USAAB West Second Session Practice Report

SAN ANTONIO – Monday afternoon’s practice for the West squad featured the lighter side as player camaraderie and fun was the theme of the afternoon at Comalander Stadium.

It was a light workout for the All-Americans as the blistering South Texas sun made for some very un-December like weather conditions.

That however did not stop Allen (Texas) High’s Dan Buckner and Muskogee (Oklahoma) High’s Jameel Owens from leading the West receiving corps in the chorus of a rap song.

It was 7-on-7 and inside hull drills that highlighted the short afternoon session with the West defensive backs, most notably Round Rock (Texas) McNeil’s Aaron Williams, Fresno (California) Edison’s Robert Golden, and Denver (Colorado) Mullen Prep’s Nolan Brewster from having impressive showings against the West receivers.

One of the more entertaining one-on-one matchups during the afternoon was Buckner and Williams, both future Texas Longhorns, going at it during 7-on-7 drills which had both players exchanging some playful words towards each other after each play.

One of the biggest happenings during the practice was an injury to Bryce Givens, who injured his hand and didn’t return to practice.

Who looked impressive…

Quarterbacks – With each throw he makes Dayne Crist continues to look more and more like the most college ready quarterback on the West squad. He looks very fluid and while his mechanics are good, he doesn’t look like a robot when he drops back. He seems to have a very good feel for the game.

Running Backs – Gilmer (Texas) High’s Justin Johnson showed some of the stuff that made him a Scout.com five star player and the top prep player in Texas. Even in practice, Johnson is a simple one cut and get downhill type of runner. Sam McGuffie also had a nice afternoon workout showing off some his off-the-charts quickness.

Receivers – If nothing else this week, Dan Buckner is running away with the Mr. Personality Award. All of the players from both squads are drawn to Buckner who has one of the brightest smiles, biggest laughs, and best hands for the West.

Offensive Line – Justin Johnson’s high school teammate David Snow, along with Moreno Valley (California) Rancho Verde’s Tyron Smith, have been the two most consistent linemen through the first day of practice. In the afternoon workout, Klein (Texas) Hi gh’s J.B. Shugarts asserted himself as one of the top linemen for the West squad.

Defensive Linemen – It was a lighter afternoon for the defensive lineman after some physical one-on-one’s in the morning, but Solomon Koehler continues to standout with his initial step off of the line of scrimmage.

Linebackers – Penn State pledge Mike Matui out of Mandeville (Louisiana) High has been the most explosive of the linebackers for the West squad. Even when watching him during simple drills, Matui really explodes through ball carriers and has tremendous hip flexibility and quickness.

Defensive Backs – Williams and Golden continue to shine, but Brewster came away with an interception during 7-on-7 drills, showing great concentration on a tip ball that he had to gather while in mid-stride.