2026 American Bowl All-Star Game Preview

The inaugural American Bowl, which effectively replaced the now defunct Tropical Bowl, is scheduled to kick off at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT on Thursday, January 22, 2026 from Lakeland, Florida. The game will be broadcast on NFL Network. 

American Bowl participants are primarily lower level NFL prospects who grade out as late round draft prospects and high level undrafted free agents (UDFA). Prospects who excel during practices and in the American Bowl can earn an invitation to the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, February 26-March 1. There are several quality NFL prospects scheduled to participate. Let's take a look at the position groups and participants scheduled this week in Lakeland, Florida.

QB

Thomas Castellnos / Florida State

Dequann Finn / Miami, Oh

Jack Strand / Minnesota State-Moorhead

Jacob Clark / Missouri State

Athan Kaliakmanis / Minnesota

Maverick McIvor / Western Kentucky

The QB class at the American Bowl features three extremely experienced and battle-tested college QBs in Castellanos, Finn, and Kaliakmanis, who earned an invitation to Lakeland after a productive week of practice at the Hula Bowl. Castellanos lacks the desired size but is a great athlete and leader. Finn is a successful MAC QB who struggled in his one season at Baylor in 2024 but who has the arm talent worth developing. Kaliakmanis has three-plus years of starting experience at Minnesota and Rutgers and offers prototypical size and arm strength to be developed as a potential starting QB.

RB

Star Thomas / Tennessee

Barika Kpeenu / North Dakota State

Lincoln Pare / Texas State

Kejon Owens / FIU

Jamal Haynes / Georgia Tech

Shomari Lawrence / Missouri State

Curtis Allen / Virginia Union

Cash Jones / Georgia

Owens rushed for 1,334 and 11 TDs in 2025 and runs with instincts and toughness. But Owens needs development as a receiver and in pass protection. Haynes is a converted WR who has flashed speed and explosiveness but needs to become more consistent and avoid injuries. Allen is a small school RB that needs to shine during American Bowl practices and game to earn a training camp invitation this summer. Jones has never been the starting RB for the Bulldogs but has flashed when given opportunities and seems to be made for special teams, where he has Pro Bowl potential.

WR

Anthony Smith / ECU

Max Tomczak / Youngstown State

Nick DeGennaro / James Madison

Cyrus Allen / Cincinnati

Gabriel Benyard / Kennesaw State

DT Sheffield / Rutgers

Will Pauling / Notre Dame

Noah Short / Army

Tyren Montgomery / John Carroll

Eric McAlister / TCU

Donaven McCulley / Michigan

Wesley Grimes / North Carolina State

RaRa Thomas / Troy

Chris Hilton / LSU

O'Mega Blake / Arkansas

Few, if any, WRs participating in American Bowl activities will get drafted but a couple of these prospects should make a bid for a roster or practice squad spot. JMU WR DeGennaro is a smart and crafty route runner with surprising quickness and burst. Allen is an explosive athlete with tremendous deep speed and is coming off a season where he scored 13 TDs, tied for third most in FBS. Benyard proved to be the Owls' most reliable receiver and will compete for an NFL roster spot as a slot receiver. McCulley's size and large catch radius gives him a chance to stick as a fourth or fifth WR in the NFL next year. Hilton and Blake parlayed great Hula Bowl weeks into earning an invitation to Lakeland. Another solid week and they could gain an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine next month.

TE

Matt Hibner / SMU

RJ Maryland / SMU

Chamon Metayer / Arizona State

Khalil Dinkins / Penn State

Miles Kitselman / Tennessee

Tanner Arkin / Illinois

Cody Hardy / North Carolina State

Drew Biber / Minnesota

The American Bowl TEs are a talented group of versatile athletes who should compete for roster or practice squad spot next summer. Hibner and Maryland are experienced teammates at SMU who are competing as potential late round picks in April. Metayer has prototypical size and is a willing and capable in-line blocker. Metayer needs to improve his hands and cut down on the concentration drops. Kitselman has a nice blend of size and athleticism and fits what NFL teams like out of their TEs. 

