COLLEGE NEWS

Potential for 2020 Supplemental Draft to be Huge

Supplemental Draft to the Rescue

Emory Hunt, FBGP Analyst

With talks of a potential abbreviated college football season, or a full season in the winter, it appears that the powers the be will have college football come hell or high water. But, with any scenario that’s tossed out there, especially with the uncertainty of Covid-19, there ends up being more questions than answers.

And for many potential 2021 NFL Draft prospects, the thought of not having a college football season, or an abbreviated season, or one that pushes up against the 2021 NFL Draft next spring, doesn’t sound like the best possible situation for them to be able to maximize their opportunities to increase their value as prospects.

In 1977, the NFL created a supplemental draft. It was meant for players whose eligibility had changed and hadn’t declared in time for the regular draft. In over 40 years, there have been a handful of impact players — the most notable in recent years being Josh Gordon. But it’s been pushed to the shadows, mainly; a quirk of the behind-the-scenes machinations that barely registers a blip between OTAs and training camp.

I don’t think it’s going to be pushed aside this year. Follow this logic with me.

Judging by the current timeline of events, I find it hard to envision a 2020 college football season happening. Spring Football has already been shuttered. Which means the ever-so-important winter and spring workouts have ceased. And with no clear date to return to campus, it’s safe to say that we won’t get productive summer workouts or fall camp done in time to realistically have a full season.

Professional ball differs from college ball in one major aspect: there are no classes. College football can’t continue until college classes continue. Professional ball has the luxury of moving a season to start whenever/wherever. One, because it’s professional and they have the financial resources. And, two, there’s a fixed number of teams. You’re talking 32 NFL teams vs. 850+ football-playing colleges from FBS-JUCO.

So with potentially no college football to be played this season, guys who are upcoming seniors or rising juniors and are legit pro prospects will be left without a season to play. They would essentially go a full year without playing football. And, more importantly, would go a full season without getting PAID to play football.

With that potentially being a serious conundrum for many potential prospects, the question then becomes: what could be a potential option?

Answer: The NFL Supplemental Draft

“So how does this thing work, Emory?”

Glad you asked.

The supplemental draft essentially runs like a silent auction, where teams have to bid the following year’s draft pick for the potential player. The draft works on a tier system, to level the playing field:

  • Teams with six or fewer wins from the previous season are put in Tier 1.
  • Teams that had six wins or more, but didn’t make the playoffs, are in Tier 2
  • Tier 3 teams are the squads that made the playoffs.
  • The order within each tier is done in a lottery-style system.

So just for example, if Team A was willing to part ways with next year’s first round pick for Player B, while Team B only offered up a second round pick, Team A would get the player. Because of that, many teams are reluctant to give up future draft picks for players, which is why you don’t see many players taken in the supplemental draft.

However, this year could potentially change that with the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 college football season. We could essentially see the NFL use the Supplemental Draft as a jump-start on the 2021 draft.

Having players who either considered coming out in April’s draft but ended up returning to school, plus players — like Clemson’s star QB Trevor Lawrence, —who would have more than likely played their final season of college football in 2020, eligible for the supplemental draft, could make this usually nondescript draft VERY interesting and exciting.

Because the Supplemental Draft happens in July, that gives NFL teams another two months to evaluate and study potential players for the draft.

There is one wrinkle — the NFL rule book uses language about a player’s eligibility having to change from the time they didn’t declare for the draft to the time of the Supplemental. If they wanted to be strict about this, the NFL could argue that none of these players’ eligibility changed, assuming the schools just view this as a lost season and hit reset next fall as if nobody advanced a year. Hopefully this doesn’t happen and the players are allowed to make this decision for themselves.

“But what about the upcoming college seniors who aren’t highly thought of yet? How do they factor in?”

Another great question, Emory, I’m glad you asked that!

Because the NFL (Now, I don’t know all of the legalities involving the NFLPA and how that would factor into this) can essentially adjust the rules of how they operate at any time, they could essentially run the supplemental draft like a second, full seven-round draft. It would almost be like draft ‘futures’, sort of like you see in baseball (I reached out to the NFLPA for some help with this question, but they declined to reply by the time this article ran).

