Ten Gophers made the 2027 Shriners Children's 1000 Watch List: Maverick Baranowski, Ashton Beers, Kerry Brown, TJ Bush Jr., Greg Johnson, Drake Lindsey, John Nestor, Anthony Smith, Darius Taylor and Javon Tracy.
The annual watch list serves as a look into the East-West Shrine Bowl's scouting process, featuring college players who are currently all-star game eligible for the 2027 East-West Shrine Bowl and the 2027 NFL Draft class. This year's Shrine Bowl is set for February 4, 2027, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
It's the kind of recognition that lands well before a single snap of the season is played, but for NFL scouts it's the start of a paper trail. Ten names on this list is a healthy showing for the program, a sign of how much returning talent Minnesota has across the roster heading into fall camp.
