On Thursday, the first annual American Bowl will officially kick off. Scott Phillips is the Executive Director and owner of the American Bowl. Phillips spent time at Kent State as their Director of Player Personnel. Additionally, Phillips has also spent time as an offensive coordinator. Assuming the third major All-Star Game position, all eyes will be on the American Bowl this week.
Essentially, the American Bowl is replacing the Hula Bowl in the All-Star Game Circuit hierarchy. They’ve assumed the UCF facilities. Additionally, if you read our Hula Bowl article, you know that the Hula was not allowed back at the Bounce House. The American Bowl has also taken Brian Billick and Mike Smith as head coaches for each team, both of whom coached in the Hula Bowl last year.
We’ve put together this page for the 2026 American Bowl rosters.
Tommy Castellanos, Quarterback
Headlining at quarterback for the American Bowl is Tommy Castellanos. He’ll return to the Acrisure Bounce House, where he began his collegiate career. Following his freshman season, Castellanos transferred to Boston College, where he’d play for HC Bill O’Brien. He returned to the state of Florida for his senior year as he joined the Florida State Seminoles. His collegiate career has been up-and-down, but he’ll now focus on consistency as he looks to showcase in front of NFL scouts.
Cole Brevard, Defensive Line
On defense, Texas DL Cole Brevard will lead the Guardians’ defense. Brevard spent four seasons in the Big Ten conference, playing for Penn State and Purdue. He transferred to Texas for the 2025 season, but was unable to elevate his play. Finally, he’s likely a late-round draft prospect, but he will look to improve that with a strong week of practice.
The 2026 American Bowl will be played on the UCF campus at the Acrisure Bounce House on Thursday, January 22nd. The game will be televised live on NFL Network at 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. As usual, we’ll have plenty of coverage for you as well.