Cleats V Cancer North Second Practice Standouts
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Both the North 1:00 and 5:00 All-Star teams raised the bar after settling in last night. The second practice featured great weather and tons of energy. Here are a few players who stood out on Saturday. Brendon Manzano WA #119…
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Continue ReadingBoth the North 1:00 and 5:00 All-Star teams raised the bar after settling in last night. The second practice featured great weather and tons of energy. Here are a few players who stood out on Saturday.
After a great first night, Manzano completely stole the show on the North-1:00 offense. He’s had the smoothest transitions of anyone on the field so far, and it shows up in every route he runs. His balance is uncanny, and you can tell just by the consistent tempo of every movement in his muscles. His agility allows his other skills to shine as a receiver who can line up anywhere, as he gets open enough to show his speed and jumping ability, both of which draw from his rare hip mobility. His hands have looked sure as he’s made tons of catches. Manzano’s style will shine in any college WR room lucky enough to land him, and recruiters are sure to hear his name as it’s the talk of the team so far.
After being added to our rankings this month, Watkins has made a case to be higher through the North-1:00’s practices. He’s vocally led the defense since practice begun, and he matches his intensity with high football IQ and great footwork. He has the ability to destroy several plays in a row when he gets an early read. He has a low stance, runs on the balls of his feet and is incredibly agile at 220 lb. He hits hard with disciplined form before wrapping. Watkins took over the North-1:00 scrimmage when on the field today, to the point an OL gave him props on behalf of his peers for making their life difficult. He’s received one offer so far and should be one of the most coveted players in Monday’s game.
Prathyush Manda
Prathyush Manda
Manda was a late addition to the roster, but needs to be recognized before he wreaks havoc Monday. He has impressed in DL drills with great instincts and hip movement. He’s athletic and utilizes a speed and finesse rushing style where he takes on half a man and beats them around the edge. He made a heads-up pick look easy in a DL drill and has good hands. He’s coordinated well and uses his length properly to bend around OTs. He has a lean body type for a DL but has natural hip mobility and won’t sacrifice speed. He’s being sharpened going against the best tackles in the state and should make DL coaches excited at the chance to get him in the right system on Monday.
Garrett Bickley
Garrett Bickley
Bickley’s form shined today as coaches were able to exemplify his hard-work style of blocking for others to learn from. He holds his ground in the pass game against lower DL with extremely quick feet and great balance. He keeps his center of gravity low and gets great push in the run game with his footwork too. He keeps his head down and lets the coaches praise him, while also finding ways to improve himself and displaying a growth mindset. On film, he’ll consistently pancake people and offer them a hand seconds later. He also makes pull blocks look routine. Bickley looks great on film, but is even more exciting in-person. The footwork should make OL recruiters eager to land him whether they see him as a guard or tackle.
Woodward became a key cog in the North-5:00 offense today as he made strides with the QBs. He made a point of establishing communication when he gave feedback after throws, quickly gaining rapport with the passers so they could finally build chemistry. Passing coordination was at a premium the first day with plenty of coverage sacks, but Woodward set the tone today. He was close to a few big catches early in the scrimmage and kept his poise until he caught a few at the end. He utilizes his size when blocking and breaking tackles after the catch. On film, he shields the ball away from smaller defenders with his body while high-pointing the ball for aggressive contested catches. Look for Woodward to make big catches in the 5:00 game.