LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Under Armour All-America Game practices got underway on Saturday night. Team Ice was mainly walking through drills and installing the playbook so there weren’t any opportunities to see the offense face off against the defense, but there was still a lot of action to observe.
Here are the Team Ice takeaways from practice No. 1.
Williams Nwaneri looked really impressive, especially to anybody who hadn’t seen him in-person before. He moves effortlessly on the field and it was good to see how powerful he can be with such a slight frame. There’s a ton of room for him to add muscle mass at the next level and his ceiling is sky high. …
Terry Bussey is going to be under the microscope throughout the week. Now that he is lining up primarily as a receiver, we’re getting a much better look at how he projects at the next level. During the first practice he didn’t go against any defensive backs but he ran good routes, showed off his impressive speed and soft hands. It was difficult to see if he was going full speed since there weren’t any defenders challenging so it will be interesting to see how he plays in a more competitive setting. …
Dealyn Evans looks like he’ll turn into an interior defensive lineman once he arrives at Texas A&M. He has a really thick build and he’s only going to add mass at the next level. ….
Michael Uini has awfully impressive physical traits and, if he plays to the level we expect, he will likely see a rise in the rankings. The offensive line and defensive line did not take any reps against each other during the first practice, but they should see some competition on Sunday. …
JacQawn McRoy is the biggest prospect on either team and it will be interesting to see how consistent he’ll play throughout the week. …
Jaylen Mbakwe won fastest man on Saturday night but the defensive backs didn’t match up against any of the receivers in drills. He’ll be put to the test as a defensive back this week and then we can really take a good look at where his skillset stands compared with other top defensive backs in this class. …
Neither Michael van Buren nor Cedrick Bailey really separated themselves from the other quarterbacks on day one. Each had their ups and downs. Van Buren looks like the more polished quarterback but his ceiling appears limited. Bailey has a much higher ceiling but is much less refined. …
Top 30 prospects Ryan Williams and Mylan Graham lived up to the billing on Saturday night. Williams is a true technician and made some impressive catches down the field. Graham is a smooth receiver who used his length to his advantage and caught everything thrown in his direction. …
Jeremiah McClellan looks like the physical receiver we expected. He’s a strong outside prospect who runs good routes and has reliable hands. He has the look of a receiver that should be able to pick up plenty of yards after the catch. …
Jonathan Paylor may be the smallest receiver in attendance but he is probably the most explosive. The way he’s able to accelerate to top speed in an instant should give defensive backs and linebackers plenty of problems.
