Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game: Big 12 and Big Ten buzz

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The teams at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game took to the field on Wednesday for a pair of two-hour practice sessions. In addition to top performances there was also some notable recruiting news from the day's media sessions.

Here's a rundown of the top news and best performances as it relates to the Big 12 and Big Ten.

MORE FROM ALABAMA-MISSISSIPPI: SEC recruiting news | Practice videos

Recruiting roundup: LSU quarterback commit Myles Brennan says that Baylor head coach Matt Rhule has already reached out to his family. Brennan listed Baylor as one of the schools he plans to visit in January before settling on a Signing Day plan.

On the field: Brennan continues to be the best quarterback on either team at the event, which is helping to backup his billing as a four-star prospect.

Recruiting roundup: Alabama offensive lineman Preston Mixon, Jr. has an official visits set up to Champagne for Jan. 20. As of now, the trip to visit the Illini is his only trip and one he is putting quite a big of emphasis on. Mixon said he has built a great rapport with the Illinois staff and he’s very familiar with Lovie Smith from his days in the NFL. If all goes well on the visit, Illinois could be in great shape to land his commitment.

Recruiting roundup: The Hawkeyes have made Alabama linebacker Thomas Johnston a priority target and after taking an official visit this past weekend it looks as if Iowa is a realistic option. Johnston told Rivals.com on Wednesday that he has family within 20 minutes of Iowa City, making the distance from Alabama much easier to swallow. Johnston has already officially visited Arkansas and is likely to visit Ole Miss and LSU in January before making a final decision.

Recruiting roundup: Iowa State commit Kam White will take a final look around before Signing Day. He’s in the process of setting visits to Ole Miss and Minnesota. The Rebels seem like the biggest threat to change White’s mind should it decide to press hard for his commitment.

On the field: White has moved around between corner and safety during practice but seems most at home while playing a centerfield role in the defensive backfield. He’s best when he can read and react to plays and his closing speed ranks among the best on his team.

Recruiting roundup: It seems as though Kansas is out of the running for linebacker Javaris Russell for one reason or another. On Wednesday, Russell named Memphis, Missouri and Tulane as his top three.

Recruiting roundup: Priority Michigan linebacker target Willie Gay told Rivals.com on Tuesday that the Wolverines are still very much involved in his recruitment. In fact, he said his mother, who will know doubt be a very influential figure in his recruitment, might have the school as her favorite option at the moment. Gay still has visits coming up to both Mississippi State and LSU and plans to announce his commitment on National Signing Day.

On the field: Gay has been one of the most outstanding performers on either team, consistently making plays during both the team and 7-on-7 portions of practice … The same can’t be said for Wolverines commitment J’marick Woods. The versatile athlete worked out both ways on Wednesday and actually looked more comfortable at tight end than on defense. He has some raw physical tool that can’t be taught, but will need some time to develop at the next level.

Recruiting roundup: Four-star quarterback Myles Brennan made it clear that he’s still committed to LSU, but he also made it clear that the Cowboys are a realistic option if he doesn’t end up in Baton Rouge. Right now the plan is for Brennan to visit after the dead period, but he’s also working to schedule trips to Cal and Baylor.

On the field: One of the more pleasant surprises of the week has been the play of Boilermakers defensive back commitment Marcus Jones. Despite giving up size to pretty much every wide receiver he faces, Jones has more than held his own. He and Rivals100 wide receiver Nico Collins battled for stretches during practice on Wednesday, with Jones more often than not getting the better of Collins. Undersized cornerbacks are hard for some coaches to pull the trigger on, but Purdue appears to have a steal in Jones.

Recruiting roundup: Rivals250 defensive end Ryan Johnson says that Texas is in the thick of his recruitment. And while the Longhorns probably trail both Stanford and Auburn. Johnson said that he talked to new Texas head coach Tom Herman on Sunday night and is currently trying to fit in an official visit to Texas … Mississippi tight end Chase Rogers said the Longhorns are among his favorites at the moment, and he’s already talked with Herman’s new staff. If all goes well, Rogers could get an in-home visit on Sunday night and hopefully a scholarship offer to go along with it.

On the field: Rogers, who had a very productive senior season that saw him break records for yards and receptions, has been very consistent throughout the week of practice. One concern may be his height, but he’s more than likely going to be used in space if he were to play in Herman’s offense.