This morning, in Orlando, Florida, the 2023 Tropical Bowl kicked off with its weigh-in for the first event of the week, the Tropical Bowl Scrimmage. The first part of the action features lower level prospects duking out over two days, spanning the weigh-in event, two practices, and a controlled scrimmage on Wednesday morning (11 am ET – not being streamed).

On Thursday, the main event of the Tropical Bowl will kick off, with the top players invited to the event arriving and beginning practices before the game on Saturday.

Daily Notes

• So far, only three NFL teams have shown themselves observing practices and weigh-ins, as the Green Bay Packers, the Miami Dolphins, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have scouts working the scrimmage. The Tropical Bowl expects several more teams to arrive for the main event starting Thursday morning.
• Several USFL and CFL teams also made their presence known on the field, including represenatives from the Birmingham Stallions, New Jersey Generals, Michigan Panthers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
• The most impressive player on the field to me was Lawrence Tech quarterback Tyler Kulka, who stood out with his clean mechanics, accuracy, and ball placement. I spoke with Kulka after the practice, as a couple of scouts did as well, and feel fairly confident that he can be a standout player in tomorrow’s scrimmage. He was the last player to leave the practice field today.
• Scouts showed some interest in offensive tackles Russell Baker (Texas State) and Micah Vanterpool (Hawaii). Both have the prototypical size for the tackle position and showed some promise in 1v1’s today.
• Jackson State defensive end Jason Mercier won both at the weigh-ins and at practice, measuring in with solid length and flashing strong traits in practice. While he will need to put on another ten pounds to play effectively at the NFL level, the tools are there.
• Arkansas State quarterback James Blackman was supposed to attend the bowl, but appears to have pulled out. This seems to have been planned, as Clemson quarterback Hunter Johnson arrived late today to take his place. Other players who did not arrive who were listed include WR Eric Grant (Minnesota State), OT Maurice Campbell (Benedict), OL Ludner Mercy (Limestone), S Kaytron Allen (Arkansas-Monticello), S Shaun Browder (Kansas Wesleyan), and LB Dee Walker (Arkansas).
• Kentucky State offensive lineman Tyrone Chambers almost broke the scales today at weigh-ins, coming in at 397 pounds, which was a generous listing. Despite the concerns he raised today at weigh-ins, Chambers had a good practice showcasing impressive strength and finish in 1v1’s and run drills.

Weigh In Results