SAN ANTONIO – For what seems like the first time in their respective careers, 90 of the nation's top prospects join together on an even playing field for this Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
The game itself has developed over the years into the premier high school all-star game, annually overflowing with five-star recruits. But it's in the practices throughout the week where you truly get a sense of why many of these kids will develop into future first-round NFL Draft picks.
Urban Meyer recruits as well as anyone in the country, and it is evidenced by the amount of talent Ohio State sends to this event every year. Some in the recruiting world have even labeled it the 'Ohio State All-American Bowl'... and rightfully so.
The Buckeyes had nine signees invited to the game, which leads the nation for the fourth-consecutive year, and each one — besides wide receiver Kamryn Babb, who won't play after he tore his ACL this fall — should have a singificant impact on how the game unfolds.
Today, I attended the East team's practice at Heroes Field in the northeast section of San Antonio. It marked my first chance to see several Ohio State signees practice in person, including five-star tight end Jeremy Ruckert, five-star defensive tackle Taron Vincent, four-star linebacker Dallas Gant, four-star defensive back Tyreke Johnson and four-star offensive tackle Max Wray. Five-star running back Jaelen Gill is also on the East, but I attended several of his games this fall at Westerville South.
During practice, I made several observations and talked with several scouts to gauge their thoughts on how each of the above-mentioned Buckeyes have performed throughout the week. They are as follows:
JAELEN GILL: Gill is without a doubt the most dynamic offensive weapon in the current recruiting cycle. He's was recruited to fill the role seemingly left vacant by Curtis Samuel's departure one year ago, but is two inches bigger and he makes carrying or catching the ball look effortless.
Gill wasn't a focal point of the offense during today's practice, but most observers believe he'll have a big game on Saturday. Whether they're handing the ball to him on motion or in a read-option set or swinging the ball to him out of the backfield, he's been making plays all week.
JEREMY RUCKERT: Echoing my thoughts from The Opening Finals in Oregon this summer, Ruckert's size and speed is simply going to make him a nightmare for opposing defenses. He's bigger than every linebacker and defensive back at this week's event and he's been able to outrun them on several ocassions, too.
Ruckert most often played wide receiver in high school, so his abilities downfield will never be in question. Whether or not he starts — and excels — as a true freshman, though, will come down to his blocking ability, and I'm confident he'll be able to make those necessary strides when he arrives on campus this summer.
MAX WRAY: The lone offensive tackle in Ohio State's currently constructed recruiting class, Wray has been playing out of position throughout the week. He slid down to guard and played beside Clemson five-star tackle signee Jackson Carman, and was beat a few times by opposing defensive linemen in one-on-one drills, which never favor the offensive player.
Wray redeemed himself during Thursday's practice session, however, as he played exclusively from the left tackle position. He was matched up against five-star ends like Xavier Thomas and Micah Parsons and didn't allow a sack or quarterback pressure all afternoon.
TARON VINCENT: With Vincent, four-star Tommy Togiai and junior college transfer Antwuan Jackson all in the fold, the defensive tackle position is certainly the strength of Ohio State's second-ranked recruiting class. It's been easy to see this week why Vincent was the five-star prospect, though.
While he isn't the most physically imposing interior lineman, Vincent has been a nightmare for opposing players all week. He shows tremendous burst off the snap of the ball and he's pretty fast for someone pushing 300 pounds. The offensive line double-teammed him for most of today's practice, which allowed the defensive ends to go one-on-one with the linemen on the edge.
TYREKE JOHNSON: We already knew Johnson was one of the most confident and hardest-hitting defensive backs in the country, but you don't really feel the impact until you see it in person. In today's practice, Clemson quarterback signee Trevor Lawrence threw a swing pass to Georgia running back signee James Cook, and Johnson — who had already dropped back in coverage — ran right past two wide receivers trying to block him to lay the boom.
Ohio State's secondary has been filled with playmakers in recent years, but it's been a while since the Buckeyes had an assassin roaming the defensive backfield. Johnson fits that mold, and I wouldn't be surprised if he made an impact there or in the return game from Day 1.
DALLAS GANT: Of Ohio State's three linebacker signees, Gant is easily the most reserved. He isn't very vocal on social media and has a quiet demeanor whenever he's conducting an interview. Once he puts the pads on, though, it's a different story.
Gant has all the measurables you look for in an outside linebacker, and he's been tremendous in run support and being physical at the point of attack and with tight ends and wide receivers when split out wide. He's been asked to blitz a lot this week and has applied plenty of pressure in the face of opposing quarterbacks. If practices were live, he'd have had several sacks or tackles for a loss.
