Football Gameplan’s 2020 College Gridiron Showcase Coverage

Football Gameplan is on the scene in Fort Worth, Texas for the 2020 College Gridiron Showcase!
Here’s our Preview, Interviews and some exclusive video from all of the College Gridiron Showcase Practices!

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Day 5 – Desperados Scrimmage

Day 5 – Wranglers Scrimmage

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CGS All-Star Prospect Interview: LB Chris Livings, McNeese State

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Day 4 – Crossover Practice

Desperados WRs vs Wranglers DBs: 1-on-1

Desperados OL vs Wranglers DL: 1-on-1s

Desperados Offense vs Wranglers Defense: Pass Skel

Desperados Offense vs Wranglers Defense: Inside Run

Wranglers OL vs Desperados DL: 1-on-1s

Wranglers WR vs Desperados DBs: 1-on-1s

Wranglers Offense vs Desperados Defense: Pass Skel

Wranglers Offense vs Desperados Defense: Inside Run

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Wranglers Group Begin their Quest to Impress Scouts

7-on-7 Pass Skell

I wasn’t able to snag video of the Pass Skell period, but I most definitely paid close attention to a good portion of it.

QB Roland Rivers III (6’2 242), Slippery Rock: Rivers gets very good velocity on his passes and had success throwing over the middle of the field and made a few excellent “bucket throws” as well.

QB Jalen Morton (6’3 237), Prairie View A&M: Morton excels on anything in-breaking: Slants, Bang 8s, Dig routes, pinpoint accurate with outstanding velocity. He had a beautiful deep ball attempt that the wideout just couldn’t haul in.

WR Hunter Register (6’3 203) Southern: Register had a couple of nice catches deep down the field. His acceleration to create separation was something that stood out today.

TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart (6’5 260) Pitt: He’s not listed on the roster, but it was hard to ignore “the Pitt TE” who made a ton of catches, both during this period and during TE/LB 1-on-1s that kept everyone checking their roster to find out who he was. NGS had a great day.

WR Dontavion “Lucky” Jackson (6’0 193) Western Kentucky: Lucky was consistent throughout the entire day, but in 7-on-7, you saw him consistently find ways to get open and have success.

WR Micah Simon (5’11 195), BYU: He plays bigger than his listed size, and showed no fear sacrificing his body for the catch. I thought he displayed strong hands at the catch point as well.

WR Kristian Wilkerson (6’1 200), SE Missouri State: Wilkerson stunned defensive backs with the strength that he has. I thought a lot of defenders didn’t expect him to be THAT strong of a receiver. Well, they learned today.

S Ayron Monroe (6’0 204), Temple: It wasn’t all offense during 7-on-7, Temple’s Ayron Monroe had himself a really good period in coverage.

CB Greg Liggs (5’10 198), Elon: So did Greg Liggs of Elon. He’s got really good matchup skills and spatial awareness. Impressive day for him as well.

Offensive Line vs Defensive Line Period

It was a good day overall for the offensive line during this period, as their defensive counterparts had to work hard to find success.

OL Lachavious Simmons (6’4 305), Tennessee State: He competed today as if the opposing defender did him something personally. Just loved the way he competed during this drill, and you can tell that momentum carried itself throughout the day.

OL Scott Frantz (6’5 309), Kansas State: You can tell that he was well coached at K-State. Frantz remained technically sound throughout the period, making it very difficult for a defender to get around him. He had a counter for every counter it seemed like.

EDGE Reuben Jones (6’2 248), West Virginia: If there was one defender who gave the offensive line fits, it was the former Mountaineer. Jones just has a different ‘get off’ than most, and it showed up a ton during 1-on-1s.

OL-vs-DL 1-on-1 Highlights

Wide Receivers vs Defensive Backs 1-on-1s

WR Sean Riley Jr. (5’8 180), Syracuse: It’s hard to catch Riley once he gets past you. The diminutive wideout displayed excellent quickness off the LOS, great acceleration into his route, and made a few spectacular grabs.

CB Prince Robinson (5’9 187) Tarleton State: Fluid hips and mirroring skills shown by Robinson. I thought he won most of his reps today. Very impressive skill set he has.

CB Charles Oliver (6’1 196) Texas A&M: Rarely do you see a CB thrive in 1-on-1s, as it’s a drill that heavily favors the offensive side of the ball. But, Oliver is a different animal with regards to that theory, as his press man skills made it very difficult for receivers to win reps against him.

TE Jared Rice (6’4 232) Fresno State: I liked his route running and his ability to track the football is what stood out to me the most. He was strong on deeper, outbreaking routes.

LB Brandon Wellington (5’11 230), Washington: This was Wellington’s day in my opinion. He had an interception during 1-on-1s, and in 9-on-7 drills, he made plays consistently. He impressed a lot of scouts that were sitting nearby.

9-on-7 Inside Run Period

I thought the Wranglers defense won the day during 9-on-7, with stellar play from a few linebackers

We already spoke about Brandon Wellington of Washington, who was a constant nuisance. The other problem defender for the offense was Indiana State’s LB Jonas Griffith (6’3 247). Griffith had numerous big hits in this period that drew a lot of rave from scouts.

LB Jeff Gemmell (6’2 236), Charlotte: Gemmell was another backer who made the most of his reps during the day. He’s got good form when he meets the ball carrier in the hole.

DL Maurice Jackson (6’1 275), Richmond: Jackson’s quickness made him tough to block, and also allowed him to consistently be in the backfield throughout the period.

OLB Mekhi Brown (6’4 234) Tennessee State: He’s a heavy handed edge player that has great length. He showed the ability to be a factor in chasing down the run from the backside.

9-on-7 Inside Run Highlights

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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

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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

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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