I spent the entire morning session with the Mississippi Squad today at Hattiesburg High. Hanging out at BW3 now and will be headed over to Oak Grove with Team Alabama at 2:00 PM.
Here's a few notes:
- Southern Miss commitment
Jacques Turner really impressed today playing linebacker, both inside and outside. He made two really nice plays in coverage. He almost pulled an INT away from Laurel TE
Octavious Cooley on a crossing route, he didn't come up with the ball but prevented the completion and drew praise from the MS staff and defensive team mates. Later successfully defended a pass intended for RB
Alan Lamar (Desoto Central) who was coming out of the backfield on a wheel route.
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Racheem Boothe continues to play well and is the best LB on the field for MS. I have a print story coming coming out with him in a little while.
- Southern Miss DB commitment
Demetrius Market has made life hard all week for 4-star WR
Dekaylin Metcalf and OM commitment. Market is really good and I could see him playing early for Southern Miss considering he will be a mid-year enrollee.
- Things can always change but two disappointments so far have been Bassfield's
Jerome Johnson and Lafayette's
Eli Johnson. It has become painfully clear watching Jerome this week that his potential in college is on the OL and not DL. He has great size, looks pretty athletic but the physicality and drive have not shown to be there to play defense on the collegiate level. Eli, an OM commit, claims offers from more than a dozen schools. So far his play has not met the expectations an offer list like that would produce.
I also expected more from Louisville commitment Lamarquese Thomas from Clinton. He was very impressive at the RivalsCamp last spring but not as much this week.
- There are a few players I came away with more impressed than I thought I would be....the most notable is Starkville WR
A.J. Brown. He's really good, great size, good speed, outstanding body control. I also really like the way
Quincy Lenton from Meridian plays the game.
- Speaking of Meridian, man were they loaded this year! In addition to Lenton, they also have DL Raekwon Davis (Alabama) and Zaire Jones (Vandy) in the game. They have two other FBS prospects Julius Turner (La Tech) and Daniel Crowell (multiple offers) who didn't make the game. How did Petal beat them twice?
I'll be headed over to Oak Grove Shortly