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Published Dec 31, 2021
UA All-America Game: Players that shined in Friday's practice
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Adam Friedman  •  Rivals.com
Rankings Director and National Transfer Portal Analyst
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@RivalsFriedman

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The third day of Under Armour All-America Game practice is usually the best practice because the players are suited up in full pads. Today's practice lived up to the hype and a lot of players turned in their best performances of the week. Here are 10 players that shined the brightest on Friday.

Friday was Hudson's first practice of the week and it was easy to see he had fresh legs. The TCU signee was as explosive as any receiver on the field and took more reps than everybody else. Hudson caught pretty much everything thrown his way and didn't have a problem getting open. Quentin Johnson was a major receiving threat for the Horned Frogs last season and Hudson has a chance to star opposite him next year.

*****  

Campbell's versatility was on full display on Friday as the Alabama linebacker signee made plays in coverage, against the run, and blitzing off the edge. Campbell has ideal size for a linebacker and his skill set allows him to do so much for the defense. During one-on-ones, Campbell made quick work of multiple highly ranked tackles, showing a variety of pass rushing moves to get to the quarterback.

*****  

Umeozulu continues to be one of the most consistent performers of the week. On Friday he played tackle and guard during one-on-ones and had plenty of success. The Texas signee was able to handle speed rushers off the edge and powerful interior defensive tackles. Umeozulu seems to be getting more comfortable with the level of competition on the field.

*****  

Nolen has strung together multiple impressive practice performances and he was one of the best again on Friday. The future Texas A&M Aggie is a relentless pass rusher from the interior of the defensive line and wreaked havoc in the backfield during inside run and team drills. Nolen is so quick off the snap that offensive linemen hardly have a chance at slowing him down.

*****  

Throughout the week Stewart has made flashy plays but it seemed like it was harder for defensive backs to slow him down on Friday. The speedy Texas A&M signee made a lot of big catches down the field during one-on-ones and made some cornerbacks look like they were stuck in first gear. Stewart isn't imposing physically but he has been just as intimidating as some of the bigger receivers for defensive backs.

*****  

Alexander lived up to his nickname on Friday because he played like a big bear. The Georgia signee pushed around offensive linemen for the majority of the day using a combination of upper body strength and leverage. Alexander wasn't using any overly fancy techniques on Friday. he just beat the man in front of him consistently and made his presence felt in the backfield throughout the day.

*****  

There are a few receivers that have consistently given defensive backs problems and Marshall is one of them. He's a huge target for the quarterbacks and he has proven to have reliable hands, even in traffic. The future Aggie pass catcher is a great downfield threat because of his good straight line speed but he really shines in jump ball situations. Marshall is officially listed at 6-foot-4 and he is a great leaper so defensive backs have a hard time keeping the ball out of his hands when it is thrown high.

*****  

There are plenty of dominant defensive linemen on the roster but Stewart has been one of the best over the last two practices. On Friday Stewart was a very active pass rusher and beat a number of offensive tackles he lined up against. During inside run drills Stewart was able to beat double-teams to make the tackle or force running backs to bounce outside.

*****  

Abor stepped up his game on Friday and showed great speed off the edge. The defensive end out of Texas made a few very good plays during one-on-ones and that carried over to inside run and team drills. Abor's speed at the snap gave offensive tackles fits and he was a consistent presence in the backfield.

*****

Alexander has been relatively quiet so far this week but he came out of his shell on Friday during the full pads practice. The Alabama signee had a good showing during one-on-ones, winning his fair share of reps, and he shined during team drills. Alexander seemed much in his element on Friday. He was flying around and playing much more physically. It seemed like he took his game up a notch when everybody suited up in full pads and was allowed to pick up the intensity.

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