SMU Defensive Linemen Share Stage at East-West Shrine Bowl
Former Miami, SMU Teammates Elijah Roberts, Jared Harrison-Hunte Are Ready to Prove Themselves to NFL Scouts
SMU defensive linemen Elijah Roberts and Jared Harrison-Hunte are representing the Mustangs at the 100th annual East-West Shrine Bowl in North Texas as the game moves to AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
It’s the second consecutive season SMU has had a defensive lineman participating in the game, a sign of further progress after back-to-back 10-win seasons and appearances in conference championship games.
“I’ve never been an All-Star at any level, so this is like ‘Wow’ to me,” Harrison-Hunte told the media. “I’m just excited to be here. I’m excited that I got chosen to be one of the talents [for the NFL] to see on the field.”
Harrison-Hunte and Roberts each began their college careers with the Miami Hurricanes, where they played together for three seasons. They each later transferred to SMU, and now, they get to share the field one last time with their NFL futures on display.
“I’ve known Elijah for going on four years now, and I’ve watched him grow into the kind of d-lineman he is today,” Harrison-Hunte added. “It makes me happy seeing someone that I know … being selected in the same game as I am. It’s exciting.”
Roberts was the first of the pair to leave for SMU, joining the Mustangs before the 2023-24 season: their last in the American Athletic Conference. In his first year in Dallas, he became a vaunted force on the Mustangs’ defensive line, starting every game and leading the team with 10 sacks as it claimed its first conference title in 40 years.
Harrison-Hunte followed suit, joining SMU as the university transitioned into the ACC and back to power-conference football with another conference championship game appearance and a berth in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. He put up a career-best 42 tackles with 6.5 sacks and even had an interception.
Of course, they are proud of what they have accomplished in their careers, but their focus is now on the future as they pursue opportunities to play football professionally and look to prove to pro scouts what they can do to help an NFL team.
“I’m trying to show people my versatility,” Roberts explained to the media. “There might be a question of, ‘Is he an edge, or is he an interior guy?’ I can play both. I can play edge at a high level, first through fourth down. I can play interior at a high level, first through fourth down. That’s what I want to show on the film.”
According to the Shrine Bowl website, Justin Lawler (2018) and Jordan Miller (2024) are the only other two defensive linemen to previously represent SMU in the game. And if you ask Roberts, there will be many more to come thanks to defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux.
“He’s a great developer,” Roberts added. “He knows how to grasp his guys. When you’re a coach and there’s like 15, 16 different personalities in there, you can’t coach everyone the same. I feel like he’s one of the best coaches at knowing that. … He’s going to find a way to push you. He’s a good coach because he knows his guys.”
Roberts and Harrison-Hunte will try to make Thibodeaux and the rest of the SMU program proud when they take the field on Thursday night.