Shrine Bowl: Duke’s Parker among 16 players from NC, SC colleges in all-star game
The NFL Draft process will steal the national football spotlight this week with the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas.
The annual all-star game will kick off at 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Ford Center at The Star on NFL Network. And the matchup will feature several standouts from Carolinas universities.
Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Clemson, South Carolina and South Carolina State will all have representation in the showcase. Among the headliners will be Duke lineman Brian Parker, Wake Forest offensive tackle Fa’alili Fa’amoe, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and South Carolina outside linebacker Bryan Thomas Jr.
Duke’s Parker switches positions for all-star week
Parker feels a sense of accomplishment whenever he reflects on his four-year tenure at Duke. He played more than 2,400 snaps on offense during his career with the Blue Devils, and his run with the program culminated with the team’s first outright ACC Championship win since 1962, in December at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
“Obviously, that was huge for us at Duke,” Parker told The Charlotte Observer last week. “Showing up, we were 3-9, and finishing off my career with an ACC Championship was huge. Very awesome moment — something we worked very hard for (during) the four years at Duke, and felt very accomplished after that. And it’s always cool to play in those NFL stadiums and be like under the big lights — whether it’s there or Hard Rock (Stadium in Miami Gardens) or Pittsburgh, where we played before. It’s fun to play in those NFL stadiums, because it’s kind of like a glimpse of your future and what it could be like, especially at a championship-level game.”
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native spent his entire college career at Duke. His loyalty to the program was a rarity during the NIL era. That integrity, even as he’s about to enter the NFL landscape, could appeal to teams as an intangible.
“Being a loyal guy like that is huge these days — you know, nobody wants a sellout,” Parker said. “And being loyal to Duke for four years is something that will not just pay off going to the next level, but also down the road in life. Duke’s got a great network, and obviously the support that we’ve had over the years has been huge. So, for me, it was never an option. I did what I wanted to do at Duke: I got my degree early, I played my four years, All-American, ACC champion, All-ACC ... so it was time to move on and challenge myself with a new thing. A lot of the (NFL scouts) have commended me on being a loyal guy and staying committed to what I signed up for.”
Unlike his commitment to Duke, Parker is a bit more open to change when it comes to his position on the field. After spending his entire college career as an offensive tackle, Parker is weighing a switch to center in the NFL.
Parker started 32 games at right tackle with the Blue Devils, but a lot of evaluators believe he will be best fit at center at the next level. The 6-foot-4, 306-pound lineman was recruited to Duke as a high school center, and his 32-inched arms aren’t ideal for the tackle position in the league.
So, Parker has used his week in Frisco as a springboard for evaluators to see him in the middle of the offensive line.
“That’s actually why I’m here at the Shrine Bowl — is to show that I can play center,” Parker said. “And so that’s all you’ll see me at this week. If you want to watch me play tackle, I’ve got 2,500 clips in college, you can go watch that. Right now, we’re here to play center and prove that I can play all five.”
Parker, to his credit, has really leaned into the position switch. He had some productive reps during the first couple of practices of the week. He served as the Blue Devils’ backup center during his career, so snapping the ball and calling protections isn’t completely foreign to him.
“I played a lot of center at Duke in practice and in spring ball,” Parker said.
Parker’s switch to center has gone well so far in Texas.
If he can carry that momentum into the Shrine Bowl game, he’ll boost his draft stock heading into the NFL Scouting Combine in February. From there, he can attack his pro day and team visits to hopefully solidify himself as one of the top linemen in the class.
NC, SC schools represented in 2026 Shrine Bowl
- Clemson: QB Cade Klubnik (East), DL DeMonte Capehart (East), OT Tristan Leigh (East)
- Duke: OL Brian Parker (West), Edge Wes Williams (East), DT Aaron Hall (East)
- East Carolina: Anthony Smith (West)
- North Carolina: CB Marcus Allen (East)
- N.C. State: DT Brandon Cleveland (East), CB Devon Marshall (East), LB Caden Fordham (West)
- South Carolina: DB DeQuandre “DQ” Smith (East), OLB Bryan Thomas Jr. (East)
- S.C. State: CB Jarod Washington (East)
- Wake Forest: RB Demond Claiborne (West), OT Fa’alili Fa’amoe (West)
