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Rivals Daily Dozen: Top performers from Under Armour week

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The 2017 Under Armour All-America Game is in the books. Sunday’s game followed a week of practice that showcased some of the top prospects in the 2017 class. Below is a list of 12 players that stood out from the talented pack.

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From nearly the beginning of Under Armour week to the end, Kaindoh was a constant presence in the offensive backfield and seemed to get better with each passing day. The Florida State commit was dominant using a variety of moves but he was really special when he had his inside counter move working as well. Kaindoh lining up on the Seminole defensive line with Josh Sweat and Brian Burns will be a frightening sight for opposing offenses.

Despite a disappointing showing in the game on Sunday, Wilson was nearly unstoppable during the week of practices. His explosiveness off the line and ability to overpower offensive linemen or beat them with speed was very impressive. Florida State, Ohio State, LSU and Oklahoma are in the best shape to land his commitment.

A massive offensive lineman with great feet, Leatherwood has a chance to see early playing time at Alabama as a guard or tackle. Leatherwood was fantastic at left tackle for his team and has developed as a pass blocker this season. He was much more patient and was able to get into his pass blocking set quicker, which helped him keep explosive edge rushers from beating him around the outside. Leatherwood’s physicality looked a lot like Eugene Monroe as a high school prospect.

One of the MVPs from Sunday’s game, Thomas is extremely fast and seemed like he was moving at a different gear than the defensive backs trying to cover him. So explosive out of his cuts, he reminded us of current Auburn wide receiver Elijah Stove with the way he was able to make plays after the catch. Illinois holds a slight lead but Tennessee recently offered and is hoping to make a push.

Laborn was good during the week of practices even though he didn’t make the Rivals Daily Dozen. He capped his week with an outstanding game and an MVP performance. Laborn’s vision and speed to hit the corner will take him far but it was his toughness as a runner that caught our eyes this week. The combination of Laborn with five-star Cam Akers and Rivals250 running back Zaquandre White will solidify the Florida State backfield for years to come.

Michigan needs Vilain to be a big-time pass rushing presence off the edge and that’s exactly what he did last week. He used that great speed that we’ve seen but showed more power than expected and it caught the offensive linemen by surprise. Vilain was consistently one of the best defensive ends in Orlando and got a lot of pressure on quarterbacks in the game.

One of the most polarizing prospects in the 2017 class, Moses lived up to the hype at the Under Armour All-America Game. He was physical in the middle of the field and was a sure tackler in the game. The Alabama commit will be a tackling machine in Tuscaloosa and he plays like former Clemson linebacker Tony Steward was coming up in high school. He’s a big, muscled-up inside linebacker that does let much by him.

Mond was pretty good in practice throughout the week but seeing him work in the game on Sunday was impressive. He could’ve had a better day passing but during the week he showed decent accuracy and timing with the receivers. In the game the Texas A&M commit was phenomenal running the ball and looked eerily like Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson the way he ran with deceptive speed and had a lot of poise.

It was good to see Ray living up to expectations during the entire week at Under Armour All-America Game. He is a big body at defensive end but he has surprising quickness and good balance, which made it tough for offensive linemen to shock him with a strong punch. At the 2016 Under Armour All-America Game, current Florida Gator Antonneous Clayton looked a lot like Ray did this past week.

A big, long linebacker that can run sideline-to-sideline, Jones was a major piece to his team’s defense last week. He made a bunch of tackles against running plays all over the field and his length made it hard for quarterbacks to get the ball by him. A rangy, sure tackler, his game is a lot like former LSU linebacker Kwon Alexander.

Wade, the nation’s top-rated cornerback, had a very good week of practice. The Penn State commit dominated Thursday’s practice and played very well in the game on Sunday despite not getting many throws in his direction. Wade’s intensity, enthusiasm, and physicality are a lot like that of former Tennessee star Eric Berry but Wade isn’t as big as Berry was.

Another long, pass-rushing defensive end, Chaisson was very effective throughout the last week of practice and the Under Armour All-America Game on Sunday. He plays with an edge, which helped him stay aggressive on the field. Chaisson, whose final two schools are Texas and LSU, capped his week with an outstanding game Sunday where he had three sacks, five tackles for a loss, and one batted down pass. Current LSU star defensive end Arden Key and Chaisson have similar frames and knacks for making plays in the backfield.

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