Day 3: Desperados Group Gets Underway
On Day 3 of the 2020 College Gridiron Showcase, the Desperados group began their week of work in front of a bevy of NFL/CFL scouts on hand at McNair Stadium. Here is a look at some of the takeaways from Monday’s workouts.
Short/Long Pass Skell Period
While I don’t have the video of this portion of practice, there were a few players that I observed who had a handful of standout plays that caught my attention.
QB Jacob Park (6’3 232), Missouri Southern St.: Park has a legit cannon and the right amount of fearlessness in his game. He throws with confidence and decisiveness, which helped him complete some impressive throws today.
LB Chase Johnston (6’4 240), Pittsburg State: His length and athleticism shows up in the passing game often. Made a great diving PBU during this period.
CB Jordan Semanat 6’2 195, Texas A&M Kingsville: He’s showing good ability in both man and zone coverage. He’s got the length at the position, and definitely knows how to use it.
OL/DL 1-on-1s
Warhawks Workin’
All three UL-Monroe offensive linemen, Bobby Reynolds (6’2 285), Trace Ellison (6’5 300) and Brandon Jones (6’3 320) had strong performances during this period. Reynolds and Jones both anchored well and didn’t allow the DL to get even close to the QB.
OG Jalen Allen – 6’3 290, Charlotte: I came away impressed with how consistent his hands were during the drill. His punch packs a lot of power.
#74 Balled Out
There were two players wearing #74 along the offensive line, and both had a really good showing in 1-on-1s. Lindenwood’s Jaylen Flye (6’6 329) and Cam Carter (6’5 315), Murray State did great work. Flye, participated in the Marshals group and earned a call-up to the Desperados.
Speaking of another call-up from the Marshals group who did well, University of Delaware OL Kevin Ezeuzoh (6’3 290), had himself a stellar period as well.
Gophers Rowing the Boat in Fort Worth
I was impressed with the efforts and energy of both University of Minnesota defensive linemen Tai’yon Devers (6’4 245) and Winston DeLattiboudere (6’3 260). Both guys won their fair share of battles and definitely made their reps count.
SMU DT Christopher Biggurs (6’2 295) consistently was able to explode off the ball and walk the OL back into the QB.
LB Dominique Ross (6’4 228) North Carolina: He explodes off the ball and has the lean and length to make blocking him off the edge difficult.
EDGE Tomas Wright (6’1 238) Bryant: Wright is probably one of the more versatile defenders here, and had a solid day in both 1-on-1s and 9-on-7.
OL/DL 1-on-1 Highlights
WRs-vs-DB 1-on-1s
I thought the day was one by the defense during Monday’s 1-on-1 period between the WRs and DBs.
Abilene Christian’s Adonis Davis (5’10 180), set the tone for the entire group today. His mirror-and-match skills were impressive, and rarely found himself out of position.
You can see the savvy in the game of Isiah Swann (5’11 190) from Dartmouth. He is a very patient player who clicks-and-closes really well to the receiver, making a play on the ball.
Florida Tech’s Tyrone Cromwell (5’10 190) is having himself a tremendous all-star circuit. He stood out at the FCS Bowl in December, and started off the CGS All-Star event with a strong showing in 1-on-1s.
Safety Coray Williams (6’1 215) from Wesley College looks like he can be trusted to cover 1-on-1. I thought he looked natural in that regard, which is impressive for a player his size.
Duquesne’s CB Reid Harrison-Ducros (5’10 187) is arguably the most explosive CB in attendance in my opinion. He’s such a fluid athlete, and that fluidity is able to keep him on the plus side of plays vs the WR.
From the WR side of things, Minnesota State’s Shane Zylstra (6’4 220) and Youngstown State’s Jermiah Braswell (6’0 210), proved to be a tough cover throughout the period.
Another double number duo in Nathan Stewart (5’11 183) of Sam Houston State & Indiana (PA) wideout Joseph Gause (6’1 220), both wearing #14, finished with an impressive showing as well.
I thought Lamar FB Case Robinson (6’1 250) and Southern Miss LB Darius Kennedy (6’2 232), were the standouts in the RB/TE vs LB 1-on-1s. Robinson, was another call-up from the Marshals group.
WR/DB 1-on-1 Highlights
9-on-7 Inside Run Game
This is my favorite period of any practice, because it’s just straight downhill, mano-y-mano, power football! Inside Run period is where your point-of-attack players can standout.
Here are some of the players who made the most of this portion of practice:
RB Dawonya Tucker (5’6 170), Prairie View A&M: Tucker wasn’t afraid to run downhill, and ran with good power and burst. Quietly, he also showed to be one of the better pass protectors out of the group during the RB/LB blitz pickup portion of the day.
Fullbacks Case Robinson & Mikey Daniel 6’0 235 (South Dakota State): Robinson & Daniel are just sensational Iso blockers. I like how Daniel also caught the ball well in 1-on-1s.
EDGE Chris Livings (6’2 235), McNeese State: It’s hard for OL to contain Livings quickness and burst off the edge. You can say he made a “Livings” in the opposing backfield.
RB Carlos Blackman (6’0 220), Central Arkansas: Big back who runs with great pad level and a purpose.
RB Ty Flanagan (5’10 205) Idaho State: Flanagan was another back who ran well, but who also did a tremendous job in blitz pickup.
OL Dylan Giffen (6’8 350) Western University: It’s hard to miss the 6’8 Canadian OL, and he did a great job playing with good pad level, getting consistent movement up front.
OL James Officer IV (6’3 320) Olivet Nazarene: Hands and feet were constantly working in unison.
DT Ricky McCoy (6’2 305) Fresno State: There was one play where he just exploded into the backfield, and subsequently into the RB.
LB Cooper Edmiston (6’3 237) Tulsa: I thought he did a really good job getting through the trash and finding the ball carrier.
DL Marcus Willoughby (6’2 248), Elon: Didn’t allow himself to get walled off or kicked out, made a few plays during this period.
9-on-7 Inside Run Highlights
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.
Yes, while A&T has represented the MEAC in four of the five Celebration Bowls, it could have easily been a different team.
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.
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.
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.
For those who did not support the move, they pointed to the limitations of just one bowl game. It’s only an award for two teams, despite the fact that multiple teams might be worthy of some type of post-season play. Others wondered why HBCUs would eliminate the opportunity to play in the FCS playoffs. It is already difficult enough to garner the same level of respect as Predominantly White Institutions on the field, this bowl game essentially eliminates the chance to play PWIs in the FCS and prove their equality.
the inaugural game was over 35,000 fans. In 2016, the attendance was 31,000, proving that year one was not just an anomaly. The following year, in 2017, saw the attendance dip to 25,873. But in 2018, that number was back over 31,000. These numbers dwarf the average SWAC or MEAC home game attendance combined! The 1.6 rating the game received last season, according to www.sportsmediawatch.com, drew over 50% more viewers than the FCS National Championship Game.
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.
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.
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.
won a Superbowl, but lead his team to another Super Bowl appearance. He also boasts a higher completion percentage and 20 less interceptions, despite playing a full season more than Luck. WIlson has never enjoyed the shine of Luck, he has been constantly questioned throughout his career, even when it came time to pay him. The Colts just dropped a bag of money in Luck’s lap without giving it a second thought.