Trillion Tropical Bowl Final Impressions
All Access Football recaps the 10th Annual Trillion Tropical Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
Volume XXIV Edition XCVIII || Trillion Tropical Bowl Final Impressions
Welcome to the January 23, 2025 edition of the All Access Football Newsletter, Presented By Sports Management Worldwide Basketball Apprenticeship.
TROPICAL BOWL: SEEN & HEARD IN ORLANDO
Over 150 pro personnel ascended upon Orlando for the 10th Annual Trillion Tropical Bowl Weekend, which included scouts from all 32 NFL teams, along with CFL, UFL and indoor representatives.
Last January, Texas A&M Commerce defensive tackle Levi-Drake Rodriguez stole the show at the Tropical Bowl, resulting in the Minnesota Vikings selecting him with the 232nd overall pick in April. While there was not a such dominant performance this year, there are quite a few prospects who stand a strong chance of hearing their name called in the 2025 NFL Draft.
A good bulk of the talent certainly resided in the trenches. It was hard not to notice mammoth offensive tackle Malcolm Lamar Sr of FAU who measured in with an eye-popping 7-foot-2 wingspan! In addition, Lamar Sr proved to be one of the better movers amongst offensive linemen in attendance. His size, length, mobility and footwork are all positive attributes that will translate well to the next level.
In terms of pure talent, Temple pass-rusher Diwun Black seemed to be a step in front of the competition, winning the majority of his one-on-one reps due to a great combination of bend, quickness and strength. There could be some off-field questions that the Florida transfer will have to answer, as he was suspended earlier in the season. However, his ability to convert speed-to-power and overall athleticism make for an intriguing study leading up to the draft.
There was an abundance of talent under consideration for this year’s Tropical Bowl. So much so, that executive director Mike Quartey decided to bring back the ‘Stradom Scrimmage,’ which featured additional players who are eligible in this year’s draft class. One player who drew mass appeal was Wilfrid Laurier quarterback Taylor Elgersma. The Canadian-born Elgersma who projects as a first round pick for the upcoming CFL Draft, was swarmed by multiple NFL teams following the scrimmage. It was just announced that Elgersma has been called up to the Reese’s Senior Bowl!
One other notable player is Montclair State defensive lineman Arnold Young. As mentioned, the trenches were rich with talent on both sides of the ball and while Young didn’t make the cut for our All-Tropical Bowl Team below, his performance is worth highlighting. Young stood out throughout the week with violent hands, power and a nose for the football. To this day, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Sam Mills remains the lone number retired in Red Hawks history. Young hopes to blaze his own path to the draft and would become the first player in school history to appear in an NFL game since Amod Field in 1991.
2025 ALL-TRILLION TROPICAL BOWL TEAM
The All Access Football 2025 All-Tropical Bowl Team highlights the top performers from the event based on our observations and feedback throughout the weekend.
POSITION | PLAYER | SCHOOL | HEIGHT | WEIGHT
QB Taylor Elgersma, Wilfrid Laurier, 6-4, 213
RB Marquez Cooper, San Diego State, 5-6, 198
RB Sidiki Kone, American International, 5-11, 222
WR Jordan Bly, Gardner Webb, 5-9, 170
WR Jeremiah Taylor, Shepherd, WR, 6-0, 193
TE Thomas Burke, The College of New Jersey, 6-4, 247
OL Malcolm Lamar Sr, FAU, 6-4, 318
OL Nate Williams, San Diego State, 6-5, 304
OL Nick Malone, West Virginia, 6-5, 295
OL Darius Washington, Florida State, 6-3, 314
OL Gerald Mincey, Kentucky, 6-5, 350
DL Diwun Black, Temple, 6-4, 229
DL John Pius, Wisconsin, 6-2, 235
DL NaNa Osafo-Mensah, TCU, 6-3, 254
DL Keivie Rose, Arkansas, 6-3, 304
LB MJ Sherman, Nebraska, 6-2, 247
LB Jesiah Pierre, UCF, 6-1, 245
DB MJ Griffin, Louisville, 6-3, 189
DB Jayden Johnson, Arkansas, 6-2, 198
DB Lacarea Pleasant-Johnson, Southern Utah, 6-5, 173
DB Paul Lewis III, Akron, 6-2, 201
DB Tyler Rudolph, UMass, 6-0, 196
*Official Measurements: Click here for official Trillion Tropical Bowl weigh-in results.
TROPICAL BOWL DAY 2 PRACTICE RECAP: NATIONAL
A D3 standout from Illinois College, wide receiver Collin Brunstein is amongst our Day 2 Tropical Bowl practice standouts, courtesy of Emory Hunt, ‘Czar of the Playbook,’ for CBS Sports. Tune-in for more draft risers:
*NFL Draft HQ: Stay up to date with pertinent draft info with our Headquarters Page.
TROPICAL BOWL DAY 2 PRACTICE RECAP: AMERICAN
An undersized three-technique prospect, Devonta Davis of FAU consistently won his one-one reps during Tropical Bowl practice. Originally recruited by Deion Sanders at Jacksonville State, Davis flashed signs of being a true disruptor. More:
*Tropical Bowl Update: Click here for winners from our Day 1 Recap.
TROPICAL BOWL DAY 2 PRACTICE: SIZE MATTERS
You won’t find many tight ends with the type of length that Mason Tharpe of Texas tech possesses. Standing in at nearly 6-foot-9 and 256 pounds, Tharpe is one of the weigh-in winners for the first one off the bus category.