Kyle Quinn leaves Monday morning for a week of practice and interviews at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Photo by Matt Kartozian-USA Today Sports

About a week after the Arizona Wildcats’ win in the New Mexico Bowl, senior center Kyle Quinn got a call from a number he didn’t recognize. He answered anyway.

Hello?

“This is Coach Tomey.”

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,” Quinn said about hearing from Dick Tomey, the winningest coach in Arizona history.

“I got nervous. I actually got goosebumps. Just hearing from him with the amount of respect I have for him and the passion he has for this school and this city, it’s really amazing.”

There was a practical purpose for the call. Tomey, serving as a head coach and procurer of talent for the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, was inviting Quinn to participate in the game, which took place Friday at Kino Stadium.

Quinn and two other ex-Wildcats — fullback/defensive end Taimi Tutogi and defensive lineman Dominique Austin — helped the West squad to a 40-7 victory.

“I was really proud of all those guys,” Tomey said after the game. “Taimi was terrific. Kyle is a great leader.”

Tutogi and Quinn, having absorbed lessons from Tomey and the Casino Del Sol coaching staff, are moving on this week to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which will be played Saturday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Quinn figured a week of practice at the Casino Del Sol game will give him an edge.

“The good thing was that I got the rust off, because we all felt the rust. A lot of guys had been off for a few weeks,” Quinn said.

“Going into next week, I feel like I have the advantage over most of the guys because a lot of them haven’t played yet. I’ll take that and use it to my advantage. I have learned you have to strap that helmet up really tight because these guys can hit.”

Quinn split time at center on Friday night with Utah’s Tevita Stevens. Austin had two tackles, including one for loss. Tutogi carried five times for 28 yards.

“It was nice,” Tutogi said of his workload, “seeing that I only got the ball once at the U of A this year. I tried to take the ball and have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder and did what I could with it. I think it worked out well.”

Quinn and Tutogi will get more good coaching this week. The head coaches for the NFLPA game are Herm Edwards and Dick Vermeil. Former NFL players fill many assistant coaching spots. Former Arizona defensive coordinator Larry Mac Duff is assisting, as well.

“I have to memorize a whole new playbook,” Quinn said. “So I have to burn this playbook in the back of my mind and get ready. But that’s the life of an NFL player. You have to be a student every week. It’s a lot of fun.”

Two more former Wildcats will be in action this week. Quarterback Matt Scott (the top prospect among ex-Arizona players) and receiver Dan Buckner will play in the East-West Shrine Game from St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday.

The NFL Network will carry the East-West Shrine Game, starting at 2 p.m. Tucson time. ESPN2 will show the NFLPA game beginning at 4 p.m.

On an uncommonly near-freezing night in Tucson, many of the players from the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game didn’t seem to want to leave the field after the game.

The players, especially those from the winning West squad, mingled with family and friends. For some, it was the last time they would play organized football. For others, it was the start of the final push for the NFL dream.

“It’s an opportunity you can’t pass up,” said Arizona’s Taimi Tutogi, who played fullback and defensive end Friday night, as he did during his senior season at Arizona.

“This game will set you up for some pretty good things if you’re really serious about making it to the next level.”

The plummeting temperatures had a lot to do with a sparse crowd at Kino Stadium — far less than the announced attendance of more than 4,393 — as the the West squad dominated in a 40-7 victory. But the game is gravy (at least for the players).

As the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game tries to gain a stronger foothold in the postseason landscape, the most important aspect is what happens during the week leading up to the game.

The Casino Del Sol game is one of six postseason all-star games, the grandest of which is the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. A new game, the Raycom All-Star Classic, will be held next Saturday in Mobile, Ala. On the West Coast, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will be held the same day in the Los Angeles area.

“The players will find out this is a great place to come to get great exposure because there are probably more scouts at this game than there will be at any other game than the Senior Bowl,” said West coach Dick Tomey, the former head coach at Hawaii, Arizona and San Jose State.

“I promise you, there were more scouts here than will be at the ones next week. We had over 100 almost every day, and Ted Thompson, the GM from the Green Bay Packers, was here every single day. He’s as successful a GM as there is, and he was here every day, all day.

“I think that’s a major part of the attraction of the game.”

It also helps when the game’s biggest stars from the biggest schools have big games.

That’s generally what happened as the several recognizable names from Pac-12 schools led the West squad.

