Previewing Auburn Tigers Reps in Upcoming East-West Shrine Bowl

The Auburn Tigers will have three players taking the field looking to impress NFL scouts ahead of the draft

Three Tigers will represent the program at the upcoming senior game | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Three Auburn Tigers seniors are set to take the field in Arlington, Texas, for the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl on Thursday. Quarterback Payton Thorne, wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith and tight end Rivaldo Fairweather all look to impress the scouts ahead of the NFL Draft in April. 

Checkin' in with the Auburn Tigers at the @ShrineBowl 💯 pic.twitter.com/yGZEGSPcwE

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) January 27, 2025

Thorne was the starter at Auburn the past two seasons after transferring over from Michigan State. In his first season with the Tigers, he completed 61.1% of his passes for 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. The following year, he up his totals to a 62.8% completion rate for 2,713 yards and 21 touchdowns to nine interceptions. 

He saw improvements despite playing two fewer games in 2024. He was benched in Hank Brown early in the season before earning back the starting job the rest of the way. 

Lambert-Smith came to Auburn for the 2024 season after spending his first four years at Penn State. He became one of the top receivers on the team, tallying 981 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games, starting 11. He had a career-high 19.6 yards per reception. 

Fairweather came to the Plains ahead of the 2023 season after three years down in Miami at FIU. During his 2024 season, he racked up 372 receiving yards and two touchdowns - a dip from 394 yards and six touchdowns the year before. However, he did see an uptick in yards per reception - going from 10.4 to 12. 

The East-West Shrine Bowl is the longest-running college all-star football game. It’s been held since 1925 by Shriners International to benefit the Shriner’s Hospital for Children (also known as Shriners Children’s).

According to the East-West Shrine Bowl website, More than 100 players from last year’s game signed with professional teams, and more than 70 made final NFL rosters last season. They added that since the game’s inception, 78 former players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and More than 200 former players have been named to the College Football Hall of Fame.

The 100th East-West Shrine Bowl at AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys) on Thursday, January 30, 2025.