LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The rundown on Wednesday’s top performers following the first day of practice in preparation for Sunday’s Under Armour All-America Game.
Alpha Dog
Offensive Lineman Devon Campbell
Coming into practice number one and setting the tone was Devon Campbell as our Alpha Dog. The Arlington (Texas) Bowie offensive lineman showed his versatility lining up and down the line taking reps. He is a powerful built player with very good quickness and snap off the ball. You couple that with a powerful punch and playing with good pad level it’s easy to see why he is an elite prospect. In 1 on 1’s Campbell lined up at right tackle, right guard and center without missing a beat and winning all his reps. The No. 10 prospect nationally in the 247Sports composite has a very bright future ahead of him. Texas and Oklahoma are battling down the stretch for his signature.
Watch Campbell perform in the trenches here.
Next Five Offense
WR, Luther Burden, East St. Louis (Ill.) – Burden makes the list by putting his full skill set on display tonight. He played strong, fast and physical, using good athleticism to win many reps in the evening. His pass catching is very natural and consistent whether he is out in the open field or in traffic coming across the middle. Burden still has room to grow physically in his upper body that will only bode well for him in his college career. The Missouri signee is rated the No. 3 player nationally in the 247Sports Composite
WR, Evan Stewart, Frisco (Texas) Liberty – Stewart flashes his elite his speed from the get go. He showed a nice ability to get open with his releases and fly past the corner backs. With a bounce in his step and burst off the ball he scored on scored times during the 1-on-1s. You saw throughout the night his ability to create separation and pluck the ball out of the air. Stewart can either be in the slot or outside and be a threat to make home run plays happen. Stewart is a Texas A&M signee.
WR, Kaden Saunders, Westerville (Ohio) South – Saunders, a Penn State signee had a very good day out of the gate. With a well built frame along with good size and build, he is a very smooth athlete that understands how to set up his routes with pace and tempo off the ball. He flashed his burst, quickness and ability to separate consistently allowing him to win in both the 1 on 1 and team settings. He showed that he is a major factor as a slot receiver with big time playmaking.
WR, Chris Marshall, Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Marshall – The first thing that stood out to me was his height and length. Checking at over 6-foot-3 with a muscular frame you like the look of this guy from the jump. Once practice started the big wide receiver made a ton of plays and flashed a knack to get open. He also was able to pop the top and score on a deep fly pattern. Marshall has a lot of room left to grow and develop in his game with unlimited potential. Like Stewart, Marshall signed with the Aggies.
WR, Aaron Anderson, New Orleans (La.) Karr – This powerful built slot created problems all night for the defensive backs that had to cover him. His ability to change speeds is something that stood out throughout the night. He used this well in setting up his cuts in and out of his breaks. At times he was able to open it up and his speed was clearly evident for the Alabama signee and No. 96 player nationally in the 247Sports Composite.
Top Five Defense
CB, Daylen Everette, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG – The Georgia signee and No. 29 rated player nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings had a very good day one. This well-put together player with a muscular frame and build shows competitiveness at the catch point and big time speed. He had a couple of nice pass break ups where he did a nice job closing the air space and making a play on the ball.
CB, Will Johnson, Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South – The 6-foot-2 plus cornerback looks that part along with very good length. Johnson showed up in 1-on-1s making play after play. Playing in off technique he did a good job with route recognition and keeping leverage on top of the receivers and flipping his hips. Utilizing good closing speed he was able to make a few pass break-ups. The Michigan signee is the No. 20 player in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
DL, Walter Nolen, Powell (Tenn.) High- Nolen looks to have leaned out some from the season and he had bounce in his step. The Nations No. 2 player in the 247Sports Composite rankings is freakish. Going half speed in the 1-on-1s it was very obvious with his size, strength and agility that he was an elite talent. The Texas A&M signee will continue to blossom with time in the weight room and more overall development.
CB, Bobby Taylor Katy (Texas) High- Taylor possesses the length that you want in a defensive back. He was very smooth and steady in his pedal when taking his reps today. He did not only a good job in 1-on-1s but also in the 7-on-7 portion with his eyes being in the right place and triggering to make plays on the ball. The Texas A&M signee definitely started the week off on the right foot.
S- Robert Spears-Jennings Broken Arrow (Okla.) The Oklahoma signee is what you want physically with broad shoulders and a frame to add more weight to his build. He showed well in coverage throughout the night making plays with excellent closing speed. He showed excellent speed winning the fastest man competition and coming in with a high 4.4 time on the clock.
Oklahoma signee Robert Spears-Jennings wins fastest man comp at the UA All-America Game with a 4.49 on the lasers. pic.twitter.com/Axftn0fsfP
— Andrew Ivins (@Andrew_Ivins) December 30, 2021
More from around the facility
Texas signee Neto Umeozulu had a strong day lining up at left tackle and left on the night. Possessing good flexibility and feet he showed well on the evening in 1-on-1’s.
Popeye Williams, a Louisville signee had a few nice rushes where you saw his athleticism flash along with an above average first step off the ball.
North Carolina signee Zach Rice looks to have leaned out and did a nice job at right tackle in the 1-on-1s with a nice stone on a defender with a quick set punch that stopped him in his tracks.
Jeremiah Alexander, the Alabama signee showed the first step that you see on film, along with the ability to not stay blocked utilizing his club rush move in pass rush.
For more check out our Live Updates thread from the first practice.
247Sports National Analyst Greg Biggins has you covered on how the quarterbacks performed here, led by Florida State signal-caller AJ Duffy.
Initial takeaways from the day from 247Sports National Analyst Andrew Ivins here.