Cal’s Isi Sofele led the West squad with 64 yards on 11 carries, making a nice cutback for the game’s final touchdown on a 15-yard run.

Stanford’s Drew Terrell was chosen the game’s MVP, out-jumping defenders for a 49-yard reception to the 1-yard-line and returning a punt 39 yards. He finished with two catches for 59 yards.

UCLA safety Dalton Hilliard, taking advantage of shaky quarterback play from lower-division East quarterbacks who, went 74 yards to score on an interception return. The West picked off five passes.

Cal defensive tackle Aaron Tipoti had a sack.

Washington State’s Jeff Tuel completed 6 of 8 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown. Tuel grew up in Tucson and attended Salpointe Catholic for a year before his family moved to Fresno, Calif.

He was planning to hang around Tucson with his dad Saturday — “we’re going to drive around and see some friends and drive by the house I grew up in and all that good stuff,” he said — before he heads off to the NFLPA game next week.

“Just to get to know these guys is the best part,” Tuel said.

“Every guy here has a dream. To share that with these guys and battle for that with them is really the best part. Going into next week, I’m going to do the same thing. Go out there and let it fly … and don’t make it better than it needs to be. Just have a good time.”

For the East squad, Louisiana Tech’s Ray Holley led the team with 12 rushes for 88 yards. Auburn’s speedy Onterio McCalebb nearly shook loose a few times, finishing with 38 yards on seven rushes, as well as a 16-yard reception.

For the Casino Del Sol organizers, it now becomes interesting to track how many players from the game get drafted, make camps and eventually stick with teams. Last season, six of about 100 players were drafted and 61 made camps.

“We accumulated better talent,” Tomey said of this season.

“I think the sky’s the limit for this game. It’s the kind of thing that will keep getting better and better every year.”

Oklahoma’s Jamarkus McFarland (right) works against Ball State offensive lineman Austin Holtz in practice. Photo courtesy of V. Valdez Photography

The rosters for the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game are filled with small-school guys looking for a chance, big-school guys looking for a second chance and former top recruits looking to recapture glory.

Basically, these guys have some large chips on their shoulder.

Last year’s inaugural game produced six draft picks and 61 players who were invited to NFL camps. This year’s group looks better. What will be nice, if the game sticks around Tucson for a while, is that it will start developing a database of success stories.

West Virginia offensive lineman Don Barclay played here last season and is now starting for the Green Bay Packers at right tackle as an undrafted free agent. Arizona safety Robert Golden, another undrafted free agent, stuck with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a rookie.

There are three former Wildcats on the West roster this year — fullback Taimi Tutogi (story), center Kyle Quinn (story) and defensive lineman Dominique Austin.

The game will be held tonight at Kino Stadium at 7 p.m. (ESPN3.com, 1490-AM). In addition to the Arizona guys, here are 10 other players to watch:

WR Darryl Stonum, Michigan/Baylor – Spent the first three years of his career playing for Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, catching 76 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. A series of off-field problems led to a 2011 redshirt under coach Brady Hoke, who eventually dismissed Stonum after the season. Stonum, a graduate, played sparingly at Baylor this season. “I did a lot of good things at Michigan, but it’s not what have you done for me lately, it’s a what-are-you-doing-for-me type of game,” Stonum said. “I made a lot of great plays at Michigan, but that was 2010, 2011. This is 2013. I have to show I can still make plays.”

DT Jamarkus McFarland, Oklahoma – Word was that McFarland might have been the most impressive player on the field during practice this week. He started 22 career games for the Sooners, making 29 tackles, including six for loss this season. The Sooners regularly produce NFL defensive linemen. McFarland, a former Parade High School All-American, could follow in those footsteps.

QB Jeff Tuel, Washington State – It was easy to project a big senior season for Tuel in new coach Mike Leach’s pass-happy offense, but it never happened. Tuel shuttled in and out of the lineup with Connor Halliday, and the Cougs struggled to a 3-9 mark. Tuel had his moments, including 403 yards passing on 59 attempts vs. Stanford. He has good mobility and size (6-3, 221), and will move on next week to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

RB Isi Sofele, Cal – Another player Pac-12 fans will recognize, Sofele rushed for 1,322 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior before being in more of a time-share in 2012. He rushed for 2,499 career yards with the Bears.

CB Troy Stoudermire, Minnesota – He holds the NCAA record for career kick return yards, finishing with 3,615 on 144 attempts. He led the Gophers with 82 tackles this season.

