CFL Draft, Alex Mateas.[3][4]
Notable Participants
| PLAYER | COLLEGE | TEAM | LEAGUE |
| Josh Shirley | UNLV | B.C. Lions | CFL |
| Dyshawn Davis | Syracuse | B.C. Lions | CFL |
| Antonio Johnson | North Texas | B.C. Lions | CFL |
| Quinn Epperly | Princeton | B.C. Lions | CFL |
| Ricky Collins | Texas A&M - Commerce | B.C. Lions | CFL |
| Tyree Hollins | Grambling State | Montreal Alouttes | CFL |
| Dominique Davis | Liberty | Ottawa Red Blacks | CFL |
| Alex Mateas | UCONN | Ottawa Red Blacks | CFL |
| Mark Roberts | Lamar University | Saskatchewan Roughriders | CFL |
| Chris Reed | Minnesota St- Mankato | Carolina Panthers | NFL |
| Justin Hamilton | UL- Lafayette | Dallas Cowboys | NFL |
| David Mayo | Texas State | New York Giants | NFL |
| Rick Lovato | Old Dominion | Philadelphia Eagles | NFL |
| Harold Jones-Quartey | Findlay University | Chicago Bears | NFL |
2016
The 2016 CGS was held at Pennington Field in Bedford, Texas and was the first that featured the showcase format as opposed to all star game.[5]
Notable participants in the 2016 College Gridiron Showcase include CFL stars Juwan Brescacin, Romar Morris, Eric Temple, Robert Porter, Marvin Hall, Jr., and Reggie Begelton, NFL players Jakeem Grant, Trevor Williams, Jackson Branden, Andrew Adams, and JD McKissic, as well as the XFL's Kenneth Farrow and Jake Shenandoah.[6]
2017
The 2017 CGS was held at Pennington Field in Bedford, Texas. Lake Erie's Anthony Kukwa was named offensive MVP. Arkansas State's Chris Odom was the defensive MVP.[7]
Notable participants[8]
| PLAYER | COLLEGE | TEAM | LEAGUE |
| Christophe Mulumba | Maine | Edmonton Eskimos | CFL |
| Dane Evans | Tulsa | Hamilton Ticats | CFL |
| Anthony Cioffi | Rutgers | Ottawa Red Blacks | CFL |
| DaQuan Pace | Eastern Michigan | Ottawa Red Blacks | CFL |
| Romond DeLoatch | Temple | Ottawa Red Blacks | CFL |
| Seth Coate | University of Saint Francis | Ottawa Red Blacks | CFL |
| Chad Geter | Gardner-Webb University | Saskatchewan Roughriders | CFL |
| Samuel Williams | East Texas Baptist University | Saskatchewan Roughriders | CFL |
| Drew Wolitarsky | Minnesota | Winnipeg BlueBombers | CFL |
| Qadr Spooner | McGill | Winnipeg BlueBombers | CFL |
| Younghoe Koo | Georgia Southern | Atlanta Falcons | NFL |
| Alex Armah | West Georgia | Carolina Panthers | NFL |
| Rashaad Coward | Old Dominion | Chicago Bears | NFL |
| Matt Breida | Georgia Southern | Miami Dolphins | NFL |
| Adam Butler | Vanderbilt | New England Patriots | NFL |
| Jake Hollister | Wyoming | Seattle Seahawks | NFL |
| Bradley Seaton | Villanova | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NFL |
| Christian Kuntz | Duquesne | Dallas Renegades | XFL |
| Nick James | Mississippi State | Houston Roughnecks | XFL |
| Tyson Graham | South Dakota | Seattle Dragons | XFL |
| Casey Sayles | Ohio | St. Louis Battlehawks | XFL |
| David Rivers | Youngstown State | St. Louis Battlehawks | XFL |
2018
The 2018 College Gridiron Showcase was held at Greenhill School in Addison, TX.
