USC Places 13 Players on 2027 Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000

USC has 13 players on the Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl 1000, the annual scouting list identifying the top 1,000 all-star-game-eligible prospects ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft. The list, released this week, more than triples the Trojans’ four selections from a year ago.

The event itself has a new name. What was long known as the East-West Shrine Bowl is now officially the Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl, and the organization says its scouting staff cross-checked the list with college and NFL personnel before finalizing it. The all-star game caps the process on Feb. 4, 2027, at AT&T Stadium.

USC’s Shrine Bowl Presence Grows

Last year, USC sent four players to the game: Bishop Fitzgerald, Eric Gentry, Anthony Lucas and Lake McRee. Gentry in particular turned heads at Shrine Bowl practices in January, described by SI.com as one of four USC players who “made headlines” for his measurables and on-field play. This year’s jump to 13 reflects a defense-heavy haul, with five of the newly listed players coming off the front seven and secondary.

USC’s relationship with the event goes back a century. The program has 25 players on the Shrine Bowl’s all-time roster dating to 1925, according to the organization’s own historical database.

The Defensive Standouts

Redshirt-senior cornerback Jontez Williams heads the group after transferring in from Iowa State, where he started 19 games from 2023 to 2025 and posted 67 tackles, five interceptions and 15 pass breakups. His 2024 season was the high point — four interceptions tied for third in the Big 12, a Second Team All-Big 12 nod, and a team-leading turnover total for the Cyclones.

Junior defensive end Kameryn Crawford is stepping into a starting role on a retooled Trojan defensive line after totaling 41 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season across eight starts and 13 appearances. USC’s plan to rotate a mix of veterans and younger linemen should help keep him fresh through Big Ten play.

Senior Braylan Shelby brings three years of production to anchor the edge — 75 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks over nine starts and 37 appearances. Penn State transfer Zuriah Fisher adds a fifth-year presence after four seasons that produced 41 tackles and 5.5 sacks across 35 games.

Inside, junior defensive tackle Jide Abasiri has emerged as one of the position group’s most productive young players, starting 10 games as a true freshman in 2024 before totaling 26 tackles, four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season. SI.com notes Abasiri’s combination of production and measurables has already put him on the early watchlist for the 2026 Lott IMPACT Trophy.

What It Means

A Shrine Bowl 1000 nod isn’t a roster spot in the actual all-star game — that field narrows later in the season — but it signals which players NFL scouts are already tracking heading into fall camp. For USC, going from four honorees to 13 points to a defense that added both proven transfers and breakout underclassmen since last season, the kind of depth jump that shows up on draft boards well before January.