Spring Practice

[Commonwealthsports]

Today I begin my spring tour at duPont Manual.

The Crimsons possess one of the more talented rosters in the state, even though they lose Mike Nero, Ty'Ron Horton and Jordon Gonzalez.

The top talent on this team for 2015 is just a sophomore, and it is Jairus Brents. Brents holds offers from Kentucky and Louisville. The cornerback is a superior athlete and this year will be looking to hone in on his position and assignments pertaining to his position.

Truth be told, Brents wasn't able to help his team much as a freshman because he couldn't quite grasp coverage concepts. However, this year he is said to be ready and will likely be an every-down starter.

It's somewhat uncommon for an underclassman to be considered the most talented player on a roster, in general. It might sound a little more farfetched knowing Manual has a Division-I commit.

That Division-I commit is defensive end Derek Dorsey.

Dorsey committed to Louisville not long after a scholarship was tendered. He's a pretty balanced defensive lineman in regards to pass rush vs. stopping the run. And he may have had a few more offers coming his way, and still might depending on what his camp schedule will entail.

He's a very polished prospect with room to grow. He seems like an all-state lock in the preseason.

One to watch is sophomore defensive lineman Tajh Rice. His fame bears a striking similarity to former Louisville defensive tackle Brandon Dunn.

Rice is a strong yet mobile raw prospect. His ceiling is incredibly high as is his motor. Seeing him workout a few times as well as practice I'd say he also has a desire to learn and get better every day.



This post was edited on 4/13 10:54 AM by Commonwealthsports

 

[Commonwealthsports]

Some take aways from the day I spent at Manual:

- no one is going to replace Mike Nero.

- Derek Dorsey is a technician. He's not going to wow you with his burst or athleticism. He's a calculated and precise end.

- Manual is still huge along the defensive line. In addition to Dorsey there's rising junior Sean Cleasant in the middle to clog up holes at 6'3, 290 lbs.

- Jairus Brents and Tahj Rice did not participate in the practice. Both had minor injuries they're rehabbing.

- The offensive line is young and inexperienced. Only one starter returns.

 

[Commonwealthsports]

Next stop: Male High

Over the past two seasons Male has been the best program not to win a state championship in the state of Kentucky. And in 2015 it is again expected to be immensely talented.

However, this season a new face will be under center, after the departure of Davis Mattingly who had a stupendous two-year run at that position. Picking up where the to-be Kentucky walk-on left off is Hayden Shelton.

While Shelton doesn't have the experience or the arm of Mattingly, he does have better, quicker feet that should equate to more mobility in the pocket and more play call possibilities.

I feel the Bulldogs season hang heavily upon Shelton filling the shoes of Mattingly sufficiently.

Luckily for Shelton, his supporting cast is the best group of offensive skill players in the state. A bona fide playmaker in wide receiver Keion Wakefield who's been making waves since he was a freshman and picked up an offer from Kentucky. There's also Zach Smith who had a break out year as a junior and made teams pay, big, for double teaming or shadowing Wakefield. It doesn't stop there either, Marcus Clark proved he could be a formidable wide out when he was on his game as well. And don't forget about the fastest man on the team who could be seen in a number of positions, Devin Gentry.

Male will also get back a big part of what they do defensively, who was lost last year during the season, in Marcus Davis. Davis a potential Division-I prospect and if he gets back to 100% he'll surely make an impact this season.

 

[Commonwealthsports]

Takeaways from Male:

- Hayden Shelton can make the throws necessary to play quarterback in the Male system.

- Keion Wakefield has gotten after it in the weight room. He looks far more college ready than ever before now. He also had his upperclassman swagger on -- instructing his teammates and displaying a vast knowledge of the playbook and schemes. The best receiver in a great corps, the best athlete in the city and a true competitor.

- When I got to Male, Devin Gentry was running with the track team along with his teammate Marcus Clark. Although, both made it out on the field for practice. I didn't see much of Gentry once he made his way out onto the field. He was in with the running backs, who were practicing some simple handoffs, and there wasn't much action going on there. Clark, however, showed up often during the 1v1's portion of practice. He ranked right up there with Wakefield in terms of route running.

- SOMEONE GIVE ZACH SMITH A SCHOLARSHIP. Smith is a sure-fire DI-AA or better wide out. He's a possession wide out with enough go to break catches for long gains. He is also a great returner.

- One to watch for in the future is Rasean McCauley. He's a rising sophomore tight end who uses angles and his frame to get open.