Penn State Players Impressing at East-West Shrine Bowl
Former Penn State cornerback Daequan Hardy gave everything he had at the Peach Bowl, playing a season-high 84 snaps for a defense that was missing both starting cornerbacks. The decision certainly increased Hardy's NFL Draft stock. Now, Hardy is drawing more attention on his way to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Hardy is one of four Penn State football players participating in this week's East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas. Hardy completed the early sessions of Shrine Bowl practice with strong testing numbers, as did linebacker Curtis Jacobs. Hardy ranked sixth among defensive backs in speed testing, reaching 20.44 miles per hour. He was seventh overall among players in the speed testing and one of 17 to surpass the 20 mph threshold.
Jacobs, meanwhile, tested exceptionally well among linebackers, topping out at 20.31 mph. Jacobs was the only linebacker to get above 20, which could foreshadow a big week at the NFL Combine. Jacobs also was fourth among linebackers in explosive ranking, which he demonstrated in leading Penn State's linebackers with nine tackles for loss.
Two other Penn State players to watch at the East-West Shrine Bowl are offensive linemen Hunter Nourzad and Caedan Wallace, who tested well at Shrine Bowl workouts. Nourzad ranked fourth among linemen in speed (13.31 mph), while Wallace was fourth (11.1). The numbers come from the East-West Shrine Bowl tracker, run by Zebra Technologies. Both Wallace and Nourzad have earned some buzz during position drills at practice.
The 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 1 at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. NFL Network will televise beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
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