OT

Jeff Persi / Pittsburgh

Alan Herron / Maryland

Trevonte Sylvester / Louisville

Paul Rubelt / UCF

Albert Reese / Mississippi State

Christian Jones / San Diego State

Tristan Leigh / Clemson

Gunnar Hansen / Florida State

Derek Simmons / Oklahoma

Reuben Fatheree / Texas A&M

Enrique Cruz / Kansas

The OTs participating at American Bowl practices and games are a talented group of experienced OL, many of whom will need to slide inside to OG in the NFL. Herron played OLT at Maryland but seems destined to be a solid contributor as a swing OL who can play outside and in. Rubelt (6103) and Jones (6087) are huge OT prospects with the length and wingspan (Rubelt has an 84.6" wingspan while Jones has an absurd wingspan of 89.1") to be valuable depth pieces in the NFL. Leigh is extremely experienced with 42 games played and 33 career starts at Clemson. Hansen is the highest-rated OT in Lakeland this week with starting experience at OLT in the SEC (Vanderbilt) and ACC (Florida State). Hansen carries a solid mid-round grade at this point of the draft process. Simmons is an ascending talent who has starting potential as an OG in the NFL. Simmons needs to improve his core strength or he will get tossed around in the NFL.

IOL

Tomas Rimac / OG / Virginia Tech

Kobe Baynes / OG / Kansas

Austin Leausa / OG / BYU

Henry Lutovsky / OG / Nebraska

Connor Tollison / OC / Missouri

Jaren Kump / OC / Utah

Luke Petitbon / OC / Florida State

Nick Dawkins / OC / Penn State

Ethan Onianwa / OG / Ohio State

Gavin Gerhardt / OC / Cincinnati

Mason Rudolph / OC / Boise State

Mason Murphy / OG / Auburn

Bryce Foster / OC / Kansas

The centers participating in American Bowl activities this week are an experienced group of P4 centers with plenty of big game experience. Tollison is a multi-year starter in the SEC with the quickness and agility desired inside but he lacks some desired size and power. Kump has rare size for an OC with gigantic mitts and a huge wingspan. Dawkins has more than two dozen career starts in State College. Dawkins' is the son of long time NBA center, "Chocolate Thunder," Darryl Dawkins. Gerhardt is an experienced college pivot with the size and movement skills to contribute as an OG in the NFL. The highest-rated IOL at the American Bowl is Foster, a large center with the balance and strength to become an eventual starter in the NFL. Amongst the guards in attendance, Rimac, Leausa, and Lutovsky have flashed enough ability to compete for roster or practice squad spots next fall. Rimac has experience at both OT and OG and his size and skills seem perfectly suited to have a long career as a versatile backup OL in the NFL.

EDGE

TJ Guy / Michigan

Erick Hunter / Morgan State

Eddie Walls / Houston

Dayon Hayes / Texas A&M

Sabastian Harsh / North Carolina State

Daniel Rickert / Virginia

Malick Sylla / Mississippi State

Khordae Sydnor / Vanderbilt

Isaiah Smith / SMU

The Edge Rushers at the American Bowl include several late round draft candidates. Guy had a down year in Ann Arbor but displayed the burst and closing ability as a junior in 2024 when he recorded 5.5 sacks. Walls lacks some desired mass but has the length and athleticism to become a sub-package pass rush specialist in the NFL. Hayes has the desired size and length to play EDGE in an even front. Hayes is a well-rounded, if not overly exciting, EDGE who is a quality run defender. Sydnor weighed in at 262 lbs in Lakeland after playing his senior season closer to 280 lbs and has the size, production, and versatility to be a late round draft pick in April.

IDL

Aaron Graves / Iowa

Damon Payne / Michigan

Jahmeer Carter / Virginia

Tyre West / Tennessee

Kody Huisman / Virginia Tech

Anterio Thompson / Washington

Payton Zdroik / Air Force

Cole Brevard / Texas

Jacobian Guillory / LSU

Rene Konga / Louisville

The highest rated IDL at the American Bowl entering the week is the experienced and durable Graves, whose versatility allows him to play inside in an event front and line up as a 5T in odd man fronts. West is extremely undersized (6016 / 278 lbs) but he has great length, first step quickness, and burst to be a sub-package pass rusher in the NFL. Thompson, a transfer from Western Michigan, has a nice combination of power and quickness that is likely to make him a high priority UDFA this spring. Brevard has the desired physical dimensions to be an ideal NT in an odd man front. Guillory excels as a run defender and needs to show some pass rushing skill this week to get drafted. Konga is an experienced Big Ten (Rutgers) and ACC IDL with the combination of size and athleticism desired inside. Konga is likely to hear his name called late on day three in April.

