SAN ANTONIO - Elite high school players from across the nation are gathered in San Antonio this week for a week of practices prior to the All-American Bowl on Saturday. National recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove was on hand to watch the East squad go through some drills on the first day of practices Tuesday.
Here are some of the players who stood out on day one.
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Auburn, Oklahoma signees among early standouts at defensive back.
The East squad has an impressive group of pass catchers, but that didn't stop some of the defensive backs from starring early. Auburn signee Kayin Lee's ability to play man coverage shined right out the gate and he proved to be a tough matchup for a number of receivers while rarely allowing any separation. With the size of a safety and cover skills of a corner, Oklahoma signee Makari Vickers impressed both physically and athletically. The future Sooner's ability to match the physicality of tight ends as well as cover the smaller and speedier pass catchers stood out. Alabama signee Caleb Downs and Ohio State signee Malik Hartford also shined at various points throughout the day.
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Alabama and Miami signed some impressive backs.
It isn't often that running backs are able to shine during early all-star game practices due to the format, but this group didn't let the setting prevent them from putting their skill on display. Alabama signee Justice Haynes is muscled up with impressive balance, cutting ability, burst and lateral movement. Future Miami Hurricane Mark Fletcher is a big and physical presence in the backfield, and while most running backs with his skill set shine in tackling situations, Fletcher impressed with his mobility and ability as a pass catcher throughout the day.
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Monroe Freeling has major upside.
Georgia commit Monroe Freeling impressed from the second he stepped on the field, and at 6-foot-7 and 290 pounds he is the prototype when it comes to the physical makeup you are looking for in a future star at offensive tackle. Freeling is plenty big, but almost looks lean at 290 pounds and has a frame that can likely hold plenty of more weight without losing athleticism when he gets in a college weight program. While his physical traits were impressive it's his athleticism at his size that gives him a chance to be special. The future Bulldog has great bend, handled both speed and power moves from the defensive lineman well, and when he got his hands into a defender the rep was pretty much over.
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Receivers show diverse skill sets.
The receiver group was impressive from top to bottom, and although there were some mistakes and drops it was the diverse skill sets within the group that stood out most. Ohio State signee Carnell Tate is a big body that can stretch the field, win 50/50 balls and had an impressive catch in the back of the end zone during team drills. Miami commit Nathaniel Joseph is on the opposite end of the size spectrum, but he has speed for days and is as dangerous as they come in the open field. Brandon Innis, another Buckeye signee, is physically impressive and showed his ability to body defenders and work underneath routes. The group of pass catchers - when including the tight ends - ranges from 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-6 and all bring something different and impressive to the mix for the East team.
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Defensive linemen exhibit speed, power.
The defensive line as a whole took some time to get rolling, but there were some impressive individual performances during the one-on-one sessions. Alabama signee Keon Keeley was impressive with his speed coming off of the edge and his explosiveness off the ball was the best of the group during the first practice session. Once the offensive lineman saw how quick Keeley was off the ball he did an impressive job of getting them on their heels and transitioning to power in order to win the rep. On the interior it was Georgia signee Jordan Hall who put his strength on display by overpowering many on the offensive front. Even when lineman were able to get their hands on him he was often able to use his power in order to win a rep. Hall also impressed with his motor and athleticism, which bodes well for his ability to be an interior pass rusher at the next level.