As you know, I’ve personally scouted thousands of players. So while all eyes this week are on the actual NFL Draft, I like to be a step ahead, and have listed some of the more interesting names you could see in the July Supplemental, if things play out the way they will. I went ahead and dropped a round next to each player, so you have a feel of the Supplemental pick they might commend. Worst case?

This is an early look at some of the top 2021 prospects (NOT IN ANY ORDER. SO DON’T TRIP).

Quarterbacks

1. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

2. Justin Fields, Ohio State

3. Jamie Newman, Georgia

4. Brock Purdy, Iowa State

5. D’Eriq King, Miami

Running Backs

1. Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State

2. Kylin Hill, Mississippi State

3. Travis Etienne, Clemson

4. Najee Harris, Alabama

5. Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana

6. Josh Johnson, UL-Monroe

Wide Receivers

1. Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

2. Rondale Moore, Purdue

3. Devonta Smith, Alabama

4. Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State

5. Justyn Ross, Clemson

6. Tamorrion Terry, Florida State

7 Jamarr Chase, LSU

8. Marquez Stevenson, Houston

Tight End

1. Pat Freiermuth, Penn State

2. Brevin Jordan, Miami

Offensive Linemen

1. OT Penei Sewell, Oregon

2. OT Walker Little, Stanford

3. OT Alex Leatherwood, Alabama

4. OT Jackson Carman, Clemson

5. OT Samuel Cosmi, Texas

6. OT Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame

7. OT Jalen Mayfield, Michigan

8. OT Abraham Lucas, Washington State

9. OC Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma

10. OG Trey Smith, Tennessee

11. OG Wyatt Davis, Ohio State

Defensive Linemen

1. DE Quincy Roche, Miami

2. DT Marvin Wilson, Florida State

3. DE Carlos Basham, Wake Forest

4. DT Osa Odighizuwa, UCLA

5. DE Xavier Thomas, Clemson

Linebackers

1. Jabril Cox, LSU

2. Dylan Moses, Alabama

3. Garret Wallow, TCU

4. Micah Parsons, Penn State

Defensive Backs

1. CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech

2. S Trevon Moehrig-Woodard, TCU

3. CB Elijah Molden, Washington

4. CB Paulson Adebo, Stanford

5. S Richard LeCounte III, Georgia

6. S Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State

7. CB Eric Stokes, Georgia

8. S Sean Wade, Ohio State

9. S Caden Sterns, Texas

If you think ratings will be a smash hit for the NFL Draft, you can imagine the ratings for a televised Supplemental Draft.

Hopefully, we’re able to get the world back in order to have normalcy within our fall sports. But, this particular contingency plan would make things very interesting if it were to occur.

FBGP’s 2020 College Gridiron Showcase Coverage: Marshals Group

The 2020 edition of the College Gridiron Showcase got underway on Saturday, kicking off the 2020 NFL Draft scouting all-star game circuit. What makes CGS a unique event, is that it is broken up into 3 different groups: Wranglers, Desperados and Marshals. The latter is mainly your small college group, who are given a chance to play into the aforementioned two groups. So, on Saturday and Sunday over 100 prospects competed in a practice on Day 1, and a scrimmage on Day 2.

We took a look at what to expect here this week in Fort Worth with our 2020 CGS Preview

Here are some of the highlights and takeaways from the 1st two days worth of practices

Marshals Group Standouts

DE Marques Ford – 6’2 248, Bethune Cookman: Ford was excellent throughout both days here, as he was disruptive in both 9-on-7 drills and in the scrimmage. He is one of the 14 players who earned a call-up to the Wranglers/Desperados group.

OT Jake Marotti – 6’6 290, Lafayette: During the OL/DL 1-on-1 period, I thought Marotti had a solid performance. I liked how his technique was able to stay consistent each time.

OT Jaylen Flye – 6’6 329, Lindenwood: Flye had himself a day in OL/DL 1-on-1. Tremendous punch, even was able to put a guy on the ground during one rep.

OL Zach Sammartino – 6’3 319, Dartmouth: Sammartino looks to be more of a guard than a tackle, even working on some snaps at Center to further add to his repertoire.

