McLean County Times

NORMAL, Ill. – A trio of Illinois State football players have been named to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List. Offensive lineman Hunter Zambrano, linebacker Amir Abdullah, and wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz were recognized among some of the best draft-eligible players in the country.

Each year, approximately 1,000 all-star game eligible players are drafted, signed after the draft, or attend a rookie mini-camp. The Shrine Bowl 1000 aims to provide insight into the organization's scouting process and preview college players who are currently all-star game eligible for the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl and the 2024 NFL Draft class. The Shrine Bowl scouted players from all four levels of football and consulted with NFL and college personnel to ensure the selection of the best 1,000 players for the NFL level.

Zambrano is a three-year starter on the offensive line for the Redbirds and earned All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Second-Team honors in 2023 after grading out as the team's top offensive lineman. The Weston, Florida native was a key member of an offensive line unit that allowed just seven sacks throughout the season, ranking them in the top five nationally. ISU's rushing offense also ranked third in their league with an average of 197.5 yards per game on the ground.

Abdullah earned 2023 Phil Steele FCS All-America Second Team honors and was also named a Third Team All-American by FCS Football Central, Associated Press, and Stats Perform in his first season with the Redbirds. The Chicago product finished ninth in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors Division I FCS's national defensive player of the year. Abdullah was an All-MVFC First-Team selection at linebacker and ranked sixth in FCS in sacks per game (0.86), tying for league lead with 9.5 sacks while leading MVFC with 14 tackles for loss.

Sobkowicz is a two-year starter at wide receiver for Illinois State and was a 2023 All-MVFC Second-Team selection. He ranked in the top 20 nationally in touchdowns (10), receiving yards (933), yards per game (84.8), and receptions per game (6.2). The Arlington Heights, Illinois native led MVFC with ten touchdown receptions and ranked third in both yards and yards per game.

The East-West Shrine Bowl will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January 30, 2025. Players will be coached by NFL coaches in an NFL facility with access to NFL-level resources.

Last season, Redbird tight end Cam Grandy played in this event before signing an undrafted free agent contract with Cincinnati Bengals.

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