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- Thread starter bucknut11
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
we need all the road graders we can get at OSU......the kid is a freak.
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Sounding pretty good. If we can indeed get McCoy in addition to our "silent-commit" Wells, our class will flat out rock...
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I believe one of the original starters got hurt or something a while back, and so they snuck him back onto the list quietly. Pretty absurd that arguably the best corner in the nation was not on there from the start. That would be like letting Javon Ringer start before Stewart or Gwaltney.
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BGriffBuckeye
Haaaang on Sloopy, Sloopy Hang on!! O.. H.. I.. O.
From what I gather form the article:
We are getting the best/fastest RB from the Eastern squad (Wells)
We are getting the best OL from the squad (Boone)
We are getting one of the top DB from the Eastern squad (Jamario)
We have a great shot at getting the best LB from the Eastern squad (McCoy)
Wow... what a bang up job JT is doing. The fact that it was reported Gwaltney hangs out with Cushing and Turner, instead of Boone, Wells and O'Neal makes you think he is gone, but that is jmo. Anyways, would Love to have him, but we will just have to wait and see. But I am just focused on how awesome this class is going to be and how many championships we have the opportunity to win!!!!!!!
We are getting the best/fastest RB from the Eastern squad (Wells)
We are getting the best OL from the squad (Boone)
We are getting one of the top DB from the Eastern squad (Jamario)
We have a great shot at getting the best LB from the Eastern squad (McCoy)
Wow... what a bang up job JT is doing. The fact that it was reported Gwaltney hangs out with Cushing and Turner, instead of Boone, Wells and O'Neal makes you think he is gone, but that is jmo. Anyways, would Love to have him, but we will just have to wait and see. But I am just focused on how awesome this class is going to be and how many championships we have the opportunity to win!!!!!!!
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East Notebook: Day Two
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>Day Two East Practice Notebook
By Scout.com Staff
Date: Jan 11, 2005
Tuesday was day two of practices at the Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. The East squad took the field for two sessions broken up by a lunch break. Although several players on the East sat out of Tuesday’s practice, the rest of the East squad picked up their play over their performances on Monday.
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East Offense
Jonathan Crompton looked very impressive during Tuesday’s practice sessions. Crompton looks very strong physically and has shown outstanding touch on deep passes as well as the ability to thread the needle on the short to intermediate routes. The most impressive part of Crompton’s game is the way he takes charge in the huddle and leads the offense.
Greg Paulus looked a lot better during today’s session, especially during his progression reads. Paulus, who admitted that he is getting the rust off as he has concentrated on basketball during the past month, also attributed his success to the livelier atmosphere. “It’s a lot different when you are in a game type of atmosphere, this separates the good quarterbacks from the rest,” Paulus said.
Jake Christensen plays remarkably similar to current Iowa signal-caller Drew Tate. He throws BB's and he is very mobile.
At running back, Rashard Mendenhall continues to look like an electric athlete. Mendenhall is lightning quick and shows great strength running off tackle. Mendenhall’s ability to catch passes out of the backfield is unmatched. North Babylon (N.Y.) running back Jason Gwaltney has also shown more speed then most anticipated that he had to go along with great strength and power. Perhaps the most impressive receiver to date for the East offense is Tennessee native Patrick Turner. One member of the Scout.com recruiting team compared him to former USC wide receiver Mike Williams. Trey Stross has been a pleasant surprise for the East receiving corps as well. Stross has been consistently impressive during all four sessions. It appears as though the Hawkeye’s have garnered a prize from the “Buckeye State”.
Tuesday’s practices once again proved that offensive linemen Alex Boone and Dan Doering are among the best in the nation. They were both very impressive during all of Tuesday’s practices as was Michael Oher. Tuesday, Oher showed amazing quickness and agility for a 340-pound player. West Catholic lineman Marques Slocum has also looked impressive and actually even played some defense during the afternoon scrimmage. Slocum was very quick off the ball on offense and defense.
Kicker Matthew Waldron has been very accurate with all off his kicks. During special teams practice, Waldron was drilling most of his kickoffs into the end zone. Waldron is still waiting for his first scholarship offer.
East Defense
The East defense continued to impress on Tuesday. From the very start of practice, the defense came up strong as linebacker Derek Nicholson made a great break on a slot receiver to break up a pass to begin 7 v 7’s. Despite having the stout look of a middle linebacker, he showed the ability to cover sideline to sideline in order to be a three down linebacker that won't have to leave the field in passing situations.
Demetrice Morley has been the top cornerback through two days of practice, but with Fred Rouse on the sidelines, Morley and Michael Ray Garvin both lined up on offense as well. On one of his first plays, Jake Christiansen tried to find Morley, but Phillips came across for an interception.
Phillips picked off another pass almost right away, and it looked like the offense wouldn't be able to complete any passes not thrown out wide to Patrick Turner. However, as Phillips got a breather, the East quickly took advantage with back to back touchdown strikes.
The East defensive backs came back to show that they are one of the best units on either team as Justin King made a nice play to break up a pass in front of him. At cornerback, Adam Meyers-White made an impressive break off of his man to knock the ball out of Patrick Turner's hands. Meyers-White showed that he has the versatility to play corner or safety depending on how he's needed on the next level.
The East offense tried to counter by throwing some underneath patterns, but it was a mistake to try that to Brian Cushing's side. After standing one guy up, Cushing looked to his teammate and said "Look, he's scared to come across now." Sure enough, Cushing jammed him at the line hard enough to knock him backwards as well.
