South Carolina State LB Aaron Smith earns invitation to East-West Shrine Bowl – Sports Illustrated

HOUSTON — Aaron “Bug” Smith is South Carolina’s extremely talented linebacker who was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl. Coach Chanice Berry released a video invitation from Smith’s former Bulldogs teammate and current Los Angeles Rams cornerback Kobe Durant.

“This is Kobe, aka Landshark,” Durant said. “It’s an honor to officially invite one of my boys and former teammates to the East-West Shrine this year. In 2022, I was able to go to the East-West Shrine to showcase my skills in front of all 32 teams and get The attention I needed to be drafted into the NFL gets the same opportunity to showcase my skills in the Dallas facility Cowboys this year, Aaron Smith invited to the East-West Temple, man, keep fighting.

Smith was one of eight HBCU football stars to be named to the East-West Shrine Bowl Watch List

The SC State star is a native of Manning, SC and a graduate of Manning High School. The 6-2, 230-pound linebacker is a graduate student at South Carolina State.

“I couldn’t do the things I do without all you guys picking me up every day,” Smith told his Bulldogs teammates. “My D-line makes it easy for me to go through guys and make plays. So I just want to say thank you to all of you. Bro. I love you all guys.’

This season, Smith has registered 53 tackles, 3 TFL, 0.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. Against North Carolina A&T, he had a game-high 13 tackles in the win. The MEAC honored him as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Aggies. The following week, he again earned the honor for “10 tackles with five solo stops and one interception in the Bulldogs’ win over Tennessee Tech.”

Aaron Smith plays with grit and tenacity that shows in his tackling, pass coverage and ability to create rebounds. His extreme versatility, size, speed and football intelligence make him one of the top HBCU pros for the 2025 NFL Draft.

South Carolina State defeated NCCU 24-21 on Halloween to take control of its MEAC destiny. On Saturday, the Bulldogs will travel to Washington, D.C. to take on the Howard Bison.

The 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January 30, 2025. Jackson State University HBCU legend Walter Payton was an All-Star in 1975.