Under Armour All-America Game: Top performers from Day 3 of practice – 247Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Monday’s practice for the Under Armour All-America Game (Wednesday, ESPN, 4 p.m. ET) featured plenty of competition with 1-on-1s, 7-on-7 play, and some full 11-on-11 schedules on the script. Below we have some top performers and more notes after patrolling the sidelines at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex for what was the last real day of practice for the event.
ALPHA DOG: ELLIS ROBINSON IV, CB (Georgia)
The Under Armour All-America Game has featured dozens and dozens of blue-chip defensive backs over the years, but we can’t recall any of them putting together a practice performance like Robinson did on Monday. The nation’s top-ranked corner lived up to the billing, finishing the day with three interceptions. That included a ridiculous one-handed snag in the corner of the end zone when he was marched up with Auburn signee Perry Thompson. Robinson, who went through Orange Bowl practices with the Bulldogs, has everything that you want in a new-age cornerback with his length, speed, physicality, and instincts. Monday made it pretty clear that he’s in a class of his own this cycle.
NEXT FIVE DEFENSE
DOMINICK MCKINLEY, DL (LSU commit)
There was no hangover for McKinley after he flipped his pledge from Texas A&M to LSU as the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve. McKinley had a solid showing during 1-on-1s, winning three reps before picking up a sack in his team’s 11-on-11 session. He’s got the frame to be a true difference-maker in the SEC and looks to just be scratching the surface of his potential.
BOOKER PICKETT JR., EDGE (Miami)
For the second straight practice, Pickett gave blockers absolute fits with his get-off. Pickett totaled 76 sacks over the course of his prep career and it’s easy to see why with his speed and flexibility. Rueben Bain had a similar week last year in Orlando before making an impact Year 1 at Miami. Pickett might be able to do the same if he can add some much-needed mass.
JUSTIN WILLIAMS, LB (Georgia)
UGA signed arguably the nation’s top linebacker class last cycle. The 2024 haul is tracking to be just as good. Williams, who changes gears like few others, picked off two passes during 7-on-7 play and took sharp angles during inside run. Williams looks tailor-made to play in Athens and the same goes for Chris Cole, who has also moved around well the past two days.
RYAN MACK, DB (Miami)
UA coaches have been raving all week about Mack, who turned in another solid outing. He was one of the best in positional drills when it came to changing directions and had multiple pass breakups on Monday. The highlight for Mack came at the tail end of practice when he ran into the deeper third with Alabama commit Ryan Williams and elevated to prevent a long gain.
AARON CHILES, LB (Florida)
Chiles is known for his ability to flow downhill and get home on the blitz, but he shinned in coverage on Monday, breaking up a pair of passes in man-coverage. Chiles also had a nice TFL in 11-on-11. Physically, Chiles looks ready to go and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him playing for the Gators as a true freshman.
NEXT FIVE OFFENSE
CAM COLEMAN, WR (Auburn)
The “Alpha Dog” from Sunday’s practice picked up right where he left off, making a number of acrobatic grabs look easy. Coleman seems to always have a good sense of what’s going on around him, which in turn allows him to put himself in position to make plays. He has been the best wide receiver through two full days of competition.
JONATHAN PAYLOR, ATH (NC State)
After rushing for 2,300 yards and making 75 tackles as a senior, Paylor is working with the wide receivers this week. He created plenty of separation while lined up in the slot and found the end zone multiple times. Paylor, who owns elite track times, is a Swiss Army Knife who can do a little bit of everything. More importantly, he can create chunk plays.
EUGENE BROOKS, OL (Oklahoma)
It was another dominate 1-on-1 period for Brooks, who manhandled opponents from his interior posting. Brooks is heavy-handed and light on his feet. That combination allows him to win battle after battle. He could be a staple for the Sooners in the middle once he finds his bearings and adjusts to life in the SEC.
CHANZ WIGGINS, WR (Virginia Tech)
With a handful of wide receivers absent Monday, it was Wiggins who stepped up and saw a ton of targets come his way. His best route is the slant as he attacks leverage and uses his muscular frame to box-out defensive backs. Wiggins, who already practiced with the Hokies, has been a pleasant surprise this week. The same goes for his teammate, defensive lineman Emmett Laws.
DONOVAN HARBOUR, OL (Penn State)
Harbour worked at left guard and beat Kentucky signee Brian Robinson twice in 1-on-1s. He’s got a squatty build to him and could best be described as a people move that can also anchor. Penn State and James Franklin want to win in the trenches and Harbour is the type of addition that fits the plan.
AROUND PRACTICE
– DJ Lagway (Florida) wasn’t afraid to challenge tight coverage windows in his 7-on-7 session. The dual-threat quarterback was also able to extend some plays once the pocket broke down in 11-on-11 action. Lagway was once again probably the best of the bunch when it came to the signal callers with Julian Sayin (Alabama) yet to arrive. Right behind him was Ethan Grunkemeyer (Penn State), who connected with Perry Thompson (Auburn) for a long gain to open up 11-on-11. Grunkemeyer’s deep ball continues to stand out.
– David Stone (Oklahoma) was very loud and very active for a defensive lineman. He battled Elyjah Thurmon (Clemson) and JacQawn McRoy (Oregon hard) in 1-on-1s and created plenty of push when his team scrimmaged. Thurmon, for what it’s worth, continues to get talked up by the UA coaches working the game. He’s a candidate to see the field early for Dabo Swinney and the Tigers.
– Jalyn Crawford (Auburn) and Kobe Black (Texas) both had interceptions and multiple pass break ups. Ify Obidegwu (Oregon), Tavoy Feagin (Clemson), Jordon Johnson-Rubell (Texas)m and Aaron Scott (Ohio State) were some of the other defensive backs that caught our eye for their play on Day 3.
– Zina Umeozulu (Texas) is one of the more intriguing edge rushers in attendance. He generated some pressure during 11-on-11 and has long levers to go with a nice first step.
– Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) took some reps at linebacker during 1-on-1s and was able to hang with Kylan Fox (UCF), which was impressive. Fox had a few grabs, but Davon Mitchell (Oklahoma) caught the most balls when it came to the tight ends.
– After picking off a pass Sunday, Qua Birdsong (UCF) showed that he can also rush the passer, tallying two sacks Monday.
Greg Biggins, Allen Trieu, Bud Elliott, Cooper Petagna, and Gaby Urrutia of 247Sports all contributed to this report.
© 2005-2024 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc.

source