QB Jacob Park – 6’3 232, Missouri Southern State: The football just fires off of the hand of Park, who had the strongest arm out of the QB group. He was able to put the ball in very tight windows at all levels of the field. 7-on-7 is where he was able to shine.

QB David Tammaro – 6’1 210, Johns Hopkins: I thought Tammaro was able to quickly develop the timing with the receivers, which is very tough to do at an all star game. His placement on his passes were also consistent, giving his receivers a great chance to make a catch.

Other Players who Stood Out with their Play

RB Domenic Cozier – 5’8 181, Holy Cross
RB Jaquan Hemphill – 5’9 179, Hardin-Simmons
QB Donovan Isom – 6’3 250, Texas Wesleyan
QB Connor Kaegi – 6’7 221, Ottawa University
FB Case Robinson – 6’1 251, Lamar
TE Shawn Clark – 6’7 230, Monmouth
WR Joseph Gause – 6’2 220, IUP
WR Richard McCauley – 5’10 190, Kansas Wesleyan
WR Daylon Person – 5’10 176, Langston
WR Kentrez Bell – 6’2 173, NW Oklahoma State
CB Arthur Sherman – 5’10 178, Friends
LB Chris Hoad – 5’11 229, UT-Permian Basin
LB Nickolas Pridgeon – 6’3 234, Winona State
LB/S Jamal Ware – 5’11 199, Maryville College
DL Nick Wheeler – 6’2 255, Colgate
DL Tomas Wright – 6’1 238, Bryant
S Jarey Elder – 5’9 193, West Chester
S Artevius Smith – 5’9 179, East Tennessee State

Day 1 Practice Highlights: OL/DL 1-on-1

Day 1 Practice Highlights: WR/DB 1-on-1

Day 1 Practice Highlights: TE/RB vs LB 1-on-1

Day 2 Marshals Scrimmage

Florida A&M Watching the Celebration Bowl Closely

Rattlers Looking to Strengthen Claim of 2019 HBCU National Champions
Gene Clemons, FBGP Analyst

For the past four seasons, the HBCU National Champion has been decided at the Celebration Bowl, where the best from the SWAC, matches up against the MEAC’s finest. However, when Alcorn State kicks off versus North Carolina A&T this Saturday at Noon EST on ABC, they may be doing so dealing with the reality that the best HBCU team is not present.

Over the past two seasons, Florida A&M’s 12 conference wins is on par with both A&T and Alcorn. This year, they have widely been recognized as the best D1 HBCU team in the country, but they still are not in Atlanta. That is because they self-imposed a ban for infractions that occurred at the university before most of the athletes on the team was even there. As a result, their 7-1 conference record this season does not yield a recognized championship. Instead they have to watch that title go to the Aggies between the Aggies. The Rattlers also have to watch their Celebration Bowl birth be claimed by a team they defeated 34-31 in overtime.

But do they have a legitimate argument to be named HBCU National Champs? Let’s take a look.

FAMU lost to a better team than both Alcorn or A&T. Bethune-Cookman was one of the better teams in their conference this season, though the same can not be said about Grambling and Morgan State. Grambling had a down year by their standards and Morgan State only won three games all season. While A&T has the highest scoring average of the three (35.7) Alcorn and FAMU are right behind them (32.8, 32.7 respectively).

If the Braves are finally able to defeat the Aggies, then there will be a collective cheer for Alcorn State finally overcoming, and winning their first HBCU National Championship since this new format was implemented. However, if they fall again to A&T, there will be a conversation, especially from Tallahassee, that FAMU is in fact the best HBCU in all of the land because they hold the only head-to-head victory of the three schools.

So while you are watching the 5th installment of the Celebration Bowl, keep in mind that the results may have implications beyond the two teams on the field.

And if you’re Bowie State…then, well, that’s an entirely different conversation all together!

Questions? Comments?

Twitter: @geneclemons
Email: gclemons@footballgameplan.com

SWAC and MEAC Teams Gearing Up for Celebration Bowl Run

Celebration Bowl May Soon Enjoy Parity
Gene Clemons, FBGP Analyst

As the North Carolina A&T Aggies prepare to participate in their fourth Celebration Bowl, and Alcorn State Braves get ready for their third, the rumblings around the HBCU landscape is that there is no parody with regards to the HBCU football elite, at least at the FCS level. However, this assessment would be wrong and is strictly based off looking at the current participants, and not into the individual conferences.

