Utah center Jaren Kump accepts invite to play in college football all-star game

Sixth-year offensive lineman will have an opportunity to put his skillset to the test in front of NFL scouts and personnel

Utah Utes center offensive lineman Jaren Kump (68) helped block for the top rushing attack at the power conference level. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Jaren Kump has accepted an invite to participate in the inaugural American Bowl, a new college football all-star game that'll allow the Utah center and several other NFL hopefuls an opportunity to showcase their talents in front of pro scouts and other personnel from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida.

The event, set for Jan. 22 and airing on NFL Network, will serve a similar purpose to the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl, in that NFL prospects looking to strengthen their respective draft profiles split up into two teams and compete in a standalone game with fans, media and scouts in attendance.

It'll also fill the gap between the College Football Playoff National Championship and the NFL conference championship games, allowing the spotlight to be on the next generation of pro players for the day. The American Bowl will take place prior to the East-West Shrine Bowl (Jan. 27) and the Senior Bowl (Jan. 31) as well.

Kump will be the first Utah player to play in the American Bowl. A few of his teammates will be participating in other all-star games, including Logan Fano (Senior Bowl), Lander Barton (East-West Shrine) and Dallen Bentley (East-West Shrine).

Kump played six seasons with the Utes, appearing in 58 career games with 39 starts along the offensive line. He played at both tackle spots in his first two seasons, then took on guard responsibilities in 2022 before moving to center full-time in 2024.

In 2025, Kump bridged together an offensive line that paved the way for the top rushing attack at the power conference level. The Utes averaged 269.8 rushing yards in the regular season, the second-highest average in the Football Bowl Subdivision behind Navy, and recorded 37 scores on the ground, fourth-most behind North Texas, Navy and Notre Dame.

Kump was also solid in pass protection, allowing only nine pressures and nine hurries in 332 pass blocking opportunities, according to Pro Football Focus. Utah was No. 4 in the Big 12 in passer rating (145.6) and No. 5 in completion percentage (62.9%).

Kump's efforts as a sixth-year player earned him an invite to the American Bowl, which will include former NFL head coaches Brian Billick and Mike Smith leading the two teams playing in the all-star game. Billick guided the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl win over the New York Giants in 2001 as a head coach after helping engineer one of the league's most prolific offenses as the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings in 1998. Smith, who coached the Atlanta Falcons from 2008-14, assembled a 66-46 career record and took home the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year honor in his debut season.

Kump is the No. 332 player on PFF's draft board.