Vanderbilt offensive standouts Kyle Shurmur and Justin Skule will look to impress National Football League scouts this weekend with appearances in postseason all-star games.
Shurmur, a 43-game starter who ranks as the most prolific passer in Commodore history, will play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Skule, a four-year starter at offensive tackle, is expected to participate in the East-West Shrine Game. Both showcases take place this Saturday, Jan. 19.
Shurmur is playing for the National team at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which will be played in the Rose Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled at 4 p.m. CT, with Fox Sports 1 providing television. Skule is playing for the East squad in the East-West Shrine Game, scheduled to start at 2 p.m. CT from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The shrine game will be televised on NFL Network.
Shurmur is the fifth Commodore to participate in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which started in 2012. Skule becomes the 27th Vanderbilt player to participate in the East-West Shrine Game, the nation’s oldest postseason all-star game.
Shurmur, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, set virtually every Vanderbilt all-time passing record when he finished off a stellar career at the Texas Bowl in late December.
Shurmur’s career marks including 64 touchdown passes, 8,865 passing yards, 722 completions and 1,273 pass attempts. He also holds the team’s single-season mark of 26 touchdown passes, set as a junior in 2017.
As a senior, Shurmur completed 254 of 406 passes (62.6 percent) for 3,130 yards and 24 touchdowns. His passing yardage and touchdown totals in 2018 rank as the second highest single-season totals in team history.
As a junior and senior, Skule had the responsibility of protecting Shurmur’s blind side. A product of Clifton, Virginia, Skule enjoyed 40 career starts, including 38 consecutive starts since his freshman campaign.
As the starting left tackle, Skule played virtually every meaningful offensive snap during the 2017-18 seasons. In his career, Skule helped open running lanes for Ralph Webb, the team’s all-time leading rusher, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who amassed 1,244 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns in 2018, and protected the program’s all-time leading passer.
A third Commodore senior, offensive lineman Bruno Reagan, participated in the College Gridiron Showcase on Jan. 9 in Fort Worth, Texas. For the last four years, Reagan was the Commodores’ most versatile lineman, earning 40 career games at either offensive guard or center.
