The East-West Shrine Game is a critical moment for seniors across college football.

Among the handful of seniors that accept invitations to play, the Shrine Game serves as a great opportunity for these seniors to display their full array of talents to NFL scouts in hopes of boosting their draft stocks.

This year, many SEC players have accepted their invitations to take part in this even during mid-January, including starting quarterbacks Dylan Thompson and Huston Mason.

Both quarterbacks survived tumultuous seasons in the SEC in 2014. Mason’s year wasn’t tough in terms of record as UGA finished the season 9-3, but he was often the center of criticism from fans during some of Georgia’s rough moments in 2014. As for Thompson, the constant comparisons to former quarterback Connor Shaw, the QB Thompson took over for this season, never seemed to go in his favor.

These fifth-year seniors were given one year to prove their value to their respective teams and now will have the opportunity to do the same for NFL teams in the Shrine Game.

Thompson is looking forward to playing against some of the better competition throughout college football.

“Anytime you can have a chance to play against good competition like that and in front of some people it’ll be a good opportunity for me,” Thompson said after accepting his Shrine Game invitation. “It’s just a blessing to be able to play another game and to be in the East-West Game.”

In addition to Thompson and Mason, here’s a list of the SEC players taking part in this year’s East-West Shrine Game.

Arkansas

  • AJ Derby — TE

Georgia

  • Hutson Mason — QB
  • Damian Swann — CB
  • David Andrews — C
  • Amarlo Herrera — LB

Kentucky

  • Darrian Miller — OT
  • Za’Darius Smith — DE

LSU

  • Kenny Hilliard — RB
  • Terrence McGee — RB
  • Jermauria Rasco — DE
  • Ronald Martin — FS

Mississippi State

  • Dillon Day — C
  • Ben Beckwith — OG

South Carolina

  • Dylan Thompson — QB
  • Corey Robinson — OT

Tennessee

  • Justin Coleman — CB