Published Jan 5, 2016
Under Armour: Ten up, five down
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Adam Gorney  •  Rivals.com
National Recruiting Director
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@adamgorney

Here is a look at 10 players who had a great showing during the Under Armour All-America week and five who struggled.

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TEN UP (listed alphabetically)


DE Andre Anthony, New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr

Recruiting: Anthony is committed to LSU.

Overview: LSU fans are getting to know Arden Key, and while Anthony is not as tall and lanky, they are similar players. The three-star Tigers’ pledge is a nightmare off the edge. He can also use a little more power than Key did at the same stage to go inside. If the quarterback tries to prolong a play or runs play-action to his side, Anthony is there to shut it down.


WR A.J. Brown, Starkville, Miss.

Recruiting: Mississippi State, Ole Miss and others are heavily involved.

Overview: Brown has a thick build and doesn’t have elite speed but he’s an excellent route runner, can create space against cornerbacks, can muscle smaller corners and he earned the nickname “Venus Flytrap” during Under Armour week because he never, ever drops a pass. Wherever Brown ends up, he can be counted on to catch tough passes and move the ball.


WR Tyrie Cleveland, Houston (Texas) Westfield

Recruiting: Cleveland is committed to Houston but is considering trips to TCU, Florida and Arkansas.

Overview: Someone who really boosted his stock during Under Armour week, Cleveland is a lanky receiver with long arms who can go up and catch passes. It also seems like he has big hands to bring the ball in. During practice, Cleveland was arguably the most-consistent receiver on either team. He’s lethal on slants across the middle or he can streak down the sidelines.


OL Liam Eichenberg, Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius

Recruiting: Eichenberg is committed to Notre Dame.

Overview: The three-star played right tackle during the week and not only held his own but won some major reps against some of the best defensive ends at the event. The Notre Dame pledge has excellent size and a frame where he could add even more weight, he moves well, keeps his balance forward and used his power to stun some linemen. Sometimes, offensive linemen hold to win reps. Eichenberg didn’t.


RB B.J. Emmons, Morganton (N.C.) Freedom

Recruiting: Emmons is committed to Alabama.

Overview: Quick to the hole and then with an impressive burst of speed, Emmons has the ability to churn out yards or break into the open field for big gainers. The four-star doesn’t do a lot of dancing and dillydallying in the backfield, but times up his blocks perfectly and always seems to find open space. Emmons is not just straight-line speed, though. He can shake an oncoming defender and showed a nice spin move in the game.


WR Josh Hammond, Hallandale, Fla.

Recruiting: Hammond is committed to Florida.

Overview: Sometimes when players get labeled as “track guys”, there is this unfair assumption that they can’t cut it at the elite level, but that’s not the case with Hammond. He showed off his speed all week by running by corners and was a fantastic deep threat. In the game, a catch got ripped right out of his hands and taken the other way, so he needs to be more physical, but Hammond had a solid week of practice.


LB Aaron Hansford, Washington (D.C.) St. John’s College High

Recruiting: Hansford still has a long list of schools, but has released a top six of UCLA, Oregon, Maryland, Oklahoma, Michigan State and North Carolina.

Overview: Hansford shined in the Under Armour game, and that’s most important since linebackers are generally limited during practice sessions. He showed off excellent range and cover ability, so outside linebacker makes sense. The four-star can also deliver pretty strong hits, so moving inside would certainly not be out of the question long-term if needed.


LB Dontavious Jackson, Houston (Texas) Elsik

Recruiting: Johnson has taken official visits to UCLA, Michigan and Florida State and he will see Florida and Alabama soon. Texas, LSU and others are also involved.

Overview: Jackson is a big, physical linebacker who is well-put-together and it’s hard to find pure inside linebackers who can fight through traffic so easily, square up and make the tackle. In the game, Jackson was excellent coming off blocks and making plays. He was all over the place, has great athletic ability and is super active.


DT Benito Jones, Waynesboro (Miss.) Wayne County

Recruiting: Jones is committed to Ole Miss.

Overview: Jones is physical, huge and tough –- the perfect combination for a defensive tackle looking to make an impact. He shed the interior offensive linemen seemingly at will during the game and had multiple tackles for loss. The Ole Miss pledge used his power, but also showed surprising speed off the ball to be a menace in the middle. After a slow start to the practice week, Jones really stepped it up.


WR Dionte Mullins, Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep

Recruiting: Mullins is committed to Miami.

Overview: There were questions leading up to the week about just how dominant Mullins could be and he answered every single one of them and more. The Miami commit turned in impressive practice performances, beating cornerbacks with nice double moves or just outright speed and then showing off excellent hands. Nothing was better, though, that his one-handed touchdown grab near the end zone over Kristian Fulton in the game. It was the best play all week.

FIVE DOWN


OT Willie Allen, River Ridge (La.) John Curtis

Recruiting: Allen has Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss and TCU as his favorites.

Overview: At 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds, Allen has all the physical tools to be something special, but from a technique standpoint there is still work to do. Allen doesn’t use his arms all that well, he seems to regularly be off-balance because he’s on his heels and speedy defensive ends can get to the edge. The frame is there, but he needs on-field development to become special.


OT Jean Delance, Mesquite (Texas) North Mesquite

Recruiting: Delance committed to Texas at the Under Armour game.

Overview: Delance had trouble getting the proper depth out of his stance and often times he was beat around the edge. He got beaten quite a bit by speed rushers, his kick slide wasn’t consistent and he didn’t extend his arms regularly enough. There were times when Delance dominated reps, but he needs to show more consistency.


DT Kendell Jones, Killeen (Texas) Shoemaker

Recruiting: Jones is committed to Alabama.

Overview: Jones is a massive human being, one of the biggest Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell can remember in nearly two decades of scouting. At 6-foot-5 and 361 pounds, Jones has such thick legs and a wide body that he takes up so much space. But he’s almost too big to be counted on every down and it seems like he struggles with injuries because his body cannot take the pounding.


DT Ellison Jordan, Baltimore (Md.) Gilman School

Recruiting: Jordan is committed to Penn State.

Overview: The four-star is a crafty defensive tackle who tries to use his speed and decent power to win reps during one-on-ones and get in the backfield, but he was simply overmatched at this level. Jordan only weighs 262 pounds, so even with good technique and speed, it’s difficult to get around 300-pounders. Down the road with some added weight, Jordan could make a bigger impact.


RB Kareem Walker, Wayne (N.J.) De Paul Catholic

Recruiting: Walker is committed to Michigan.

Overview: The four-star running back had a tough time getting going in the game and it seemed like he waited too long in the backfield for blockers and then never shot through open holes. It could be a question of speed, because it didn’t seem like he was all that sudden with the ball in his hands. There wasn’t much running room, to be fair, but Walker didn’t make much happen, either.