Here is who stood out in my eyes at the 2009 UnderArmour All-American game.
Top Playmaker
TEAM WHITE: Craig Roh – The Michigan commit was constantly pressuring the quarterback. He is great off the edge, he has a big time spin move, and he never slows down until the play is officially dead. He will need to add weight and strength to become better against the run, but he is a pass rush specialist that could make an early impact in Ann Arbor.
TEAM BLACK: Greg Reid – Reid had two interceptions and he was very close to a third. The 5-foot-9 athlete may be small in stature, but he makes big plays. Technique is not his strength at corner, but he has the ability and speed to make up for mistakes he may make in coverage. He has so much speed, if he gets his academics in order, then he will be a hot commodity now that he has opened things back up.
Surprises of the Night
TEAM WHITE: Jamal Reid had a very good game including a nice touchdown grab in the first half. He has a solid week on the practice field, but he turned it on tonight. He showed he could be a good receiver at Miami if they decide to play him there instead of defensive back. He was overshadowed all week by other receivers, but he stepped his game up tonight.
TEAM BLACK: Buford runs the ball a lot, so Dallas Lee has not gotten a lot of reps in pass protection. Lee is solid against the run, but he shined bright when pass blocking for his quarterbacks this evening. He went up against the top interior defensive lineman in this event (Gary Brown) and he handled him much of the game one on one. Brown beat him a few times, but Lee really showed great hands, good feet, and a lot of strength.
Biggest Hitter
TEAM WHITE: This may sound odd, but I have to go with Duron Carter. Yes, Carter is a receiver, but he may have had the biggest hit of the night on the first play of the game. He blindsided Tom Wort at Wort felt that for some time. Others like Jelani Jenkins delivered some big hits for Team WHITE, but Carter gets the nod.
TEAM BLACK: Ray Ray Armstrong laid the wood quite a few times throughout the game. He is always lurking in the secondary looking for his next victim. He plays a good safety position, but he will likely play a little closer to the line of scrimmage at Miami. Armstrong is good in space, he attacks the ball, and he loves contact.
Immediate Impact
TEAM WHITE: Jacobbi McDaniel spent a lot of time in Team WHITE’S backfield during the game. He rotated with Joshua Downs and Abry Jones at defensive tackle, but it seemed like when he was in the game, then he was disrupting things for Team WHITE. His name might now have been called a lot, but he assisted the other ten defenders on his team.
TEAM BLACK: Andre Debose committed to the Florida Gators in the 4th quarter, but before then he scored a 92 yard touchdown. Debose only caught one pass, but he showed he doesn’t have to touch the ball much to make a big impact. He is dangerous and Branden Smith misjudged the pass and Debose made him and Team WHITE pay.
Who’s a Gamer?
TEAM WHITE: This is the one time that there was a tie. Marlon Brown and Sam Montgomery both showed up big for Team White Sunday. Brown took the first pass from Matt Barkley 72 yards for a touchdown and he added a couple other receptions later in the game. Montgomery was in the backfield often and he had one clean sack and assisted on at least one more. Neither received too much praise after practice, so both showed they can make plays when spotlighted in the big game.
TEAM BLACK: Russell Shepard gets this award for Team BLACK. He had a solid week on the practice field, but he was hot and cold each day. When the lights came on Sunday night, he showed why he was one of the most sought after dual-threat quarterbacks in country as he threw for a TD and ran for one as well.
Stock Up this Week: Top Three
TEAM WHITE: Stephen Gilmore, Gary Brown, and Craig Roh. Gilmore lit it up all week and capped it off with a touchdown saving interception late in the game. Brown separated himself from much of the pack at defensive tackle this week and he made some plays Sunday. Roh is a guy that is hard to slow down when rushing the passer – he is light, but he plays hard, he is quick, and he plays with a lot of energy.
TEAM BLACK: Duron Carter, Greg Reid, and Josh Downs. Carter made one handed grabs, he adjusted to poorly thrown balls, and he consistently got open while in Orlando. He is one of the most polished receivers I have seen this year. Reid is just a playmaker. He is not strong in a lot of technique at corner, but he was coached up this week and he took what the coaches taught him and combined that with his amazing athleticism. Downs does not look like a high level recruit, but he is. He plays with great leverage, he is strong at the point of attack, and he is one to watch at LSU.