It wasn't all a bed of roses for the East Squad in the defensive backfield though. Patrick Turner was able to use his size and athleticism to pull down a few very nice catches. Kenny Phillips, Demetrice Morley, and Bryan Evans were asked separately who the best receiver they've faced in practice was, and each named the same man...Turner.
On special teams, Zoltan Mesko is the East's punter. Of course the East coaching staff hopes that Mesko is not needed on Saturday, but if he is, the East staff can rest easy – Mesko has a cannon for a leg and can swap field position in a hurry. J.B. Paxson looks to have locked down the deep snapping position.
Injury Report
Tuesday’s practice for the East was relatively injury free. A couple of the injuries from Tuesday’s practice included a minor Patrick Turner suffering from trouble with his hamstring and Kenneth Phillips with a minor groin injury. Offensive lineman Eugene Monroe also tweaked his knee during the afternoon session but it did not look to be a serious cause for concern. Running back Elan Lewis and wide receiver Fred Rouse both sat out of practice due to injuries suffered on Monday while cornerback Victor Harris sat out the last portion of Tuesday’s afternoon session due to the burns that he suffered in December.
Quote of the Day
Nyan Boateng: “We don’t talk trash, we back our play up on the field,”
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is played in San Antonio, Texas., at the Alamodome on Jan. 15, 2005, and broadcast nationally on NBC at 1 p.m. Eastern. Scout.com is a sponsor, the official selection partner and exclusive on-line partner of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, as well as the associated U.S. Army Combine for underclassmen. The game features the top 78 football prospects in the country. East versus West.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>Day Two East Practice Notebook
By Scout.com Staff
Date: Jan 11, 2005
Tuesday was day two of practices at the Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. The East squad took the field for two sessions broken up by a lunch break. Although several players on the East sat out of Tuesday’s practice, the rest of the East squad picked up their play over their performances on Monday.
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East Offense
Jonathan Crompton looked very impressive during Tuesday’s practice sessions. Crompton looks very strong physically and has shown outstanding touch on deep passes as well as the ability to thread the needle on the short to intermediate routes. The most impressive part of Crompton’s game is the way he takes charge in the huddle and leads the offense.
Greg Paulus looked a lot better during today’s session, especially during his progression reads. Paulus, who admitted that he is getting the rust off as he has concentrated on basketball during the past month, also attributed his success to the livelier atmosphere. “It’s a lot different when you are in a game type of atmosphere, this separates the good quarterbacks from the rest,” Paulus said.
Jake Christensen plays remarkably similar to current Iowa signal-caller Drew Tate. He throws BB's and he is very mobile.
At running back, Rashard Mendenhall continues to look like an electric athlete. Mendenhall is lightning quick and shows great strength running off tackle. Mendenhall’s ability to catch passes out of the backfield is unmatched. North Babylon (N.Y.) running back Jason Gwaltney has also shown more speed then most anticipated that he had to go along with great strength and power. Perhaps the most impressive receiver to date for the East offense is Tennessee native Patrick Turner. One member of the Scout.com recruiting team compared him to former USC wide receiver Mike Williams. Trey Stross has been a pleasant surprise for the East receiving corps as well. Stross has been consistently impressive during all four sessions. It appears as though the Hawkeye’s have garnered a prize from the “Buckeye State”.
Tuesday’s practices once again proved that offensive linemen Alex Boone and Dan Doering are among the best in the nation. They were both very impressive during all of Tuesday’s practices as was Michael Oher. Tuesday, Oher showed amazing quickness and agility for a 340-pound player. West Catholic lineman Marques Slocum has also looked impressive and actually even played some defense during the afternoon scrimmage. Slocum was very quick off the ball on offense and defense.
Kicker Matthew Waldron has been very accurate with all off his kicks. During special teams practice, Waldron was drilling most of his kickoffs into the end zone. Waldron is still waiting for his first scholarship offer.
East Defense
The East defense continued to impress on Tuesday. From the very start of practice, the defense came up strong as linebacker Derek Nicholson made a great break on a slot receiver to break up a pass to begin 7 v 7’s. Despite having the stout look of a middle linebacker, he showed the ability to cover sideline to sideline in order to be a three down linebacker that won't have to leave the field in passing situations.
Demetrice Morley has been the top cornerback through two days of practice, but with Fred Rouse on the sidelines, Morley and Michael Ray Garvin both lined up on offense as well. On one of his first plays, Jake Christiansen tried to find Morley, but Phillips came across for an interception.
Phillips picked off another pass almost right away, and it looked like the offense wouldn't be able to complete any passes not thrown out wide to Patrick Turner. However, as Phillips got a breather, the East quickly took advantage with back to back touchdown strikes.
The East defensive backs came back to show that they are one of the best units on either team as Justin King made a nice play to break up a pass in front of him. At cornerback, Adam Meyers-White made an impressive break off of his man to knock the ball out of Patrick Turner's hands. Meyers-White showed that he has the versatility to play corner or safety depending on how he's needed on the next level.
The East offense tried to counter by throwing some underneath patterns, but it was a mistake to try that to Brian Cushing's side. After standing one guy up, Cushing looked to his teammate and said "Look, he's scared to come across now." Sure enough, Cushing jammed him at the line hard enough to knock him backwards as well.
It wasn't all a bed of roses for the East Squad in the defensive backfield though. Patrick Turner was able to use his size and athleticism to pull down a few very nice catches. Kenny Phillips, Demetrice Morley, and Bryan Evans were asked separately who the best receiver they've faced in practice was, and each named the same man...Turner.