WRs Frankie Hammond and Omarius Hines, Florida – This pair didn’t put up big numbers this season, but the Gators, working through quarterback issues and letting their defense to the heavy lifting, weren’t exactly a passing juggernaut. Hammond (22 catches for 295 yards) and Hines (23 for 242) look good in uniforms.

RB Onterio McCalebb, Auburn – You can read more about McCalebb from my Thursday story, but he has to be the fastest player in this game.

QB Dayne Crist, Notre Dame/Kansas – He was once a big-time recruit and the future at quarterback at Notre Dame, starting nine games in 2010 before suffering a ruptured patella tendon. He transferred after last season as a graduate student to be with his old coach, Charlie Weis, at Kansas, but very little went right for Crist or the Jayhawks this season.

WR Drew Terrell, Stanford – Terrell was the leading wideout on a Stanford team, making 33 catches for 463 yards and four touchdowns in an offense that leaned on its tight ends in the passing game. Terrell, also a standout punt returner, is listed as a late-round possibility by NFLDraftScout.com.

OLB Terence Garvin, West Virginia – He made 77 tackles this season, including 11.5 for loss and six sacks. He had a brilliant bowl game against Syracuse that included three tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also delivered this hit on quarterback Ryan Nassib:

Onterio McCalebb scored 29 touchdowns in his four-year career at Auburn. Photo courtesy of V. Valdez Photography.

Welcome to the Onterio McCalebb postseason tour.

The super-speedy Auburn running back began his audition for pro scouts this week in practice for the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, which will be held Friday at Kino Stadium at 7 p.m.

McCalebb will move on to the inaugural Raycom College Football All-Star Classic in Montgomery, Ala., on Jan. 19, and then to the Texas vs. The Nation game in Allen, Texas, on Feb. 2.

McCalebb wants to get as much exposure as he can to show he has more than just a great time in the 40-yard dash; he says he finished it in 4.28 seconds the last time he tried.

“A lot of people know I can run. That’s my specialty — running fast,” McCalebb said. “My plan is to go the NFL Combine and run the fastest time.

“But I have hands, too. I’m not necessarily just a running back. I can play slot receiver.”

And his face lit up when asked about his return skills. He had two career kick returns for touchdowns, including a 100-yarder this season against Mississippi State (see below).

At 5-11, 173 pounds, McCalebb doesn’t have the size to the be an every-down back in the NFL, but let’s go back to that speed. He might be able to carve out a role as a returner and offensive specialist.

McCalebb is one of the most intriguing athletes in the Tucson game. He is fourth on Auburn’s career list for all-purpose yards with 4,566. He ran for 2,586 career yards, had 620 receiving yards and returned 53 kicks for 1,360 yards.

He said his former running backs coach at Auburn, Curtis Luper, asked him to play in the Casino Del Sol game because of East coach Houston Nutt. Luper and Nutt are good friends, McCalebb said.

“I decided it wouldn’t hurt to come out here,” McCalebb said. “This is the game I love. I can take my mind off everything and just come out here and play ball and meet new people.”

McCalebb won a national championship with the Cam Newton-led Auburn team in 2010, but he has had to watch rival Alabama take home the past two BCS trophies. That’s seven in a row for the SEC.

“It’s all about the SEC,” McCalebb said when asked about Alabama’s rout of Notre Dame in the BCS national championship game.

“I understand Auburn-Alabama have a rivalry, but Alabama had to represent for the SEC, and they brought the title back.”

Taimi Tutogi practices Monday for the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game. Photo by V. Valdez Photography

Taimi Tutogi was described many ways in his four years with the Arizona Wildcats — fullback, H-back, tight end, tailback, defensive end.

Mostly, he was a blocker.

Tutogi, at 6-1, 260, has the kind of powerfully-built body found among lead blockers in the NFL. What the scouts want to find out about Tutogi in the next couple of weeks is what he else he can do in the offense.

“I think they know I can block,” he said after practice for the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, to be held Friday night at Kino Stadium, starting at 7 p.m.

“A lot of scouts have talked about me coming out of the backfield, being versatile.”

Tutogi carried the ball only once, for a loss of 1 yard, as a senior in coach Rich Rodriguez’s read-option attack. Tutogi caught 10 passes this season and 11 as a junior in the final year of the Mike Stoops era.

