CHICAGO (Jan. 25, 2019) – Gardner Minshew II will participate in the 2019 State Farm All-Star Football Challenge at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The 21st edition of the All-Star Football Challenge will air on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 1.
 
The skills competition will feature 24 of college football's brightest stars divided into six teams based on their college conference. Each team will consist of four players from the same conference that will compete for conference supremacy in a series of skills competitions. The conferences represented are the ACC, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the Pac-12, the SEC, and four of the best players outside of the Power Five that will be called the "Wild Card" team.
 
Minshew II joined the Cougars as a graduate transfer from East Carolina and led WSU to its first 11-win season in program history, capped by a win over Iowa State in the Alamo Bowl. Minshew II won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (top senior or fourth-year junior QB) and was named the Pac-12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year along with a spot on the All-Pac-12 First Team.
 
Minshew II led the country in passing yards per game (367.6), 300-yard games (11), 400-yard games (six), was second in passing yards (4,779) and total offense (376.8), and was fourth in touchdown passes (38). Minshew II set Pac-12 single-season records for passing yards and completions and set the WSU single-season record in total offense and tied the record for touchdown passes. The graduate senior from Brandon, Miss. also rushed for four touchdowns and led three fourth quarter game-winning drives (Utah, at Stanford, California).
 
The following players will participate in the 2019 State Farm All-Star Football Challenge:
 Team ACC
Brian Burns, DE, Florida State
Ryan Finley, QB, NC State
Julian Love, DB, Notre Dame
Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
 
Team Big Ten
Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
Rashan Gary, DT, Michigan
Trace McSorley, QB, Penn State
Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn State
 
Team Big 12
Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State
Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State
Kyle Kempt, QB, Iowa State
Charles Omenihu, DE, Texas
Team Pac-12
Greg Gaines, DT, Washington
N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
Jalen Jelks, DE, Oregon
Gardner Minshew, QB, Washington State
 
Team SEC
AJ Brown, WR, Ole Miss
Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn
Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama
Jeffrey Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
 
Team "Wild Card"
Carl Granderson, DE, Wyoming
Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo
Anthony Jonson, WR, Buffalo
Oshane Ximines, LB, Old Dominion

 
Each player will individually participate in a timed event, and then finish with a full team event. All events will be timed and have individual winners, which will compile into a cumulative score to determine the winning team. For example, the quarterbacks from each team will compete against each other to win their competition. But ultimately, their time will be added to the times of the other competitors on their conference designated team to have a final team score.
Individual events in the 2019 State Farm All-Star Football Challenge include: the State Farm QB Accuracy Competition, the Hands Competition, the Quicken Loans Lineman Strength Challenge and the Mercedes-Benz Obstacle Course. To conclude the program, the players will compete as teams in the State Farm Team Competition.

"Throughout the history of the State Farm All Star Football Challenge, the players have always brought incredible energy and passion. And with conference pride also on the line, the competition has amplified the excitement for players and fans alike," said Drew Russell, executive vice president at Intersport, which operates the event. "This year's class of athletes project to be impact performers on the professional level, so we're looking forward to a compelling and entertaining competition."