On special teams, Zoltan Mesko is the East's punter. Of course the East coaching staff hopes that Mesko is not needed on Saturday, but if he is, the East staff can rest easy – Mesko has a cannon for a leg and can swap field position in a hurry. J.B. Paxson looks to have locked down the deep snapping position.
Injury Report
Tuesday’s practice for the East was relatively injury free. A couple of the injuries from Tuesday’s practice included a minor Patrick Turner suffering from trouble with his hamstring and Kenneth Phillips with a minor groin injury. Offensive lineman Eugene Monroe also tweaked his knee during the afternoon session but it did not look to be a serious cause for concern. Running back Elan Lewis and wide receiver Fred Rouse both sat out of practice due to injuries suffered on Monday while cornerback Victor Harris sat out the last portion of Tuesday’s afternoon session due to the burns that he suffered in December.
Quote of the Day
Nyan Boateng: “We don’t talk trash, we back our play up on the field,”
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is played in San Antonio, Texas., at the Alamodome on Jan. 15, 2005, and broadcast nationally on NBC at 1 p.m. Eastern. Scout.com is a sponsor, the official selection partner and exclusive on-line partner of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, as well as the associated U.S. Army Combine for underclassmen. The game features the top 78 football prospects in the country. East versus West.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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West Notebook: Day Two
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>Day Two West Practice Notebook
By Jamie Newberg National Recruiting Analyst
Date: Jan 11, 2005
It was another intense practice session for the West team of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas today. Here are some news, notes and evaluations.
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Day Two of the West practice for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl saw the offense make some strides behind the play of quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (USC commitment), Ryan Perrilloux (Texas commitment) and Jimmy Barnes (Alabama commitment). Both Sanchez and Barnes said there was much improvement.
“I tell you what the (OL) line played awesome today,” said Sanchez. “They really came to play and did a great job. We, as a team, have a lot more chemistry today and overall I thought it was a great second day. I thought all the quarterbacks played well. How can you not with all this talent around you?”
Both Sanchez and Perrilloux showed why they are the top two ranked quarterbacks in the country according to Scout.com. Sanchez doesn’t have the arm that Perrilloux has but he certainly shows a command for the game, especially when locating the second and third passing options. He makes great decisions and is decisive with the ball. Perrilloux shows an amazing arm and when all things are clicking he makes playing the position look so easy. Both quarterbacks can throw all the passes, although Perrilloux only knows one speed, full speed. He needs to learn how to throw with more touch, especially in the short passing game. All things considering though Ryan Perrilloux may have more upside than any player in this game.
Barnes doesn’t have the arm strength that his two teammates have but he does throw an accurate ball and throws the touch pass, especially down field, very well.
“I thought I did much better this morning,” said Barnes. “I am starting to get a little tired but I am throwing ok. I feel like I am starting to get back in the swing of things and the team is really starting to come together. And I am starting to get used to the speed out there. I am not used to throwing to guys that run 4.4 or 4.3 like this.
At the wide receiver position two players stood out today, DeSean Jackson and David Gettis. Jackson is not nearly as big as the other big time wide receivers in this game but he certainly looks like a big play guy. He runs good routes and is very dangerous with the ball in his hands after the catch. Jackson also excellent quickness and can start and stop on a dime. He also has excellent quickness and can start and stop on a dime. Jackson shows an extra gear and can really separate himself away from the defender. He did a little bit of everything today, catching the short and intermediate passes and consistently getting behind the secondary. Gettis is big, very smooth and fluid. He runs very well and has long arms. He made some very nice grabs over the middle and the quarterbacks found him on deep routes throughout practice.
David Nelson, who had a terrific practice on Monday, did some nice stuff today as well, making some nice catches along the sidelines on out routes. Also impressive was D.J. Hord. From the running back position Jerrill Wilkerson looked really good in the passing game, especially running deep routes where he consistently made big plays.
The offensive line unit is lacking size, depth and another body. Center Jesse White (Oklahoma commitment), sat out the day with a right ankle and knee injury as he walked with a noticeable limp. He is day-to-day but expected to make his way back in the lineup soon.
Bouncing back in a huge way, today, was Reginald Youngblood (Miami commitment), who actually had a good day yesterday save getting beat a few times by defensive end Aaron Lewis (Texas commitment) and defensive end Raymond Henderson. We said it would be interesting to see if he’d make a few adjustments and he did exactly that. No one got around him, no one even got close. Not to mention, when he was asked to pull and execute blocks downfield, he handled his business. The Scout.com No. 2-rated OT, in the nation, proved it today.
“I think I had some problems yesterday because it was the first day, and I was gettin’ used to the speed,” Youngblood told Scout.com. “The speed of these guys is the biggest thing to adjust to. But today, I was comin’ out of my stance quicker and was able to adjust to the speed.”
Another standout effort was turned in today by center Josh McNeil (Tennessee commitment). He has the nasty disposition you want to see on the offensive line, the game, and the talk. After getting into a little skirmish with defensive tackle Roy Miller, the two locked up mano y mano on the next play, battling each other until the whistle was blown to a draw.
“I hit him and he fell to the ground,” McNeil explaining what happened during the scuffle, “And he didn’t like it too much. We had some words and I guess we just decided to mix it up a little on the next play.”
