ABILENE — Former ACU wide receiver
Blayne Taylor, who in 2024 put together one of the best seasons by a wideout in program history, has been added to the roster for Thursday night's East-West Shrine Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Taylor participated in practices and scrimmages at the College Gridiron Showcase, Jan. 10-12 in Fort Worth, and met with 20 of the 31 NFL teams with scouts and front office personnel in attendance. The impression he left earned him an invitation to the East-West game.
Taylor – who will wear number 81 in Thursday's game – is on the West squad for the contest. Other players on the West team include Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Colorado defensive back Shilo Sanders, Missouri quarterback Brady Cook, Arkansas running back Ja'Quinden Jackson, and SMU edge rusher Elijah Roberts, among others.
As a senior in 2024, Taylor helped the Wildcats win the United Athletic Conference championship, the program's first conference championship in ACU's NCAA Division I era. ACU earned an automatic berth into the FCS playoffs and defeated Northern Arizona in the first round at Wildcat Stadium before falling to eventual national champion North Dakota State in the second round in the FargoDome in Fargo, North Dakota.
Taylor was voted second team All-UAC after catching 73 passes for 1,117 passes and eight touchdowns, helping the Wildcats finish 9-5 on the season. His 73 catches are the third-most by a Wildcat in a season in program history, and the 1,117 yards are the sixth-most in program history. He finished his career with 133 catches (11th-most all-time) for 2,026 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Taylor is the second ACU football player in program history to play in the East-West Shrine Game, joining former All-American defensive back Danieal Manning, who played in the 2006 game. Manning was the Chicago Bears' first pick in the 2006 NFL Draft (10th pick of the second round; 42nd pick overall) and started at free safety as a rookie in Super Bowl XLI against Indianapolis.
Since 1970, 29 former ACU football players have played in post-season all-star games. Those players are below:
North-South Shrine Game, Miami, Fla.
1970 – Jim Lindsey,
qb
AFCA All-American Game, Lubbock
1974 – Richard Williams,
wr
1977 – Chuck Sitton,
db
Blue-Gray Game, Montgomery, Ala.
1976 – Johnny Perkins,
wr
1979 – Greg Feasel,
ol
Senior Bowl, Mobile, Ala.
1977 – Johnny Perkins,
wr
2011 — Edmond Gates,
wr
Valero Cactus Bowl, Kingsville
2002 – Brad Raphelt,
p
2004 – Colby Freeman,
qb; Britt Lively,
ot
2005 – Dawon Gentry,
db
2006 – Clayton Farrell,
de
2008 – Jerale Badon,
wr; Chris Johnson,
te; Nathan Young,
og
2009 – Jonathan Ferguson,
wr; Joseph Thompson,
ot
2010 – Tony Harp,
db; Major Culbert,
db
2011 – Trevis Turner,
ot
East-West Shrine Game, San Antonio
2006 – Danieal Manning,
db
2025 –
Blayne Taylor,
wr
Texas vs. The Nation Game, El Paso
2009 – Bernard Scott,
rb; Johnny Knox,
wr
2013 – Mitchell Gale,
db; Morgan Lineberry,
pk
Players All-Star Classic, Little Rock, Ark.
2012 – Aston Whiteside,
dl; Daryl Richardson,
rb
Medal of Honor Bowl, Charlotte, N.C.
2014 – Taylor Gabriel,
wr; Chrcandrick West,
rb
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