Alabama-Mississippi All-Stars: Takeaways from Day 2

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The second day of practice at the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game is in the books. Players on both sides are starting to get more comfortable in the all-star setting as we move toward Saturday’s game. Below are five takeaways from Wednesday’s workouts.

MORE ALABAMA-MISSISSIPPI: Takeaways from Day 1

The feeling on the upcoming early signing period depends on who you ask. Some prospects have been committed for months and see no reason to hesitate when it comes to making things official on Dec. 20. Others, on the other hand, are not so antsy to put pen to paper.

Take, for instance, Malik Heath. The top player in the state of Mississippi, Heath is committed to Mississippi State but with Dan Mullen now at Florida, he’d like some time to explore that option along with Ole Miss. It’s why he has plenty to say about the early signing period.

“I don’t want to sign early because I want to be able to live my last high school year out,” Heath said. “I plan on visiting Florida in January, too. I just want to live my high school life and go to my last prom and all that. Then I can worry about signing in February.

“That’s why I’m thinking I don’t really want to sign early sometimes.”

Defensive back Cam White has no problem singing with Ole Miss in December and says he thinks the early signing day is a good thing. Meanwhile, TCU commit Fabian Franklin says he hasn’t totally decided whether or not he’ll sign early.

“It’s a big process and things might still change, so I don’t really want to sign early, but who knows? I might,” Franklin said. “… It doesn’t benefit me to sign early. Coaches leave. Look at Mississippi State. Coach Dan Mullen left.”

Tuesday was an uneven day for Team Alabama QBs, but both James Foster and Stanford commit Jack West looked miles better on Wednesday. Part of that was due to a developing rhythm with new wide receivers. West probably looked a touch better than Foster in the morning session, but both made massive strides from the previous day. West’s defining throws of the session came on fade routes, on which he showed the type of touch he was missing on the previous day.

Foster, who also had a solid Wednesday performance, is considering Florida State, LSU and others.

Jalen Cunningham isn’t a complete defensive lineman at this juncture, but he was possibly the most powerful prospect on either team during workouts. Cunningham, who boasts a college-ready body, holds offers from Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia and others.

On Wednesday, Cunningham worked from the defensive tackle spot and overpowered most everyone he faced. He may rely a bit too heavily on the bull rush at times, but there’s no denying his effectiveness or the fact that he has the type of raw strength that will play well in any major conference.

Team Alabama wide receiver Justyn Ross worked out with a mildly injured ankle and still managed to create separation from most defensive backs. Asked how his ankle felt at one point during Wednesday’s morning practice, the five-star wide receiver responded with “bad.”

It was obvious that Ross wasn’t running at full speed, but his breaks were still sharp and he found creative ways to get separation during one-on-one work. Despite the pain, Ross never missed a rep or found his way to the training table.

Rivals250 wide receiver Malik Heath was the class of the roster, but at times Memphis pledge Jeremy Tate didn’t look far behind the lauded Mississippi State commit. Tate has a long, thick build that allows him to use his long arms and physicality to gain an advantage over smaller defensive backs. He made a number of catches in traffic and was able to hang on to the ball despite contact. He may not have the straight-line speed or raw athleticism that Heath possesses but his breaks are quick and his routes are crisp. Tate may be a touch undervalued as he’s currently ranked.