Notable participants
| PLAYER | COLLEGE | TEAM | LEAGUE |
| Julien Laurent | Georgia State University | B.C. Lions | CFL |
| David Knevel | University of Nebraska | B.C. Lions | CFL |
| David Mackie | Western (CA) | B.C. Lions | CFL |
| Godfrey Onyeka | Wilfrid Laurier | Edmonton Eskimos | CFL |
| Jackson Bennett | University of Ottawa | Hamilton TiCats | CFL |
| Andrew Pickett | University of Guelph | Ottawa Red Blacks | CFL |
| Tyrone Pierre | Laval University | Winnipeg BlueBombers | CFL |
| Trent Sherfield | Vanderbilt | Arizona Cardinals | NFL |
| Alvin Jones | UTEP | Baltimore Ravens | NFL |
| Michael Love | University of South Florida | Buffalo Bills | NFL |
| Kaare Vedvik | Marshall University | Carolina Panthers | NFL |
| Dontrell Hilliard | Tulane | Cleveland Browns | NFL |
| Michael Ford | Southeast Missouri State | Detroit Lions | NFL |
| Alex Light | University of Richmond | Dallas Cowboys | NFL |
| Elijah Nkansah | The University of Toledo | Houston Texans | NFL |
| George Odum | Central Arkansas | Indianapolis Colts | NFL |
| Matthew Adams | University of Houston | Indianapolis Colts | NFL |
| Tre Herndon | Vanderbilt | Jacksonville Jaguars | NFL |
| Daniel Ekuale | Washington State University | Jacksonville Jaguars | NFL |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | Rutgers University | Los Angeles Rams | NFL |
| Nathaniel Wozniak | University of Minnesota | New York Giants | NFL |
| Ryan Santoso | University of Minnesota | New York Giants | NFL |
| Vyncint Smith | Limestone College | New York Jets | NFL |
| Craig James | Southern Illinois University | Philadelphia Eagles | NFL |
| Emmanuel Ellerbee | Rice University | Houston Texans | NFL |
| Darius James | Auburn | Dallas Renegades | XFL |
| Austin MacGinnis | University of Kentucky | Dallas Renegades | XFL |
| Tomasi Laulile | Brigham Young University | Dallas Renegades | XFL |
| Logan Tuley-Tillman | UTEP | DC Defenders | XFL |
| James Butler | Iowa | Houston Roughnecks | XFL |
| Chad Kanoff | Princeton University | Los Angeles Wildcats | XFL |
| Fred Lauina | Oregon State University | Los Angeles Wildcats | XFL |
| De'Mornay Pierson-El | University Of Nebraska | St. Louis Battlehawks | XFL |
| Kellen Soulek | South Dakota State | St. Louis Battlehawks | XFL |
| Ryan White | Vanderbilt | St. Louis Battlehawks | XFL |
| Jalen Tolliver | University of Arkansas at Monticello | Tampa Bay Vipers | XFL |
2019
The 2019 OTA-style format was held January 5–9, 2019 at McNair Stadium in Fort Worth.[9] In addition to the regular showcase and symposium, the 2020 event saw the addition of a "Small School Invitational Showcase" to provide a scouting forum for players from lower tier conferences.[10]
Running back AJ Ouellette from Ohio University and defensive end Kevin Thompson from Bethune-Cookman were named offensive and defensive MVPs, respectively.[11]
Notable participants
| PLAYER | COLLEGE | TEAM | LEAGUE |
| Cole Sears | University of Arkansas at Monticello | B.C. Lions | CFL |
| Zackary Williams | University of Manitoba | Calgary Stampeders | CFL |
| Samuel Thomassin | University Laval | Montreal | CFL |
| Jamie Harry | University of Ottawa | Toronto Argonauts | CFL |
| Nate Rogers | Wayne State College | Toronto Argonauts | CFL |
| Delroy Baker Jr | Indiana University | Winnipeg BlueBombers | CFL |
| Connor Griffiths | University of British Columbia | Winnipeg BlueBombers | CFL |
| Brady Oliveira | University of North Dakota | Winnipeg BlueBombers | CFL |
| Freedom Akinmoladun | Nebraska | Cincinnati Bengals | NFL |
| Luke Gifford | Nebraska | Dallas Cowboys | NFL |
| Austin Fort | University of Wyoming | Denver Broncos | NFL |
| Trinity Benson | East Central Oklahoma | Denver Broncos | NFL |
| PJ Locke III | University of Texas at Austin | Denver Broncos | NFL |
| Kabion Ento | University of Colorado | Green Bay Packers | NFL |
| Tim Ward | Old Dominion University | Kansas City Chiefs | NFL |
| Jody Fortson Jr. | Valdosta State University | Kansas City Chiefs | NFL |
| AJ Cole | North Carolina State University | Las Vegas Raiders | NFL |
| Gunner Olszewski | Bemidji State University | New England Patriots | NFL |
