Practices for the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl start Friday morning, and the Cincinnati Bengals will have one of their top position coaches right in the middle of all the action.

Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery has been tabbed as the interior defensive line coach for the East roster.

#Bengals DL coach Jerry Montgomery to coach interior defensive line for the East team. pic.twitter.com/YZGYiNrveX

— BENGALS TALK ? (@BengalsTalk) January 20, 2026

Montgomery is entering his second year as Cincinnati’s d-line coach. He was hired in 2025 as part of defensive coordinator Al Golden’s initial staff, and he’ll now be coaching several players the Bengals could target in the 2026 NFL Draft to satisfy director of player personnel Duke Tobin’s thirst for pass-rushers. Cincy needs d-linemen badly, so let’s run through the ones who will be coached by Montgomery over the weekend.

Clemson DT DeMonte Capehart

Any Clemson player should be prepared to hear Zac Taylor’s voice when picking up the phone on draft day. Four of the Bengals’ last six drafts have included a Tiger, and Capehart could be next. Listed at 6-5 and 315 pounds, he played six years for the program, always seeing his snaps increase year-by-year, and finished with 72 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks.

NC State DT Brandon Cleveland

Cleveland played four years at NC State, recording 107 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and six sacks. He was aligned in the A-gap almost exclusively during his first three seasons before being moved around more frequently as a senior in 2025. He achieved a career-high seven tackles for loss last season, and 21 defensive stops.

Florida State DT Darrell Jackson Jr.

Jackson spent one year at Maryland and another at Miami (FL) before playing three years for Florida State. His best season as a pass-rusher came in 2024 when he registered 30 pressures and a career-high 3.5 sacks for the Seminoles. His production dropped off a tad when he played more A-gap snaps in 2025, but has experience with different alignments.

Baylor DT Jackie Marshall

Gap versatility is Marshall’s game. He began his collegiate career as an edge defender in 2022, missed all of 2023 due to injury, and returned to play all over the d-line in 2024 with quality production against the pass and run. The Bears used him almost equally on the edge and inside in 2025, and the Shrine Bowl has him listed as an interior defender for the week.

Navy DT Landon Robinson

Robinson’s on the smaller side, listed at 6-0 and 287 pounds, but he’s also equipped with experience lining up in different gaps and grew his production over the course of his three years for the Midshipmen. He was named the American Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 after posting 64 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.

UCLA DT Gary Smith III

Following two years at Duke, Smith transferred to the opposite coast and played three more seasons for the Bruins. He’s listed at 6-2, 340 pounds, and his 4.5 career sacks tells everyone rushing the passer isn’t going to be his calling card at the next level. Smith looks like the truest nose tackle of Montgomery’s group for the week.