The 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl in Dallas will get underway on Jan. 25 with the first set of practices at the University of North Texas in Denton.
There will be quite a few big-name players preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft and their future shot in the pros, whether that’s in the NFL, CFL or UFL. A week-long opportunity at the Shrine Bowl in front of scouts, coaches and media members will do wonders for the players.
As part of one of the deepest rosters in recent years for the East-West Shrine Bowl, the safety position group has quite a few big names that are intriguing talents for the next level, including a pair from Boulder, Colorado who have NFL aspirations.
Below are the top safeties at the Shrine Bowl in Dallas.
SAFETIES TO WATCH
CAM’RON SILMON-CRAIG — COLORADO
Age: 22
Year: Senior
Height/Weight: 5-10, 185
PFF Position Rank: Not Ranked
Arguably the most underrated, overlooked safety in the 2025 NFL Draft, Colorado’s Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig is quite the story. Lightly recruited out of high school despite playing for Deion Sanders, Silmon-Craig followed Sanders to Jackson State and proceeded to be one of the best safeties in the SWAC, earning first-team all-conference accolades in 2022.
Then, Silmon-Craig followed Sanders to Boulder and quickly became one of the best safeties in the Big 12. Across 25 games in Boulder with the Buffaloes, Silmon-Craig recorded 138 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, four interceptions and three sacks. He also had a 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown in 2024, tying a Colorado program record, and was often credited for being the heart and soul of the Buffs’ defense.
SHAMARI SIMMONS — ARIZONA STATE
Age: 23
Year: Graduate Senior
Height/Weight: 6-0, 195
PFF Position Rank: CB25 (No. 230 overall)
Listed as a cornerback by Pro Football Focus, Arizona State’s Shamari Simmons is a safety and one of the more physically impressive ones at the East-West Shrine Bowl. Simmons transferred into Arizona State for the 2023 season after spending time at Austin Peay and quickly asserted himself as a key leader for the Sun Devils.
In the 2023 season, Simmons was named the Sun Devils’ defensive MVP, and then had an even better 2024 season, recording nine tackles for loss, forcing four fumbles and adding an interception. Across 26 games at Arizona State, Simmons finished with 146 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, 12 pass breakups, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Simmons profiles as a box safety that can handle slot reps, as he had the third-most slot coverage snaps in the country in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. He also had a key safety in the College Football Playoff game against Texas.
SHILO SANDERS — COLORADO
Age: 24
Year: Graduate Senior
Height/Weight: 6-0, 195
PFF Position Rank: S20 (No. 240 overall)
The son of Deion Sanders, Shilo brings serious pedigree to the field, particularly in the secondary. Like his brother, Shedeur, and fellow safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, Sanders spent at Jackson State under his father and quickly made a name for himself as a physical, punishing safety. He did so after transferring from South Carolina after two years with the Gamecocks.
At Jackson State, Sanders was a second-team All-SWAC in 2021 and then missed time in 2022 due to injuries. Then, he left for Colorado and came up big under the bright lights, earning second-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2023, playing 11 games. In 2024, Sanders dealt with injuries and played in just seven games.
For his career at Colorado, Sanders finished with 111 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, five passes defensed, five forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. But, he’ll have to answer some medical concerns after missing chunks of two seasons in two separate programs.
RJ MICKENS — CLEMSON
Age: 23
Year: Graduate Senior
Height/Weight: 6-0, 210
PFF Position Rank: S13 (No. 189 overall)
The son of former 1996 third-round draft pick Ray Mickens Sr. of the New York Jets, Clemson safety R.J. Mickens appears to have a bright future of his own. Across 60 games in college at Clemson, including 30 starts, Mickens posted 229 tackles, 13.5 for loss, seven interceptions, 15 pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
He played nearly 3,000 snaps in college, which is absurd, and became the 10th player in program history to play 60 career games with the Tigers. During the 2024 season alone, Mickens recorded 75 tackles, six tackles for loss, nine passes defensed and two interceptions.
Mickens is a former 4-star recruit who played in the U.S. Army Bowl All-American Bowl coming out of Carroll High School in South Lake, Texas. He was rated the No. 4 player in Texas in the 2020 recruiting class.
ALIJAH CLARK — SYRACUSE
Age: 21
Year: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-1, 187
PFF Position Rank: S12 (No. 180 overall)
A transfer from Rutgers ahead of the 2022 season, Alijah Clark hit the ground running in Syracuse and became one of the better safeties in the ACC, and now has himself on the NFL radar. Across three seasons with the Orange, Clark started 34 games and appeared in 37 total.
In those three seasons, Clark — nicknamed “Cinco” — recorded 181 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, one interception, five passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Clark capped his Syracuse career in style, being named the Defensive MVP of the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl against Washington State after recording six tackles and an interception for the Orange.
Prior to college, Clark was a consensus 4-star recruit and ranked the No. 5 player in New Jersey coming out of Camden High School.
Other safeties participating in 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl:
- Glendon Miller, Maryland
- Marques Sigle, Kansas State
- Mike Smith Jr., Eastern Kentucky
- Craig Woodson, Cal
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East-West Shrine Bowl Primer: Offensive Tackles To Watch
East-West Shrine Bowl Primer: Interior Offensive Linemen To Watch
East-West Shrine Bowl Primer: Interior Defensive Linemen To Watch
