Ohio State defensive tackle Jerron Cage will have another chance to impress NFL scouts in the coming weeks, as the sixth-year Buckeye revealed Saturday that he received an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Cage had been at the Hula Bowl this past week, practicing along with other draft-eligible players – including Ohio State safety Tanner McCalister – though Cage did not appear in the Hula Bowl on Saturday. Instead, he’ll get another chance to practice for and play in front of coaching staffs for the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots, which is the first time that two complete NFL coaching staffs are coaching in the Shrine Bowl.
As for Cage, he’s hoping to further increase his draft stock after six seasons at Ohio State. He’s appeared in 42 games for the Buckeyes with seven starts, racking up 20 tackles – eight for loss – with three sacks, a pass breakup and a fumble returned for a touchdown.
This most recent season was his most productive, as he finished with seven tackles – 2.5 for loss – with 1.5 sacks as a consistent member of Ohio State’s rotation on the defensive line.
Cage is one of three Buckeyes set to partake in the Shrine Bowl along with cornerback Cameron Brown and defensive tackle Taron Vincent. The game is set to kickoff at 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