LB

Jack Dingle / Cincinnati

Namdi Obiazor / TCU

TJ Quinn / Louisvile

Mason Woods / Kent State

Quinn Urwiler / Northern Illinois

Javin Wright / LB-EDGE / Nebraska

Langston Patterson / Vanderbilt

Shad Banks / UTSA

Keli Lawson / LB-EDGE / UCF

Cole Kozlowski / UCF

James Jackson / Virginia

The LBs in Lakeland this week are an athletic group that will need to prove their value on special teams to make a roster or practice squad spot next fall. Dingle is an old school MLB who is best against the run. Dingle needs to prove he has the movement skills to compete athletically at the NFL level. Quinn may be the most athletic off-the-ball LB at the American Bowl this week and his speed and range makes him an ideal special teams player in the NFL. Wright and Lawson are college LBs who have the length, quickness, and agility to be used as a situational pass rushers in the NFL. Patterson had a great season in Nashville and has the speed to excel on special teams. Banks, a call-up from the Hula Bowl, is undersized but extremely fast and quick. Banks could be developed into a quality dime LB at the next level.

CB

DJ Harvey / USC

Nasir Bowers / Toledo

Ayden Garnes / Arizona

De'Shawn Rucker / South Florida

Al'Zillion Hamilton / Fresno State

Jalen Jones / William & Mary

Latrell McCutchin / Houston

Rashad Battle / Pittsburgh

Channing Canada / TCU

Elijah Culp / James Madison

Michael Dansby / Arizona

Lardarius Webb / Wake forest

The CB class in Lakeland are mostly UDFA prospects who will attempt to make an NFL roster over the summer. But that's not to say that there are not NFL contributors on the American Bowl rosters. Bowers is an undersized slot CB with the hips and feet desired to handle two-way go's. McCutchin excels in press coverage where his length and strength allows him to bully WRs in coverage. Battle has premium size for an outside CB and his size allows him to match up well with big WRs in man coverage. Culp possesses the quickness, agility, and ball skills to be developed into a team's fourth or fifth CB. 

S

Ricardo Hallman / Wisconsin

Daylan Carnell / Missouri

Brylan Green / Liberty

Nick Anderson / Wake Forest

Skyler Thomas / Oregon State

Jalen Stroman / Notre Dame

Eli Blakey / Miami, Oh

Silas Walters / Miami, Oh

Clayton Powell-Lee / Georgia Tech

Kapena Gushiken / Ole Miss

The safeties participating this week provide a nice variety of different prospects who offer skills that NFL teams covet in their back line defenders. Hallman is a college CB with great ball skills but he lacks the size and fluidity NFL teams desire in their safeties. Carnell has LB size and the coverage skills to match up with TEs in man coverage. Thomas projects as an impactful special teams player due to his tackling ability. Stroman was a prized transfer from Virginia Tech but lost his starting job last season in South Bend. The American Bowl is Stroman's chance to get back on draft radars. Powell-Lee is a well-rounded safety who plays better in zone than man coverage and projects as a solid special teams performer. Gushiken has marginal size but has good coverage skill and could be developed into a slot CB in the NFL.

Specialists

Kansei Matsuzawa / K / Hawaii

Nate Reed / K / Delaware

Cole Maynard / P / Western Kentucky

Wes Pahl / P / Oklahoma State

Rocco Underwood / LS / Florida

John Ferlman / LS / Ohio State

No specialist participating in American Bowl activities is likely to get drafted but every specialist here should be in a training camp over the summer. Matsuzawa is a Japanese kicker who learned the craft by watching YouTube videos and made 27/29 FGs this past season. The best specialist prospect in Lakeland is Maynard, who finished second in FBS with a 48.4 punting average. Maynard, whose father Brad punted in the NFL for more than a decade, will be a highly pursued UDFA, if he goes undrafted in April.

SNS

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