There are other teams coming and the question could quickly become, “Is this enough?”

Yes, while A&T has represented the MEAC in four of the five Celebration Bowls, it could have easily been a different team.

In 2015, the conference title was split between the Aggies, Bethune-Cookman, and North Carolina Central. A&T won the tiebreaker that allowed them to represent the MEAC. After a one-year hiatus, thanks to NC Central, the Aggies were back, bringing an undefeated record with them heading into the bowl game. In 2018, it took a win over NC Central, and a Florida A&M loss to Bethune-Cookman in the annual Florida Classic, to get A&T back to Atlanta for a second consecutive year.

This season, the only reason the Aggies are representing the MEAC in the Celebration Bowl, is because FAMU, who has the best record of any D1 HBCU, is on a self-imposed, one-year postseason ban. So, as a result, A&T won the conference title because of their 22-20 victory over South Carolina State. And to the larger point, had the Bulldogs been able to pull of that victory, they would’ve have represented the MEAC in Atlanta this weekend!

Although this is the third appearance for Alcorn State, the road to Atlanta has never been easy for the Braves. Fellow SWAC frontrunner Grambling, has been the conference representative twice. Last season, the Braves barely squeezed by a Southern team that was hungry to make their first Celebration Bowl appearance.

What has been impressive for both the Braves and Aggies during this era of the Celebration Bowl, is that they’ve done it with two separate Head Coaches. Jay Hopson led Alcorn State to the inaugural game back in 2015, and after he left for the Southern Miss job, Alcorn alum Fred McNair took over, bringing his squad to two bowl games. While in Greensboro, legendary head coach Rod Broadway took the Aggies to the inaugural game, and led them to the 2017 game as well; which was his last as a collegiate coach, retiring afterwards. Current Aggies head coach Sam Washington took over an experienced squad in 2018, leading them to the Celebration Bowl, defeating Alcorn and is hoping to repeat the same feat on Saturday.

Contrary to popular belief, the MEAC and SWAC have always been highly competitive conferences. And while there has been a little luck involved with A&T and Alcorn’s consistent presence in the Celebration Bowl, others challengers are coming.

The MEAC is a grinder. There are legitimately 4-5 teams that can win the conference every season. FAMU has no intentions of going backwards with Head Coach Willie Simmons leading the way. South Carolina State, with legendary Head Coach Buddy Pough, was just knocking on the door this season. And Head Coach Terry Sims at Bethune-Cookman is always hovering, proving to be a constant nuisance to both A&T and Florida A&M. North Carolina Central knows what it takes to get there, having played in the game 3 years ago and 2nd year Head Coach Trei Oliver had an impressive 1st season at his alma mater. Norfolk State Head Coach Latrell Scott has quietly developed a solid program, and his Spartans took both FAMU & South Carolina State to the brink this season. Also, don’t sleep on the Morgan State Bears, who are a sleeping giant in the conference, with Tyrone Wheatley at the helm, building a bully in Baltimore; And Delaware State is in good hands under Head Coach Rod Milstead, who has done fantastic work on the recruiting front for the Hornets.

The SWAC has definitely been wide open and now with Southern, under Head Coach Dawson Odums, and Prairie View A&M, with Head Coach Eric Dooley, joining Broderick Fobbs and Grambling as legitimate contenders in the West Division, as well as Alabama A&M, who has the Top QB in the SWAC, Aqeel Glass, who is also an NFL Prospect, returning next season. Quietly, Jackson State, along with Alabama State, continues to get better in the East Division and played with a lot of youthful talent in 2019, will make getting to Atlanta in 2020 a daunting task for Alcorn St.

There is no doubt that the Celebration Bowl has resulted in improved competition in both conferences. The additional national exposure gives FCS HBCU teams ammunition to use in the recruiting wars. That has allowed these teams to be more visible to recruits, and is going to continue to raise the profile and talent level of these teams.

So if you are tired of seeing North Carolina A&T and Alcorn State in this bowl game, then you might want to simply enjoy it this year, because there’s a good chance you won’t see these two again in 2020.

