Friday, December 16, 2011

O-D All-Americans Impress at All-Star Games

In the 63rd annual SCADA North-South All-Star Game in Myrtle Beach on December 10th the North team defeated the South 42-3 and were led defensively by O-D All-American Shaquille Lawson, a Clemson commitment from Daniel High School.  Lawson was named the team defensive MVP after he logged five tackles, two and a half tackles for loss, and two sacks in the contest.

"Lawson was by far the best player in the North-South Game and a player I really felt belonged in the Shrine Bowl, " said Offense-Defense Director of Player Personnel Josh Buchanan, "He has great length, is explosive, and a very smart young man who will become a standout for the Clemson Tigers."


If you read practice reports you also noticed two O-D All-Americans who stood out, according to Chris Nee and Keith Niebuhr of Rivals.com.  For team Alabama they noted how well Auburn High School tackle Caleb Peterson looked.  Peterson played left tackle and according to the site "Peterson worked at left tackle throughout the day's practices and did an excellent job against a majority of the Alabama defensive ends. He exhibits very good strength and does an excellent job within a confined box of handling approaching defenders and winning the one-on-one battle. He has good agility and flexibility and does a good job against players that approach him with both speed and strength. With the ability to get very low in his stance, Peterson does a good job of playing fast and low off the snap and driving with his legs. While he performed well at offensive tackle, his future may very likely be at offensive guard, "said Rivals.com,".

They then named Peterson the "Best Blocker" of the game as the Southern Miss commitment was "the best, most consistent offensive lineman on hand. And it was no coincidence that many of Yeldon's biggest runs Saturday were behind Peterson. He's big, he's strong, he tough, he athletic and he's intelligent, "said Rivals.com."

They also took note of Thomasville's Tyler Hayes who Rivals.com noted as a "speedy backer dove to break up a pass and recovered a fumble, said Rivals.com".  They labeled him as a guy who met the hype.

"Peterson and Hayes are two players that will no doubt make a big splash at the next level at guard and inside linebacker, " said Buchanan, "Both are guys who can dominate and potentially be stars at the next level."

After two days of practice at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas Rivals.com has noted six O-D All-Americans as standouts.  On Monday the service noted on Gaffney wide receiver Quinshad Davis "Davis is tall and skinny and certainly needs to add weight and strength, but he has very good hands, adjusts to poorly thrown balls and gets upfield quickly. He is a solid route runner although he can round his routes at times, but he is very effective at getting separation as well as using his long frame and arms to fend off defenders and make tough catches. He does everything with apparent little effort."

Rivals.com also raved about Dillon's Kwinton Smith on Monday saying "Smith is a big and physical receiver who is very good at blocking out defenders to make catches and using his strength to fight for the ball. He's not overly quick nor is he a polished route-runner, but his size and big, strong hands make him a reliable target for any quarterback."

After Tuesday's practices Rivals.com noted even more O-D All-Americans as they said the following:

Davis- "Davis was once again one of the most consistent and dominant receivers on the day, using his size and big, reliable hands to snatch the ball away from defenders and his sneaky speed to gain separation. He's not a burner and won't run away from many people, but he is a terrific possession receiver who can also be a deep threat because he's great at jump balls and in traffic."

Monroe wide receiver Jody Fuller "Fuller is arguably the most physical of the receivers on either squad and certainly the strongest. He catches the ball out in front and despite a few drops over the first couple of days, he did a good job catching most of what has been thrown his way and using his wide frame to box out defenders. Fuller is also good at getting upfield after the catch and you can tell defensive backs will bounce off him at times at the next level. He can play inside or outside so he has versatility."

And the plaudits from the service didn't stop there as Allendale-Fairfax defensive back Ronald Geohaghan is playing linebacker and they said the following "Geohaghan is playing out of position at linebacker, but he is getting the job done. He worked out in some drills at defensive back as well on Tuesday so it's unclear where he'll line up on Saturday, but one thing for sure - he will be physical wherever it is. Geohaghan has taken on pulling guards and tackles in space for two days and has held his ground and popped pads. He has also strung things out, ran plays down and penetrated against the run. He's not a linebacker at the next level, but he is tough and physical."

The praise didn't stop there as Woodruff tackle Javarius Leamon suited up for the first time and they said "Leamon didn't practice in the morning but was cleared for the afternoon after missing three practices with a shoulder injury and his impact was immediate. First off, he is by far the best-looking offensive lineman on either squad with a great frame that could easily add 30 pounds and no bad weight. He also moves his feet well and is an athletic tackle and when he extends his arms and slides his feet, he's very hard to get around. He's more of a finesse lineman at this stage but he has all the physical tools necessary."

And finally they raved about Silver Bluff defensive back Cordrea Tankersley saying "Tankersley has been playing some corner and some safety and has been effective in coverage, especially on Tuesday where he closed on the ball well. He's a safety at the next level, but has shown solid ability at cornerback against an absolutely loaded South Carolina receiver corps."

"We are extremely proud of how all of our players are doing at other games and look forward to bringing a very strong roster to Cowboys Stadium, " said Buchanan, "Tankersley, Geohaghan, Fuller, and Leamon are all guys who none of the scouting services have rated very high but have the talent to be big time players at the next level."

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