SAN ANTONIO – With almost 100 players from around the country, it's hard to keep up with all the talent on the field for this week's US Army All-American Bowl, but–now that we're here in person–we'll give it our best shot.
Today, I watched the East team, loaded with five future Buckeyes, practice and after talking with some folks and making some observations, here's what's what as well as a few notes from the social media world that have escaped from the West's practice session this morning.
- One thing that immediately stood out today is that Jacob Eason, the country's top-ranked 2016 quarterback, can flat out sling it. The Georgia signee isn't one of those guys who is listed at 6-foot-5 but shows up at 6-foot-2, either. He's a big, strong kid and he's got all the tools to be special.
- There's been some discussion amongst those who do rankings earlier this week regarding Austin Mack and if he should be moved up to a five-star prospect. While my opinion doesn't count for much, I'll echo the sentiments I read from earlier this week: if Austin can catch the ball consistently it's a no-brainer. I've watched him enough for the last two years to know he's special but when you see him against the cream of the crop and he's still pretty impossible to cover? Then it's time to really take note. The only person who can stop Austin right now, is Austin. I don't know if it's a concentration issue or maybe a vision thing, but there a lot of "easy" drops and when those get corrected, watch out.
- Speaking of Mack, he was named a captain on the East team today, he told me it's the first time he's ever been named a captain of any team he's ever been on.
- Michael Jordan missed Tuesday's practice here and returned to the field today but appeared to still be a bit slowed. Jordan's frame is exactly what you want to see out of a future Slob but I'm interested to see him go full-speed-ahead for a full-game. He's a big, nice kid and I want to see him flip the switch and light someone up.
- Jake Hausmann is another future Buckeye who seems to be dealing with a slight leg issue, which is normal for players at games like this when they've not played/sprinted for a while. Hausmann was one of the game's final additions and he looks the part, there's not much of a gap between he and Isaac Nauta, and both seemed to be a key part of the East's offensive game plan. I really look forward to seeing what Mick Marotti can do with a frame like Jake's when he gets ahold of him.
- Demario McCall is finally 100-percent healthy after a frustrating senior season and he looked great today, exhibiting his usual explosiveness and quick-cut ability. I don't know if McCall's body is going to be able to handle the beating of a Big Ten schedule without some bumps and bruises but man, when he touches the ball, he's electric. All-American games, camps, etc. aren't usually the place that running backs get the most usage, but McCall's versatility may make him a more useful option for the East than Tavien Feaster and Tony Jones, Jr., neither of whom looked as explosive as McCall today.
- Austin Mack said the one defensive back that has consistently given him the most trouble this week has been New Jersey four-star Jordan Fuller, crediting Fuller's "patience" and his strength. Both Mack and Jonathon Cooper noted how receptive and easy to talk to Fuller has been this week and they're looking forward to getting a chance to continue to know him better. The pair of early-enrollees hope they'll be allowed to host Fuller on his official visit next weekend.
- It's easy to look at Minnesota commit Carter Coughlin and see why he was so coveted by the Buckeyes. The four-star future Gopher passes the look test and is a natural at the position.
- Mecole Hardman and Demetris Robertson, two of the what seems to be 200 Georgia prospects here, are just flat out studs. I know it's likely that Georgia, thanks in part to the aforementioned Eason, keeps them both, but the five-star duo was getting a lot of attention from Austin Mack, especially Robertson. The Savannah standout, a former Alabama commit, has continued to flirt with the idea of an official visit to Ohio State and Mack is working hard to make that happen.
- Another Georgia player I really liked today? Defensive back Marquez Calloway. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive back fits the mold Ohio State is looking for and it wouldn't be a shock to see them make a run at the currently uncommitted prospect from Warner Robins.
- I asked Jonathon Cooper who his big recruiting target was this week and without hesitation he pointed straight ahead a brut in a bright yellow generic Adidas All-American jersey: Notre Dame commitment Tommy Kraemer. While Cooper knows it's a long-shot, he believes Kraemer is the best offensive linemen in the country and, as an Ohio kid, he wants him in Columbus. Unless Brian Kelly and Harry Heistand leave Notre Dame, this is just a pipe-dream but Cooper has always been a believer in over-achieving. For the record, Kraemer's official Army gear, his jersey and pants? Lost in the wash.
- I really like the frame of Binjimen Victor but I didn't see much out of him today from an athletic/explosive standpoint. Today's practice was very subdued and there's a lot of guys who don't really "get up" for practices and I've seen Victor's game tapes enough to know he can really play, but I didn't sense much in the way of a "fire" in him today. I'm sure when the lights come on Saturday he'll crank up the intensity.
- I've drawn some flak in the past when I've made comments that it takes a different "type" of player/person to compete at and be interested in, Ohio State, but today helped reinforce that thinking a bit. When you see the best of the best, there are guys who emerge as natural leaders no matter what and even if they do it in different ways, the same guys always seem to pop up. The Ohio State commitments here in San Antonio are very well-liked, respected kids and it's obvious in the way they interact with their peers. You have to thrive in the spotlight and, in some ways, seek it out to really excel in an atmosphere like the one Urban Meyer creates and these guys are on their way. Mack and Cooper remind me a lot of Johnnie Dixon and Raekwon McMillan in the way they're approaching their early-enrollment and you just get the feeling they're going to attack it together and become team leaders early in their careers.
Michael Jordan
On the West side, where I was not, there appears to be a little movement on the Donnie Corley front, at least according to the Detroit Free Press who spoke with the four-star today.
Donnie Corley has made his decision.
Exactly where the Detroit King four-star receiver will play his college football came to him Tuesday in San Antonio, as he prepared to play in Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl (1 p.m., NBC).
“I thought about a few things,’’ he said Wednesday, in a phone interview between practice sessions, “and said I was going to commit to the school.’’
There has been so much conflicting information on Corley in these last few days and it seems that no one truly–at least until now–knew what he was thinking. Now, with two days before a commitment, the scuttlebutt should all start leading in one direction, but there's cautious optimism from both Ohio State and Michigan State.
If I had to choose, right now, it's my belief that Corley will end up selecting the Spartans on Saturday. That could change tomorrow, but for now, I'm going to think Michigan State.