Questions? Comments?

Twitter: @geneclemons

Email: gclemons@footballgameplan.com

CFB Playoff Picture Already Taking Shape

FBS Playoff Picture Looks Crystal Clear
Gene Clemons

Recently on September 20th, fellow Football Gameplan colleague Chris James tweeted, “Sorry college football fans, if your team isn’t Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Oklahoma or OSU… you have a 0% chance to win the title!”

It is a statement that can be disputed but can’t be taken lightly. A quarter of the way through the season, 6 teams seem poised to make a run at the title and five of them are on James list. An with respect to all other teams, the drop off to the next tier is not slight.

Unless Something Crazy Happens!

You can pencil in Clemson and Oklahoma unless something crazy happens. Clemson’s sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence is experiencing a slump to begin the season, and it hasn’t phased the Tigers. In fact, losing a bevy of defensive talent to the NFL doesn’t seem to phase them either. They just keep rolling along. Unless NC State or Wake Forest are able to catch them slipping or looking forward to their rivalry game with South Carolina, they will not be challenged for a seat at the proverbial playoff table.

Oklahoma has the top offense in the FBS… again, with a third different QB. But this time Jalen Hurts brings championship DNA and an ability to overcome adversity to the conversation. They will most likely not be challenged in Big 12 play, and that includes a Texas squad that continues to underachieve despite every advantage known to man. The offense is just too deadly with Hurts, and their defense has improved enough to punch their ticket.

Big Ten is a Big Two!

With respect to undefeated Penn State and Iowa, this conference is a two-horse race. Both the Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes control their own destiny, but that destiny includes a date with Ohio State for Penn State and a matchup with Wisconsin for Iowa. Neither team seems likely to emerge victorious.

That leaves the Buckeyes and the Badgers left to duke it out in the Big 10 Championship Game, with the winner claiming their bid to the CFB Playoffs. Both teams’ offense have been impressive, but the defenses have looked like the difference. Both are mature, fast and nasty. The difference will be which offensive superstar will carry his team into the playoffs: Ohio State’s QB Justin Fields or Wisconsin’s RB Jonathan Taylor?

In the SEC, there can be only one!

We get it, the SEC is good, again! But if the scenarios I laid out above play out, there is no room for two SEC teams this season. So, despite having so many undefeated teams in the conference, one loss spells doom unless everyone loses. LSU and Alabama seem to have what it takes to represent the conference when the smoke clears.

Both teams look better than Auburn, Florida, and Georgia, who are also undefeated, but have looked beatable so far. Besides, these teams will likely cannibalize themselves by the time the selection committee has to pick the four.

The concern for Bama is the run game, as it has not looked as dominant as it has looked in past seasons. That has a chance to improve over the season as the offensive line gels, and as the running backs get more confidence.

For LSU, the concern looks to be defensively. With multiple starters sidelined, they don’t seem to be able to shut down opposing offenses. This has led to QB Joe Burrow putting up video game numbers, because they are unable to sustain a big enough lead to tap teams out with the run game.

The deciding game could be when the Tigers and Tide meet on November 9th in Tuscaloosa. It could essentially be the playoff play-in game.

Questions? Comments?

Tweet: @geneclemons

Email: gclemons@footballgameplan.com

FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings

FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Quarterbacks

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Running Backs

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Split End Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Flanker Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Slot Receiver Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Inside Receivers Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Inline TE Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: H-Back Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Flex TE Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Center Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Offensive Tackle Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Guard Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Defensive End Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Defensive Tackle Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Edge Rushers Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Inside Linebacker Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Outside Linebacker Prospects

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FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Cornerback Prospects

FBGP Scouting’s 2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Safety Prospects

Senior Bowl: Day 3 Observations – South Team

Shorter, but Productive South Practice Closes Out Senior Bowl Week

Emory Hunt

In what was the final practice for the public here in Mobile, the South Team went for a little bit over an hour on Thursday, as you began to see the mass exodus of scouts immediately afterwards. It was a team-vs-team heavy practice that gave a lot of opportunities for guys to make plays at close to full tilt before Saturday’s game.