Ndamaukong Suh stepped in at left guard, in place of the injured White, and gave his best effort, but had a lot of problems controlling Miller. Offensive lineman Rodney Picou grabbed first-team at left guard today and did well, though, he did struggle some against defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger. Offensive tackle Daniel Borg (Arizona commitment) is starting at RT for the West and has looked good off-and-on, having his hands full with defensive end Marcus Shavers (Arkansas commitment). Correction: In the West Practice Report yesterday, we said guard Craig Roark (Oklahoma commitment) looked closer to 6-feet than the listed 6-3. However, I went and stood next to him today after the practice was over, as opposed to looking at from him afar, and he’s definitely 6-2, might even give him 6-2.5. Having said that, Roark and his father disagreed, citing a 6-3 camp measurement at Nebraska.
Watching the tight ends today revealed that tight end DajLeon Farr (Miami commitment) (who was unable to practice yesterday in the main action because his helmet was still on order and arrived today) saw his first extensive action and during drills showed his ability to catch the ball, with his hands, but due to nerves dropped a few he should have hauled in. However, later in 7-on-7 action, kid caught everything. He followed that up with another good performance in the scrimmage, catching everything, save one pass. He has the speed to separate from the linebackers and drew a lot of praise today.
Tight end Martellus Bennett was not his usual himself today. After having a very strong, Bennett-like effort in today’s drills, catching everything thrown his way, he struggled in 7-on-7 work and in the scrimmage. He wasn’t able to haul in the passes with much consistency at all. The 6-7-specimen also had trouble separating from the linebackers, but used his big frame to shield the defender. That said, not a typical Bennett performance by his standards today. Too many dropped passes. That said, expect him to come out tomorrow with renewed focus on getting back to the basics: see it, snatch it.
Maualauga and the LBs Rey Maualauga, the #5 linebacker prospect, in the country, according to Scout.com, had a very impressive practice today for the West squad.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder, from Eureka (Calif.) Senior physically looked like he could step on the football field next year and make an immediate impact.
“Maulaluga showed some serious explosion and punch,” said Chris Pool, Midwest Recruiting-Analyst for Scout.com
“Maulaluga is a prototypical middle linebacker that plays sideline to sideline. He has natural instincts and he arrives at the ball in a nasty mood.”
Ryan Reynolds also had a terrific practice. He and Maulaluga seemed to be working well together and feeding off of each others energy.
Nebraska Cornhusker fans will be glad to know that Phillip Dillard was probably the best all-around linebacker of the bunch.
In 7-on-7 drills, Dillard either defended the pass or intercepted it. He’s very good at reading his keys and getting into his drops.
Travis Beckum (Wisconsin commitment) probably had the hit of the day when he blew up Dajleon Farr, who just caught a quick flare pass form Mark Sanchez. Beckum also destroyed Farr when the Texas tight end tried to block him on a sweep play. Beckum threw Farr back into running back Marlon Lucky and both Farr and Lucky hit the ground.
Beckum has looked fantastic but we feel he’ll play with his hand on the ground for the Badgers.
Moving to the defensive line, Killeen, Texas standout Roy Miller filled in for Jerrell Powe and had a very good practice. Miller stays low to the ground and he’s extremely powerful. He never gives up and doesn’t get nearly the recognition that he deserves.
Marcus Shavers is full of energy. He plays with a high level of intensity and constantly works on his technique.
DeMarcus Granger is a beast. He demands a double team on every play. Granger packs a punch at the snap of the ball and he’s a technician. DeMarcus knows it takes more than one person to block him and he relies heavily on his technique. Impressive DBs Anthony Harris, Marlon Lucky's coach at North Hollywood (Calif.) High School is in charge of the defensive backs for the West team, and he's more than happy to be coaching on the other side of the ball for a change.
"I didn't know much about them, but when you have the defensive backs in a game like this you know you have the best athletes on the team," Harris told Scout.com Tuesday. "All I try to do is bring some intensity to the group and hopefully my intensity will rub off on them. Right from the start we got after it, and we've got a great group of players to work with."
Not only is Harris' group - Kevin Thomas, Jr. (USC commitment) from Oxnard, Calif., Derek Pegues from Batesville, Mississippi, Korey Mangum from LaMarque, Texas, Reggie Smith from Edmond, Oklahoma, Brandon Tatum (Arizona commitment) from Forth Worth, Texas and Leon Jackson (Nebraska commitment) from Pasco, Washington - athletic, but they have also caught on well to keeping things tidy in the deep third.
"They caught on well from the beginning," said Harris. "The thing we're trying to do for this game is keep things as simple as possible. In this game, they try to give the advantage to the offense, so all we're trying to do is not embarrass ourselves. So we get after it hard and try to really communicate with each other so we don't make any fundamental mistakes."
Thomas was a player that was relatively unknown until he blew up at the Los Angeles MSL camp this past spring. He played safety for Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, but Harris saw cover ability from the get-go.
"I'd heard about Kevin being from California, but when I actually got out here he really impressed me," said Harris of Thomas. "He played safety in high school, but he's playing corner for me and USC is getting a great kid. He can cover, he's tough, he's smart. He's really impressed me."
Pegues, nicknamed 'DP', brings a little different game to the table as the West's other primary lock-down corner. "He's a short guy, but he's probably got a 38-inch vert (jump)," Harris said of Pegues. "And he's got ridiculous closing speed. We feel comfortable with those two guys playing corner." Tennessee, Mississippi and Mississippi State are all working hard to obtain the services of Scout.com's 16th-rated cornerback.
The Volunteers are also hot after Reggie Smith, Scout.com's number-two safety prospect from Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe, but I'm sure Bob Stoops and the Sooners are going to do their best to make sure Smith stays close to home.
