The 2020 Senior Bowl is underway with the South kicking off day one of practice. The cold weather and wind was definitely a factor with the passing drills and receivers but it was still sweet saucy football at its finest.

IMPRESSIVE

WR Austin Mack, Ohio State – Wearing number five, Mack was everywhere today. He exudes the size, suddenness and ball skills needed of the position but he also has great body control and balance to adjust to passes and make plays on the football. He didn’t catch every last pass thrown his was but outside of a double clutched pass midway through the session, he was as consistent as it gets. He particularly did a great job creating space and appeared to have immediate chemistry with Justin Herbert among others.

LIKED WHAT I SAW

QB Justin Herbert, Oregon – It’s hard not to fall in love with the player here, especially when all the tools are there. He’s a giant kid with a laser on his right shoulder and as it turns out, he’s a legit space mover that will be a threat with his wheels. He placed the ball all around the yard today but even when the wind kicked up and the conditions were less than ideal, there was still plenty of firepower from the Ducks’ signal caller. He even overthrew a few passes into the wind. It was not a jaw dropping type day for Herbert, but he certainly verified his tremendous skill set and solidified his stock as the best quarterback at the event.

WR Jauan Jennings, Tennessee – Jennings just looks the part with long arms, a big frame and while runs a tad upright, he snaps in and out laterally with his change of direction ability. He displays that “my ball” mentality with the way he attacks the football so aggressively in the air, you’d think he’d die for it. One thing that was evident in one on ones and seven on sevens is that Jennings had defensive backs second guessing themselves and overthinking the matchup so much that he appeared to have the win before the rep even started. He has a lot of Mike Williams (Syracuse) to his game.

DL Marlon Davidson, Auburn – It’s almost impossible to not fall in love with Marlon Davidson’s personality because he brings a ton of energy and effort to everything he does. He flashed today with his first step and brute strength, particularly on a no contest rep where he destroyed Terrence Steele. Davidson strikes me as a Cameron Heyward type that could develop into a cornerstone type of player for a defense, although Marlon himself has professed to being a huge fan of Cameron Jordan’s game and style of play.

BATTLE ROYAL

WR Tyree Cleveland, Florida vs CB Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern – First off. Kindle Vildor is a nasty, tough relentless player that has a real competitive streak. He and Tyree Cleveland had a number of great battles in the one on ones that I enjoyed a lot. These two fought it out all day and made each other better. Cleveland was very smooth in the drills and in one on ones but seemed to shine in all the different facets of practice today. Vildor got handsy on Cleveland early and although Cleveland made his catches early, Vildor wouldn’t quit and just kept up a nice physical brand of ball that was a lot of fun to watch. Kindle Vildor capped off a terrific day of practice with a big interception that he was able to haul in during seven on sevens. Tip of the cap to both of these young men! Can’t wait to see what they have in store for tomorrow.

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