| Jake Dolegala | Central Connecticut State University | New England Patriots | NFL |
| Derrick Kelly Jr | Florida State University | New Orleans Saints | NFL |
| Kareem Orr | Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC) | Tennessee Titans | NFL |
| Jonathan Harris | Lindenwood University | Denver Broncos | NFL |
| James O’Hagan | University at Buffalo | DC Defenders | XFL |
| Jawuan Johnson | Texas Christian University | New York Guardians | XFL |
| Durrant Miles | Boise State | Seattle Dragons | XFL |
| Kirk Barron | Purdue University | Seattle Dragons | XFL |
| Bruno Reagan | Vanderbilt University | St. Louis Battlehawks | XFL |
2020
CGS 2020 was held January 3–8 at McNair Stadium in Fort Worth.[12]
Notable participants
| PLAYER | COLLEGE | TEAM | LEAGUE |
| Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund | Southeastern Louisiana | Calgary Stampeders | CFL |
| Dante Brown | Fort Hays State University | Edmonton Eskimos | CFL |
| Stavros Katsantonis | University of British Columbia | Hamilton TigerCats | CFL |
| Cameron Lawson | Queen's University | Montreal Alouttes | CFL |
| Adam Auclair | Université Laval | Ottawa Redblacks | CFL |
| Dylan Giffen | Western University | Toronto Argonauts | CFL |
| Noah Hallett | McMaster University | Winnipeg Bluebombers | CFL |
| Marc Liegghio | University of Western | Winnipeg BlueBombers | CFL |
| Jaylon Moore | UT-Martin | Baltimore Ravens | NFL |
| Joshua Thomas | Appalachian State University | Buffalo Bills | NFL |
| Sam Franklin Jr | Temple University | Carolina Panthers | NFL |
| Lachavious Simmons | Tennessee State University | Chicago Bears | NFL |
| Kendall Futrell | East Carolina university | Cincinnati Bengals | NFL |
| Willington Previlon | Rutgers University | Green Bay Packers | NFL |
| Tyler Davis | Georgia Tech | Jacksonville Jaguars | NFL |
| Austen Pleasants | Ohio University | Jacksonville Jaguars | NFL |
| Matt Cole | McKendree University | Miami Dolphins | NFL |
| Bill Murray | William and Mary | New England Patriots | NFL |
| Blake Gillikin | Penn State University | New Orleans Saints | NFL |
| Corliss Waitman | University of South Alabama | Pittsburgh Steelers | NFL |
| Chase Harrell | University of Arkansas | San Francisco 49ers | NFL |
| Gavin Heslop | Stony Brook University | Seattle Seahawks | NFL |
| Elijah Mencer | University at Albany | Seattle Seahawks | NFL |
| Benning Potoae | Washington | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NFL |
| Aaron Brewer | Texas State University | Tennessee Titans | NFL |
References
- "College Gridiron Showcase & Symposium Moves to McNair Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas". College Gridiron Showcase. 2018-10-15. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "Press Release: College Gridiron Showcase is back for 2016". College Gridiron Showcase. 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "2015 College Gridiron Showcase". College Gridiron Showcase. 2015-11-29. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "Calling Home: Ottawa pegs Alex Mateas first overall". CFL.ca. 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "Press Release: College Gridiron Showcase is back for 2016". College Gridiron Showcase. 2015-11-25. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "All-Star Roster". College Gridiron Showcase. 2016-01-04. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "CGS Halo Neuroscience All-Star & Select MVPs". College Gridiron Showcase. 2017-01-12. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "2017 CGS Roster". College Gridiron Showcase. 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "Fort Worth the Ultimate Sports Destination". Sports Planning Guide. 2016-08-30. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "2020 CGS Small School Invitational Showcase". College Gridiron Showcase. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- "NFL Draft-Eligible Seniors Shine at 5th Annual College Gridiron Showcase". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- Hunt, Emory. "On the Scouting Trail: Player notes, recaps, interviews and video from the 2020 College Gridiron Showcase". The Athletic. Retrieved 2020-10-21.