"He can play corner as well, so he's our cover safety," Harris said of Smith. "(Brandon) Tatum is playing strong, a little closer to the line of scrimmage. But they can both get it done, but Smith is definitely the cover guy. He's real athletic and he might be returning some kicks for us. He's got good recovery speed." The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is played in San Antonio, Texas., at the Alamodome on Jan. 15, 2005, and broadcast nationally on NBC at 1 p.m. Eastern. Scout.com is a sponsor, the official selection partner and exclusive on-line partner of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, as well as the associated U.S. Army Combine for underclassmen. The game features the top 78 football prospects in the country. East versus West.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top bgColor=#ffffff>
</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>Day Two West Practice Notebook
By Jamie Newberg National Recruiting Analyst
Date: Jan 11, 2005
It was another intense practice session for the West team of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas today. Here are some news, notes and evaluations.
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>
Day Two of the West practice for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl saw the offense make some strides behind the play of quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (USC commitment), Ryan Perrilloux (Texas commitment) and Jimmy Barnes (Alabama commitment). Both Sanchez and Barnes said there was much improvement.
“I tell you what the (OL) line played awesome today,” said Sanchez. “They really came to play and did a great job. We, as a team, have a lot more chemistry today and overall I thought it was a great second day. I thought all the quarterbacks played well. How can you not with all this talent around you?”
Both Sanchez and Perrilloux showed why they are the top two ranked quarterbacks in the country according to Scout.com. Sanchez doesn’t have the arm that Perrilloux has but he certainly shows a command for the game, especially when locating the second and third passing options. He makes great decisions and is decisive with the ball. Perrilloux shows an amazing arm and when all things are clicking he makes playing the position look so easy. Both quarterbacks can throw all the passes, although Perrilloux only knows one speed, full speed. He needs to learn how to throw with more touch, especially in the short passing game. All things considering though Ryan Perrilloux may have more upside than any player in this game.
Barnes doesn’t have the arm strength that his two teammates have but he does throw an accurate ball and throws the touch pass, especially down field, very well.
“I thought I did much better this morning,” said Barnes. “I am starting to get a little tired but I am throwing ok. I feel like I am starting to get back in the swing of things and the team is really starting to come together. And I am starting to get used to the speed out there. I am not used to throwing to guys that run 4.4 or 4.3 like this.
At the wide receiver position two players stood out today, DeSean Jackson and David Gettis. Jackson is not nearly as big as the other big time wide receivers in this game but he certainly looks like a big play guy. He runs good routes and is very dangerous with the ball in his hands after the catch. Jackson also excellent quickness and can start and stop on a dime. He also has excellent quickness and can start and stop on a dime. Jackson shows an extra gear and can really separate himself away from the defender. He did a little bit of everything today, catching the short and intermediate passes and consistently getting behind the secondary. Gettis is big, very smooth and fluid. He runs very well and has long arms. He made some very nice grabs over the middle and the quarterbacks found him on deep routes throughout practice.
David Nelson, who had a terrific practice on Monday, did some nice stuff today as well, making some nice catches along the sidelines on out routes. Also impressive was D.J. Hord. From the running back position Jerrill Wilkerson looked really good in the passing game, especially running deep routes where he consistently made big plays.
The offensive line unit is lacking size, depth and another body. Center Jesse White (Oklahoma commitment), sat out the day with a right ankle and knee injury as he walked with a noticeable limp. He is day-to-day but expected to make his way back in the lineup soon.
Bouncing back in a huge way, today, was Reginald Youngblood (Miami commitment), who actually had a good day yesterday save getting beat a few times by defensive end Aaron Lewis (Texas commitment) and defensive end Raymond Henderson. We said it would be interesting to see if he’d make a few adjustments and he did exactly that. No one got around him, no one even got close. Not to mention, when he was asked to pull and execute blocks downfield, he handled his business. The Scout.com No. 2-rated OT, in the nation, proved it today.
“I think I had some problems yesterday because it was the first day, and I was gettin’ used to the speed,” Youngblood told Scout.com. “The speed of these guys is the biggest thing to adjust to. But today, I was comin’ out of my stance quicker and was able to adjust to the speed.”
Another standout effort was turned in today by center Josh McNeil (Tennessee commitment). He has the nasty disposition you want to see on the offensive line, the game, and the talk. After getting into a little skirmish with defensive tackle Roy Miller, the two locked up mano y mano on the next play, battling each other until the whistle was blown to a draw.
“I hit him and he fell to the ground,” McNeil explaining what happened during the scuffle, “And he didn’t like it too much. We had some words and I guess we just decided to mix it up a little on the next play.”
Ndamaukong Suh stepped in at left guard, in place of the injured White, and gave his best effort, but had a lot of problems controlling Miller. Offensive lineman Rodney Picou grabbed first-team at left guard today and did well, though, he did struggle some against defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger. Offensive tackle Daniel Borg (Arizona commitment) is starting at RT for the West and has looked good off-and-on, having his hands full with defensive end Marcus Shavers (Arkansas commitment). Correction: In the West Practice Report yesterday, we said guard Craig Roark (Oklahoma commitment) looked closer to 6-feet than the listed 6-3. However, I went and stood next to him today after the practice was over, as opposed to looking at from him afar, and he’s definitely 6-2, might even give him 6-2.5. Having said that, Roark and his father disagreed, citing a 6-3 camp measurement at Nebraska.