“I tried to play within the system, whatever Coach Rod, Coach Stoops wanted me to do,” Tutogi said.

“I felt like I could have done more, but we had guys like Ka’Deem (Carey). I just did what they told me. Hopefully, with what they had me do, I produced enough to where these scouts think I can play at the next level.”

Tutogi is rated the ninth-best fullback for the 2013 draft, according to NFLDraftScout.com, which rates him as a seventh-round/free agent prospect.

He will also have more practices next week to show what he can do. He accepted an invite to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which will be held Jan. 19 in Los Angeles.

Tutogi is hoping he will get a chance to get at least a few plays on defense at the Casino Del Sol game after appearing as a third-down pass-rusher for Arizona this season. He had five tackles, including 1.5 for loss and one sack.

He said he “kicked back and relaxed” for a bit after Arizona’s win in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 15, but it’s now all business.

“It hits you that college is done. I won’t ever play in Arizona Stadium again,” he said.

“Now, you’re hitting the big world and you’re facing reality. But it’s good that this game is in Tucson. I feel like I’m back home.”

Kyle Quinn works against Cal’s Aaron Tipoti in practice Monday. Photo courtesy of V. Valdez Photography

This isn’t Rich Rodriguez’s offense any more.

Former Arizona Wildcats center Kyle Quinn began the next stage of his football career Monday, practicing with the West squad in preparation for the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, which will be held Friday at Kino Stadium at 7 p.m.

“Now we get to huddle and snap under center,” he said after practice.

He did none of the former in his senior season in Rodriguez’s hurry-up scheme and only twice delivered the ball directly to the quarterback — in the victory formation at the end of games.

Quinn is working with the West team, getting offensive-line instruction from former Utah and Weber State head coach Ron McBride, also an ex-Arizona assistant coach under Dick Tomey. Tomey is the head coach of the West squad.

Quinn, a two-year starter at Arizona (although he missed four games this season because of an ankle injury), might be considered a late-round possibility, or at least a free-agent to bring into camp. Scouts have interest: He also is mulling a recent invitation to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which will be held Jan. 19 in Los Angeles.

Here is a post-practice Q&A with Quinn:

On what he hopes to show scouts this week: “The biggest things I want to show to the scouts is just my coachability and how well I take things in from listening. Coach McBride is one of the best offensive line coaches in the country. He’s a legend around the state of Utah and around the country. Everyone is saying it’s a once-in-lifetime opportunity. So, I want to show my coachability, my toughness, my versatility and I also want to show my football IQ — making adjustments and being able to show I can pick up things really quick.”

On what the past few weeks were like after the comeback win in the New Mexico Bowl: “That was kind of crazy. I still don’t know how the heck it happened. I was trying to process that over break. Everywhere I went back home, everyone was like, ‘That was amazing.’ And even guys here are like, ‘Oh, yeah, you were in that game.’ Guys are just blown away about how we were able to pull that one out of our hats. I saw Coach Rod and most of the coaching staff last week and they were just all smiles and so proud of our effort. That wasn’t our best game as far as execution, both offense and defense, but we kept fighting until there were all zeros on the scoreboard, and it came out our way.”

On Arizona offensive line coach Robert Anae leaving last week to return to BYU as offensive coordinator: “I’m definitely sad, but it’s a great opportunity for Coach Anae. He graduated from there; he won a national championship there. His heart is always going to be for BYU. I got two years with him and he grew me into the player I am. … I’m forever grateful to him and the time and effort he put into me. He told me, ‘Kyle, talk to me whenever you need me.’ He’s keeping that line of communication open, which I greatly appreciate. He has a big heart. He’s a very down-to-earth guy. You can go into his office and talk to him about anything. His presence as a coach and his football IQ is second-to-none.”

On playing with guys who have been your rivals: “We have nose guard from Oregon State (Andrew Seumalo). We went head-to-head right before I got hurt, and he’s asking, ‘How is the ankle feeling now?’ We respect each other. There’s not much hostility toward one another because we are on the same team, representing the West. But there is a sense of competition. We want to make each other better players and put on a good show for the fans and the scouts who are in attendance this week.”

On how much he had been able to talk to scouts so far: “Very little. We did some stuff this morning … They had us fill out some questionnaires and we did kind of a Wonderlic test. We did one of those mental tests — looking at pictures and images and finding patterns and stuff.”