Tyree Jackson Stands Tall Amongst the Rest

This has been a really good week for Jackson’s draft stock, as the 6’7 signal caller has been consistent with his accuracy and ball placement throughout the week. For as fast as he throws the football, he also makes it very catchable. Jackson’s ability to fit the football into tight windows has drawn a ton of praise from those in attendance, both scouts and media alike.

Tyre Brady & Deebo Samuel Standout

I thought Thursday’s practice was an excellent one for both Tyre Brady (Marshall) and Deebo Samuel (South Carolina). In what seems to be a broken record, both guys have had really good practices during their time in Mobile. Whether it’s in 1-on-1s or 7-on-7s, you always see both players making acrobatic catches that have the crowd going “Oooh and Ahhh”.

Bluegrass Corner Ballin’

Another player who has made the most of this week in Mobile has been Kentucky Wildcats cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. I thought he was the best corner out there on Thursday, and one of the best during the entire week. Johnson, for a 6’3 corner, is very fluid and technically sound. His length allows him to shrink passing windows and he has the ball skills to make catching the football very difficult for the wide receiver. Johnson has definitely made himself some money this week at the Senior Bowl.

Offensive Line-Defensive Line Battle to Stalemate in 1-on-1s

I thought this was one of the more competitive periods of practice. Both sides did their fair share of damage to the other. There were a few standouts that we’ll mention below, but these two units I’m excited to see go up against the North Team, as that alone will be must see TV.

More Day 3 Practice Standouts (South Team)

OL – Javon Patterson (6’3 314), Ole Miss: Patterson was outstanding during 1-on-1s. I don’t recall seeing him lose a rep. His footwork and hand placement was consistent and he maintained a good level of control throughout the rep.

DL – Kingsley Keke (6’4 305), Texas A&M: Keke has excellent core strength that allows him to escort an offensive lineman back into the lap of a QB. It’s the ball get off, in conjunction with his strength, that makes him impressive.

DL – Montez Sweat (6’6 245), Mississippi State: Remember the movie The Last Dragon? Well, Sweat definitely had the glow of Bruce LeRoy during Thursday’s practice. He just has a knack for making his skill set consistently work for him against the offensive linemen. If anything, Sweat has solidified his spot as one of the top defensive players in the NFL Draft after this week of work.

OL – Ross Pierschbacher (6’3 309), Alabama: No one frustrated more defensive linemen during 1-on-1s than Pierschbacher. It didn’t matter how fast or explosive the defender came off the ball, Pierschbacher did not budge. He showed an excellent ability to anchor, absorb and redirect. Fantastic performance on Thursday.

OL – Oli Udoh (6’6 365), Elon: Quietly, the former Elon Phoenix and Shrine Game call up has been steady all week long. It’s been good for Udoh personally and his subsequent draft stock, to stack back-to-back strong weeks.

QB – Jarrett Stidham (6’3 215), Auburn: Stidham had a really good Thursday practice, making some nice throws during 7-on-7 period and during team periods.

RB – Wes Hills (6’2 218), Slippery Rock: It’s been impressive to see how good of a receiver Hills is coming out of the backfield. This was one element of his game that you wanted to see coming into the week, and he hasn’t disappointed. Another player who’s stacking back-to-back good weeks.

DL – Jaylon Ferguson (6’5 262), Louisiana Tech: Ferguson moves extremely well for his size and has a bit of finesse to his game to go along with his excellent strength. He’s been one to consistently give OL fits this week.

DL – Dontavius Russell (6’3 320), Auburn: I think Russell’s ball get off and ability to whip out a counter move is what made him a tough block on Thursday during 1-on-1s. He does a great job of using his own natural leverage, and stealing leverage away from an offensive lineman.

DE – Carl Grandseron (6’5 261), Wyoming: Granderson had himself a day today during 1-on-1s. Good hand usage was the reason why he won so many battles. He was also able to dip and accelerate past the OL as well.

TE – Dax Raymond (6’5 250), Utah State: Raymond had a really good day during 7-on-7 drills and during 1-on-1s. He runs really good routes and does a great job of tracking the football, looking it into his hands.

Day 3 Practice Highlights (South Team)

WRs/DBs 1-on-1s

OL/DL 1-on-1s

Team-vs-Team