Watching the tight ends today revealed that tight end DajLeon Farr (Miami commitment) (who was unable to practice yesterday in the main action because his helmet was still on order and arrived today) saw his first extensive action and during drills showed his ability to catch the ball, with his hands, but due to nerves dropped a few he should have hauled in. However, later in 7-on-7 action, kid caught everything. He followed that up with another good performance in the scrimmage, catching everything, save one pass. He has the speed to separate from the linebackers and drew a lot of praise today.
Tight end Martellus Bennett was not his usual himself today. After having a very strong, Bennett-like effort in today’s drills, catching everything thrown his way, he struggled in 7-on-7 work and in the scrimmage. He wasn’t able to haul in the passes with much consistency at all. The 6-7-specimen also had trouble separating from the linebackers, but used his big frame to shield the defender. That said, not a typical Bennett performance by his standards today. Too many dropped passes. That said, expect him to come out tomorrow with renewed focus on getting back to the basics: see it, snatch it.
Maualauga and the LBs Rey Maualauga, the #5 linebacker prospect, in the country, according to Scout.com, had a very impressive practice today for the West squad.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder, from Eureka (Calif.) Senior physically looked like he could step on the football field next year and make an immediate impact.
“Maulaluga showed some serious explosion and punch,” said Chris Pool, Midwest Recruiting-Analyst for Scout.com
“Maulaluga is a prototypical middle linebacker that plays sideline to sideline. He has natural instincts and he arrives at the ball in a nasty mood.”
Ryan Reynolds also had a terrific practice. He and Maulaluga seemed to be working well together and feeding off of each others energy.
Nebraska Cornhusker fans will be glad to know that Phillip Dillard was probably the best all-around linebacker of the bunch.
In 7-on-7 drills, Dillard either defended the pass or intercepted it. He’s very good at reading his keys and getting into his drops.
Travis Beckum (Wisconsin commitment) probably had the hit of the day when he blew up Dajleon Farr, who just caught a quick flare pass form Mark Sanchez. Beckum also destroyed Farr when the Texas tight end tried to block him on a sweep play. Beckum threw Farr back into running back Marlon Lucky and both Farr and Lucky hit the ground.
Beckum has looked fantastic but we feel he’ll play with his hand on the ground for the Badgers.
Moving to the defensive line, Killeen, Texas standout Roy Miller filled in for Jerrell Powe and had a very good practice. Miller stays low to the ground and he’s extremely powerful. He never gives up and doesn’t get nearly the recognition that he deserves.
Marcus Shavers is full of energy. He plays with a high level of intensity and constantly works on his technique.
DeMarcus Granger is a beast. He demands a double team on every play. Granger packs a punch at the snap of the ball and he’s a technician. DeMarcus knows it takes more than one person to block him and he relies heavily on his technique. Impressive DBs Anthony Harris, Marlon Lucky's coach at North Hollywood (Calif.) High School is in charge of the defensive backs for the West team, and he's more than happy to be coaching on the other side of the ball for a change.
"I didn't know much about them, but when you have the defensive backs in a game like this you know you have the best athletes on the team," Harris told Scout.com Tuesday. "All I try to do is bring some intensity to the group and hopefully my intensity will rub off on them. Right from the start we got after it, and we've got a great group of players to work with."
Not only is Harris' group - Kevin Thomas, Jr. (USC commitment) from Oxnard, Calif., Derek Pegues from Batesville, Mississippi, Korey Mangum from LaMarque, Texas, Reggie Smith from Edmond, Oklahoma, Brandon Tatum (Arizona commitment) from Forth Worth, Texas and Leon Jackson (Nebraska commitment) from Pasco, Washington - athletic, but they have also caught on well to keeping things tidy in the deep third.
"They caught on well from the beginning," said Harris. "The thing we're trying to do for this game is keep things as simple as possible. In this game, they try to give the advantage to the offense, so all we're trying to do is not embarrass ourselves. So we get after it hard and try to really communicate with each other so we don't make any fundamental mistakes."
Thomas was a player that was relatively unknown until he blew up at the Los Angeles MSL camp this past spring. He played safety for Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, but Harris saw cover ability from the get-go.
"I'd heard about Kevin being from California, but when I actually got out here he really impressed me," said Harris of Thomas. "He played safety in high school, but he's playing corner for me and USC is getting a great kid. He can cover, he's tough, he's smart. He's really impressed me."
Pegues, nicknamed 'DP', brings a little different game to the table as the West's other primary lock-down corner. "He's a short guy, but he's probably got a 38-inch vert (jump)," Harris said of Pegues. "And he's got ridiculous closing speed. We feel comfortable with those two guys playing corner." Tennessee, Mississippi and Mississippi State are all working hard to obtain the services of Scout.com's 16th-rated cornerback.
The Volunteers are also hot after Reggie Smith, Scout.com's number-two safety prospect from Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe, but I'm sure Bob Stoops and the Sooners are going to do their best to make sure Smith stays close to home.
"He can play corner as well, so he's our cover safety," Harris said of Smith. "(Brandon) Tatum is playing strong, a little closer to the line of scrimmage. But they can both get it done, but Smith is definitely the cover guy. He's real athletic and he might be returning some kicks for us. He's got good recovery speed." The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is played in San Antonio, Texas., at the Alamodome on Jan. 15, 2005, and broadcast nationally on NBC at 1 p.m. Eastern. Scout.com is a sponsor, the official selection partner and exclusive on-line partner of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, as well as the associated U.S. Army Combine for underclassmen. The game features the top 78 football prospects in the country. East versus West.
