All-American Bowl: Awards and observations from Tuesday's practice
SAN ANTONIO -- The East and West rosters kicked off practices on Tuesday as All-American Bowl week got underway. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analysts Adam Gorney and Sam Spiegelman each got turns viewing the East and West workouts.
Here are their practice awards and observations from Day 1.
*****
TUESDAYS WITH GORNEY: Thoughts on Tuesday's All-American Bowl practice
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State | JUCO
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info/coverage on 2021 camp series
*****
THE BULL
Florida signee Chris McClellan is an absolute force from multiple positions along the defensive line. The Rivals250 tackle is a rolling rock from the interior; he's agile and explosive off the line with notable athleticism for the position. Whether it's off the edge or inside, McClellan could not be contained on Tuesday with his motor and second-and third-efforts.
*****
MONSTER ARM
Drew Allar has excellent size and an excellent arm and had a good Day 1. He’s all of 6-foot-5 and has a really live arm, makes all the throws look easy and when he needs to zip it there’s no problem and he can also put air under it and let receivers run under the ball. The Penn State signee is impressive physically and has all the arm talent in the world. Sometimes on a deep ball, Allar puts a little too much air under it and the receiver has to wait a split second longer than he should but that’s nitpicking and the four-star had a great day.
*****
MR. VERSATILE
Elijah Pritchett lined up mostly at right guard during the first day of practice and did really well using his muscle and physical nature to dominate one-on-ones. The four-star said Alabama wants to use him at offensive tackle but with so many tackles on the roster, Pritchett was fine moving inside just so he could compete. It worked well.
*****
THE BIG CAT
Dani Dennis-Sutton was not only physically dominant but he showed off great athleticism against every offensive tackle during one-on-one reps. The Penn State signee looks great physically, he moves well, is smooth and then when the rep starts Dennis-Sutton plays with great aggression and a fantastic motor.
*****
MR. CONSISTENT
The West team was limited in one-on-one reps but four-star receiver Kevin Coleman stood out on that team as he ran sharp routes, caught every pass and then had a second gear to accelerate and make things happen. The St. Louis (Mo.) St. Mary’s standout is undersized but he’s so fast and dynamic that he could break a big play at any time. It was a solid first day for him.
*****
THE ADONIS
LSU signee Quency Wiggins also turned in a dominant first day in San Antonio. Wiggins also saw action off the edge and over-center; the results were consistent. The Rivals100 defensive lineman plays with leverage. He blends massive size and length with immense power. He's wrapping up his second year of playing football after a long background playing basketball. His upside is through the roof.
*****
THE MOUNTAIN
A nickname Rivals once anointed to five-star Texas A&M signee Bryce Foster, Rivals100 guard Ernest Greene put forth a worthy effort in the first session. The massive Californian withstood an array of pass-rush moves and also recorded a knockdown in 1-on-1s. He's a moldable piece upfront with plenty of elite traits for a trenchman. Georgia and Alabama are both fighting over Greene.
*****
THE BEAR
Notre Dame signee Billy Schrauth was outstanding during OL-DL workouts as an aggressor upfront that moves well with formidable upper-body strength. The Rivals250 guard is light on his feet and impressive blocking side to side. Also of note: after an impressive rip move from Purdue signee Nic Caraway, Schrauth rebounded with another strong rep. He was on his game.
*****
THE CRASHER
Another first player off the bus-looking player, 6-foot-5, 260-pound Tyson Ford is a massive presence off the edge and plays downhill with leverage with some strong reps against some of the best offensive tackles on hand in the West practice. The Notre Dame signee blends size, length and quickness off the ball, and has our attention this week.
*****
ON-TAPP
Texas signee J'Mond Tapp is another front-seven Swiss-Army knife that gave the West offensive linemen fits from the inside and off the edge. The Rivals250 defensive end can also stand up and get after opposing quarterbacks. He has strong, attacking hands and is agile enough to keep linemen off-balanced, not to mention impressive speed.