NOTES: Andre Reed, who ranks 10th in NFL career receptions, is working with the West team as receivers coach. … Dave Sitton and former Arizona and NFL offensive tackle John Fina will have the call of the game on ESPN3. Dana Cooper will be the sideline reporter. … The game can be heard on 1490-AM, an ESPN radio affiliate. Sports talk host Jody Oehler will have the radio call, with the Arizona Daily Star’s Patrick Finley serving as analyst. … More than 70 NFL scouts/personnel men were in Tucson on Monday, including Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson.

The Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game released its final rosters Sunday night, adding, among others, a pair of Oklahoma defensive tackles and a player who amassed more than 4,500 total yards at Auburn.

There are 102 players on the East and West rosters for the game, which will be played at Kino Stadium on Friday, starting at 7 p.m.

Oklahoma’s Jamarkus McFarland started 22 games at defensive tackle in his career, including every regular-season game this season for defensive coordinator and former Arizona head coach Mike Stoops. He had 29 tackles, including six for loss.

His Sooners teammate, Stacy McGee was part of the defensive tackle rotation for half of the season, but a university rules violation and a DUI charge before the Cotton Bowl limited him to six games.

One of the top offensive players in the game should be Onterio McCalebb, who is fourth on Auburn’s career list for all-purpose yards with 4,566. He ran for 2,586 career yards, had 620 receiving yards and returned 53 kicks for 1,360 yards and two touchdowns.

Arizona has three players in the game: defensive end Dominique Austin, center Kyle Quinn and fullback Taimi Tutogi.

Here are the full rosters:

WEST

EAST

Kyle Quinn missed three games because of injury this season but was Arizona’s starting center for the past two years. Photo by Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

Three Arizona Wildcats have accepted invitations to play in the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game in Tucson next month.

Center Kyle Quinn, defensive lineman Dominique Austin and fullback/defensive end Taimi Tutogi will get a chance to interview and workout for scouts, and then play in front of UA fans one more time on Dec. 11.

The game will be played Jan. 11 at 7 p.m.

It will be interesting to how scouts evaluate Tutogi, who played both ways as a senior. He certainly has the body to be a situational NFL player on offense while being able to play on special teams. Austin missed the final seven games of the regular season because of a foot injury but came back to play in the New Mexico Bowl victory.

A list of 64 committed players released by bowl officials includes 13 from the Pac-12. Arizona State will send punter Josh Hubner, a Lindy’s third-team All-American.

One of the more intriguing players could be Washington State quarterback Jeff Tuel, who decided to enter the draft and not try to seek a medical hardship season from earlier in his career.

Tuel spent part of his childhood in Tucson, attending Salpointe Catholic High School for a year before his family moved to Fresno, Calif.

More player announcements are expected in the next week or so. The game featured about 90 prospects last season.

Here is a list of the 64 players who accepted invitations:

Dayne Crist will get an opportunity to show the skills that once made him a touted prospect. Photo by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas quarterback Dayne Crist, a former starter at Notre Dame, has accepted an invitation to play in the 2013 Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game.

Crist transferred to Kansas after last season, rejoining former Fighting Irish head coach Charlie Weis, who was beginning his first year with the Jayhawks.

He started for Kansas early in the season but gave way to redshirt freshman Michael Cummings in the second half of the season as Weis went with a youth movement.

Crist (6-4, 235) completed 103 of 216 passes for 1,313 yards, with four touchdowns and nine interceptions, for a Kansas team that was one of the worst in major college football, finishing 1-11.

He started the first nine games of the 2010 season for Notre Dame before suffering a ruptured patella tendon. He played sparingly in 2011 before transferring as a graduate student.

Crist, from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., was one of the nation’s most touted quarterback prospects in the 2008 class.

The Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game will be played Jan. 11 at Kino Stadium, beginning at 7 p.m. Former Arizona Wildcats head coach Dick Tomey will serve as one of the head coaches.

Stanford receiver Drew Terrell has accepted an invitation to play in the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game, the school announced.

Terrell, who earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors, is the leading wideout on a Stanford offense that leans on its tight ends in the passing game. Terrell has 31 receptions for 443 yards and four touchdowns, and he also ranks 14th nationally in punt returns, averaging 12.6 per attempt.

He scored on a 76-yard punt return vs. Duke.

The Casino Del Sol All-Star game will be played Jan. 11 at Kino Stadium. Former Arizona Wildcats head coach Dick Tomey will serve as one of the head coaches.