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<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" width="98%"> <tbody> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top">
Jamario O'Neal
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" width="3">
</td> <td valign="top"> All-Americans Talk About Bowl Game, More
By Steve Ryan Special to Bucknuts.com
Date: Jan 11, 2005
This week is a week of particular interest to Buckeye football fans as two OSU commitments are down in San Antonio for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, as are at least three uncommitted OSU recruiting targets. Steve Ryan of BigRedReport (http://nebraska.scout.com) is on the scene in San Antonio and brings us some words from OSU commitment Jamario O'Neal as well as uncommitted recruits Jason Gwaltney and Rico McCoy.
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
The East squad hit the field today, and Buckeye fans want to know one thing: Who else can Jamario O'Neal get? Where is Rico McCoy going? Where is Jason Gwaltney going? Ok, that's three things, but you'll forgive the misstatement if there is something good to say. There might be just that as it's close to decision time for both McCoy and Gwaltney, and Ohio State is "in there" for either one.
You don't have to look twice to find Jason Gwaltney. Actually, you do, but it isn't because you can't see him; it's because you can't believe what you are seeing.
Seventeen year-olds didn't look like this when I was a kid.
"I've just worked out hard since I was younger," Gwaltney said of his regiment to fine-tune his demigod-like appearance. "You just have to stay focused on your goals."
One goal, like most any other recruit at the All-American Bowl, is not to just show up, but show up everyone else on the field. Gwaltney isn't that boisterous, but this powerful tank of a running back definitely doesn't shy away from the competition and that's on either side of the ball.
"We're here for a reason," Jason said. "When you do make it here, you want to come strong and make sure you don't leave any questions about what you gave. Everyone here was the best wherever they came from, but now they want to be the best here."
"If you want to do that, you have to be serious about what you are trying to do."
Gwaltney, behind that unbelievably large offensive-line that is comprised completely of tackles on the first string, all no shorter than 6 foot-6 inches tall… well, even for a guy that likes to get physical, he sees that line and just smiles thinking about the holes he should have come Saturday.
"I'm never going to see anything like this ever again I don't think," he said. "I can't even see over them, but I know I just have to see between them to get up-field."
East teammate and another player that has Ohio State on his list is middle linebacker Rico McCoy. Like Gwaltney, Rico is glad to be here, but he plans on making the trip worthwhile.
"I'm not getting on that bus wondering what I could have done," Rico said. "Everyone here is bringing everything they have, so if you think you can get it done, you better bring everything you've got to."
When you are talking Rico McCoy, everything means a whole lot as there just isn't much this middle linebacker isn't capable of doing. The ultra aggressive McCoy has shown during practices that he's not just a tackler, but a top-notch defender as well. That means something when the rules have a 6-2, 220-pound linebacker back in pass coverage.
"It's all about speed," McCoy said. "You've got to be able to keep up with everyone and that includes guys in the secondary. If you are slow, you are going to get beat."
When Rico wasn't back in pass coverage and actually keeping up with the speedy wideouts, he was covering the corners, making sure that there wasn't a running back even close to getting upfield. Honestly, there's not much this kid can't do -- well, outside of being able to see over East's gargantuan offensive line.
McCoy found himself at times in coverage on a future Buckeye and one of the most electric players on the field. Future member of the Ohio State team Jamario O'Neal played both ways and showed several times why he is considered one of the top overall athletes around.
On defense, O'Neal was quick to read the ball. Playing man when you are going against players like this is always a risk, so the philosophy here was to play a soft cushion and just see what players could do to react, a la more zone coverage than man.
O'Neal looks like he would eventually flourish in either, but he was exceptional in not just seeing the play develop, but reacting, as his noted first step was about as quick as you can get.
Combine that with solid speed, good jumping ability and just a great feel for the game, and O'Neal continues to be one of the biggest pickups for Ohio State this year.
Oh, and as you all know by now, he's bringing teammate Freddie Lenix with him.
"He's just a great player and I don't think anyone realizes just how good he is right now," O'Neal said. "He's going to be just another big player for the team."
O'Neal has made himself out to be quite the recruiter since he arrived in San Antonio and why wouldn't he be? Where else would you want to look if you are wandering about for great future teammates but the place where the best of the best will be?
It didn't take Jamario long before he was already knocking on a few hotel doors and yaking in a few ears to others about joining him at Ohio State.
"I've been talking to James McKinney," O'Neal said of the Louisville, Kentucky defensive lineman. "We could sure use a guy like that, and he knows there's a lot of love at OSU."
"I think we can get him, so I am going to keep working that and see what happens."
Compared to some years, Ohio State doesn't have the bumper crop they might have any other year. It hasn't stopped them from putting together a class of high-quality players, though, and with the possible additions of Gwaltney and McCoy, you have a class that goes from solid to excellent in about the blink of an eye.
Now, Buckeye fans just have to wait until at least Saturday to see if these two prep-dreams come true.
Stay tuned for a photo page, and premium subscribers can keep an eye out for full video interviews of Jason Gwaltney as he goes into detail about his colleges and the bottom line as to what is important to him, Rico McCoy talking about Ohio State, what's up with them and how they stack up to Tennessee and of course, and Jamario O'Neal on what he's been doing since he committed, comments about Freddie committing to OSU and what is up with James McKinney.
