Rain, Rain, Go Away

Emory Hunt

The 2nd practice of the day here in Mobile, was sort of a damper (pun intended). As the North Team took the field for the first time, the weather started to become a factor as it went from a slight drizzle to a consistent one. This made things a little bit challenging for the passing game, both for QBs and WRs alike. Didn’t matter much to the OL and DL, they’re built for this and it’s no surprise why they fared better than their perimeter counterparts throughout the day.

Quarterbacks Showed Something Individually

It wasn’t all lost for the QBs during the bad weather practice, as each one showed something unique or flashed a trait that caught your attention. For Duke’s QB Daniel Jones it was his ability to hit the deep ball. His high arching rainbows are easy to track and catch if you’re a receiver. Drew Lock’s well documented arm strength was on display as well. He was able to drive a deep shot on a rope to UC Davis WR Keelan Doss. I was impressed with how NC State’s Ryan Finley was able to make the right decisions during 7 on 7 and in team periods with the ball. And Trace McSorely’s ability to throw on the move helped him complete some passes in 7-on-7 as well. It’s unfortunate with the Wednesday practice being moved indoors that we (media) can’t see how these guys would perform and start to separate themselves in ideal conditions.

Offensive Lineman Hold Strong in 1-on-1s

During the OL/DL 1-on-1 drills, I saw an impressive display of both discipline and patience by the offensive line. Guys like Boston College’s Chris Lindstrom, Kaleb McGary (Washington) and Dalton Risner (Kansas State) did a really good job of not allowing the defensive line to either bull rush their way through, or beat them with speed. You can see some of the frustration grow throughout the period, which only made things interesting during team-vs-team period.

Defensive Line Wakes Up in Team

Here’s where you saw payback from the defensive front of the North Team. The offensive line found it difficult to get movement up front and get the ground game going. Boston College’s Zach Allen, Arizona State’s Renell Wren and Oregon’s Jalen Jelks I thought did a fantastic job against the offensive line in this portion of practice.

Practice Standouts

DL – LJ Collier (6’4 276), TCU: It was fun to watch Collier essentially be the only defensive lineman to have sustained success against the offensive line. He’s super quick off the ball and brings his hands with him immediately as well. A big reason why he was able to find success on the interior during 1-on -1 drills.

LB – Dre Greenlaw (6’0 227), Arkansas: During the team periods, it seemed as if Greenlaw made every tackle on the inside. He consistently got great run fits and was able to trust what he saw, attack downhill with confidence and make the play.

WR – Penny Hart (5’8 180), Georgia State: In my opinion, Hart was the only receiver that seemed to be running on a dry field during Tuesday’s practice. The former GSU Panther explodes out of his breaks and is able to quickly accelerate once he makes the catch to pull away from the defender. I thought he had a quietly strong debut to the week.

RB – Karan Higdon (5’10 202), Michigan: Higdon was the best back during the day, especially in team period. He’s got an extra burst to his game and runs with decisiveness. He’s a compactly built runner that was able to explode through a couple of arm tackles during the period.

WR – Keelan Doss (6’3 206), UC Davis: What was impressive about Doss’s Day 1 practice was the level of body control he displayed on a wet field. He was able to stop on a dime and come back to the football many times throughout the day. Whether it was in 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s, or team drills, once the ball is in the air, Doss does whatever it takes to get himself in position to make the catch.

WR – Terry McLaurin (6’1 205), Ohio State: McLaurin, like Hart, was operating on a dry field. He has a really good feel for spacing in relation to where his is on the field. McLaurin was able to win most of his reps in 1-on-1s, showcasing the ability to stack & accelerate past the defender. He had the best day of all the wideouts in my opinion.

LB – Ben Banogu (6’4 245), TCU: I really like how Banogu moves for a linebacker. Very good sideline-to-sideline speed and takes really good angles to eliminate or neutralize the outside run. He closes really well on the ball carrier also.