ARLINGTON, Texas - With the start of college football season less than a month away, several award organizations have begun releasing their respective preseason watch lists, including the East-West Shrine Bowl.

With the Shrine Bowl celebrating its 100th anniversary this season, the organization released its Shrine Bowl 1000 list on Monday, which included former Northwest linebacker Sam Brumfield. Now at Virginia Tech, Brumfield was a standout defender at Middle Tennessee last season, earning 10 starts and playing in all 12 games for the Blue Raiders.

A native of Pearl, Brumfield led Middle Tennessee with 81 tackles and eight quarterback hurries, while adding 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He was chosen as the team's Defensive Player of the Game twice last season, while earning Defensive Player of the Week accolades by Conference USA and the Tennessee Sportswriters Association (September 19). 

Prior to entering the transfer portal, Brumfield left Middle Tennessee as a Second Team All-Conference USA and C-USA All-Academic selection.

In three seasons at Northwest, Brumfield racked up 205 career tackles, finishing tied for the second-most all-time with Thomas Majors (2007-08) and trailing only Mike McClenton, who tallied 241 career tackles from 1988-89. Brumfield was part of three playoff teams, including back-to-back MACCC championships in 2020-21 and a national title in 2020. Additionally, the Rangers also earned bids into the NJCAA Division I Football Playoffs in 2021 and 2022, falling to eventual champions New Mexico Military Institute and Iowa Western in both seasons.

As a sophomore in 2022, Brumfield led Northwest with 115 tackles, including 13 tackles-for-loss, six sacks, five hurries and a pair of forced fumbles. He was one of three players in the NJCAA to surpass the 100-tackle mark, earning All-NJCAA Region 23 accolades.

In 2021, Brumfield led Northwest with 93 total tackles, along with 7.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, seven hurries and a forced fumble. During the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020, he tallied 10 tackles in six games.

This year's East-West Shrine Bowl will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January 30, 2025. Players selected to the Shrine Bowl will be coached by NFL coaches and will earn another opportunity to stand out in front of NFL scouts ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

For more about the East-West Shrine Bowl, click here. For a complete list of players selected to the Shrine Bowl 1000, click here.