</td></tr></tbody> </table>
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<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" width="98%"> <tbody> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top">
Jamario O'Neal
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" width="3">
</td> <td valign="top"> All-Americans Talk About Bowl Game, More
By Steve Ryan Special to Bucknuts.com
Date: Jan 11, 2005
This week is a week of particular interest to Buckeye football fans as two OSU commitments are down in San Antonio for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, as are at least three uncommitted OSU recruiting targets. Steve Ryan of BigRedReport (http://nebraska.scout.com) is on the scene in San Antonio and brings us some words from OSU commitment Jamario O'Neal as well as uncommitted recruits Jason Gwaltney and Rico McCoy.
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
The East squad hit the field today, and Buckeye fans want to know one thing: Who else can Jamario O'Neal get? Where is Rico McCoy going? Where is Jason Gwaltney going? Ok, that's three things, but you'll forgive the misstatement if there is something good to say. There might be just that as it's close to decision time for both McCoy and Gwaltney, and Ohio State is "in there" for either one.
You don't have to look twice to find Jason Gwaltney. Actually, you do, but it isn't because you can't see him; it's because you can't believe what you are seeing.
Seventeen year-olds didn't look like this when I was a kid.
"I've just worked out hard since I was younger," Gwaltney said of his regiment to fine-tune his demigod-like appearance. "You just have to stay focused on your goals."
One goal, like most any other recruit at the All-American Bowl, is not to just show up, but show up everyone else on the field. Gwaltney isn't that boisterous, but this powerful tank of a running back definitely doesn't shy away from the competition and that's on either side of the ball.
"We're here for a reason," Jason said. "When you do make it here, you want to come strong and make sure you don't leave any questions about what you gave. Everyone here was the best wherever they came from, but now they want to be the best here."
"If you want to do that, you have to be serious about what you are trying to do."
Gwaltney, behind that unbelievably large offensive-line that is comprised completely of tackles on the first string, all no shorter than 6 foot-6 inches tall… well, even for a guy that likes to get physical, he sees that line and just smiles thinking about the holes he should have come Saturday.
"I'm never going to see anything like this ever again I don't think," he said. "I can't even see over them, but I know I just have to see between them to get up-field."
East teammate and another player that has Ohio State on his list is middle linebacker Rico McCoy. Like Gwaltney, Rico is glad to be here, but he plans on making the trip worthwhile.
"I'm not getting on that bus wondering what I could have done," Rico said. "Everyone here is bringing everything they have, so if you think you can get it done, you better bring everything you've got to."
When you are talking Rico McCoy, everything means a whole lot as there just isn't much this middle linebacker isn't capable of doing. The ultra aggressive McCoy has shown during practices that he's not just a tackler, but a top-notch defender as well. That means something when the rules have a 6-2, 220-pound linebacker back in pass coverage.
"It's all about speed," McCoy said. "You've got to be able to keep up with everyone and that includes guys in the secondary. If you are slow, you are going to get beat."
When Rico wasn't back in pass coverage and actually keeping up with the speedy wideouts, he was covering the corners, making sure that there wasn't a running back even close to getting upfield. Honestly, there's not much this kid can't do -- well, outside of being able to see over East's gargantuan offensive line.
McCoy found himself at times in coverage on a future Buckeye and one of the most electric players on the field. Future member of the Ohio State team Jamario O'Neal played both ways and showed several times why he is considered one of the top overall athletes around.
On defense, O'Neal was quick to read the ball. Playing man when you are going against players like this is always a risk, so the philosophy here was to play a soft cushion and just see what players could do to react, a la more zone coverage than man.
O'Neal looks like he would eventually flourish in either, but he was exceptional in not just seeing the play develop, but reacting, as his noted first step was about as quick as you can get.
Combine that with solid speed, good jumping ability and just a great feel for the game, and O'Neal continues to be one of the biggest pickups for Ohio State this year.
Oh, and as you all know by now, he's bringing teammate Freddie Lenix with him.
"He's just a great player and I don't think anyone realizes just how good he is right now," O'Neal said. "He's going to be just another big player for the team."
O'Neal has made himself out to be quite the recruiter since he arrived in San Antonio and why wouldn't he be? Where else would you want to look if you are wandering about for great future teammates but the place where the best of the best will be?
It didn't take Jamario long before he was already knocking on a few hotel doors and yaking in a few ears to others about joining him at Ohio State.
"I've been talking to James McKinney," O'Neal said of the Louisville, Kentucky defensive lineman. "We could sure use a guy like that, and he knows there's a lot of love at OSU."
"I think we can get him, so I am going to keep working that and see what happens."
Compared to some years, Ohio State doesn't have the bumper crop they might have any other year. It hasn't stopped them from putting together a class of high-quality players, though, and with the possible additions of Gwaltney and McCoy, you have a class that goes from solid to excellent in about the blink of an eye.
Now, Buckeye fans just have to wait until at least Saturday to see if these two prep-dreams come true.
Stay tuned for a photo page, and premium subscribers can keep an eye out for full video interviews of Jason Gwaltney as he goes into detail about his colleges and the bottom line as to what is important to him, Rico McCoy talking about Ohio State, what's up with them and how they stack up to Tennessee and of course, and Jamario O'Neal on what he's been doing since he committed, comments about Freddie committing to OSU and what is up with James McKinney.
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BuckTwenty
Parties with Pete Johnson's Beard
Thought never came to me that JamO might be a threat as a WR! Looks like he's gonna get some extra time out there, ala Xavier Lee, with Rouse being injured.
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Has anyone seen any info on what juniors were headed to San Antonio? I know that a bunch of Glenville kids were going down, and Jacob Ramsey from Independence said he was invited as well. Just curious if anyone had seen anything...
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