Alabama-Mississippi All-Star practice observations

Hattiesburg, Miss. – A number of top 2024 prospects from Alabama and Mississippi are in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to take part in the 37th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.

The game will be played at noon on Saturday, December 16th at the University of Southern Mississippi’s M.M. Roberts Stadium. Practices began on Tuesday night and continued on Wednesday. On3 was on hand for the first two practices and brings evaluation notes from talent-rich event.

5-Star Plus+ prospect Ryan Williams headlines deep WR group

A late addition to the game, just days after reclassifying to the 2024 cycle, Alabama wide receiver pledge Ryan Williams is the highest-ranked prospect in Hattiesburg. Williams headed over to the Magnolia State after a sensational showing in the Class 6A state title game on Friday. The Five-Star Plus+ prospect’s athleticism was on display in Monday morning’s practice. We saw the tangible burst on display as he was able to work over the middle of the field. Williams got loose down the seam for a long gain during 11-on-11 work late in practice. He didn’t have a flawless day, as he put a few balls on the ground, but continued to look like a top talent.

Despite being newer to football, Auburn wide receiver commit Bryce Cain caught the ball away from his body better than any of the other receivers on Alabama’s team in Monday’s practice. Cain’s speed and ability as a deep threat is evident on Friday nights and on the track. With that said, he showed good hands and tracking ability to go with the movement skills. The On300 prospect didn’t receive as many targets as others during live portions of the practice, but we came away pleased by the ball skills.

Mississippi State commit JJ Harrell flashed the most burst of the Mississippi wide receivers in Tuesday night’s practice. The Sardis (Miss.) North Panola product is a bouncy mover and came down with a few grabs in the practice’s live periods.

Auburn pledge Malcolm Simmons may have had the most catches among Alabama receivers in Wednesday morning’s practice. Simmons primarily lined up in the slot and proved to be an athletic mismatch on the defenders he drew. A talented basketball player and track athlete, Simmons still needs to refine his route-running and catching technique, but the athleticism was on display in Hattiesburg.

Standout offensive linemen

Ole Miss commit William Echoles is working along the offensive line this week, despite being recruited and ranked as a defensive lineman. A two-way standout at Houston (Miss.) High, Echoles looked like the top offensive lineman at Mississippi’s Tuesday practice. He lined up at guard and showed impressive functional movement skills. We saw Echoles work to the second level with ease. He planted a linebacker as a puller. We later saw Echoles get a push in the run game against fellow Ole Miss commit, Kamarion Franklin. It remains to be seen which side of the ball Echoles will end up on in college, but the On300 prospect may have just as much upside on offense as he does on defense based on what we saw in practice.

William Sanders looked like the clear top offensive lineman on the Alabama team, as expected. The Crimson Tide pledge turned in a very solid practice on Wednesday morning. Sanders had a great rep in 1-on-1’s, flashing a strong anchor. He was good in drills, showing movement skills and pop in his hands. We continued to see nice athleticism as he lined up at right guard in live periods. Sanders, who is a four-star outlier for On3, is well-built with ideal weight distribution.

Anthony Maddox leads the quarterbacks

Texas A&M commit Anthony Maddox spun the ball the best of the quarterbacks on either team. Maddox’s explosive arm was evident as early as warmups in Tuesday’s practice. He He drove the ball downfield with noticeable RPM’s. At times, the velocity was too much for some of the receivers to handle. We also saw Maddox make some plays during the live periods, flashing good pocket presence in stepping up against the pass rush. Maddox was back on his high school’s field after leading Hattiesburg (Miss.) Oak Grove to a state title a few weeks ago. He’s been committed to Texas A&M since February, but recently took an official visit to Ole Miss and the Rebels are trending according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Illinois pledge Trey Petty also threw the ball well in Mississippi’s Tuesday practice, showing good zip on passes over the middle of the field. The Starkville (Miss.) High product is teaming up with Maddox just weeks after facing off in the state title game.

South Alabama commit Jared Hollins earned the invite in the midst of a breakout senior season at Semmes (Ala.) Mary G. Montgomery. Hollins was at his best during the live periods in Wednesday’s practice, showing a willingess to stand in the pocket and deliver strikes on out-breaking routes.

Mbakwe shows versatility

We saw Alabama commit Jaylen Mbakwe do a bit of everything in Wednesday’s practice – which has been the case for most of his high school career. Mbakwe, who led his Clay-Chalkville squad to a state title as a quarterback, is officially on the Alabama team’s roster as a defensive back, but also saw reps behind center on Wednesday. Mbakwe showed his well-known athleticism, working on designed runs and getting outside of the pocket on rollouts. He lined up at both corner and safety on defense, but was not tested during live periods. While there wasn’t much to parse on Wednesday, we should see more from the touted corner prospect in coverage during Saturday’s game and at Under Armour All-America practices later this month.

Mizzou pledge flashes upside on DL

Jaylen Brown looked like the most physically-gifted defensive lineman on either team. The Missouri commit looked all of 6-foot-6 and close to, if not over the listed 240 pounds. Brown has plus length, with very long arms. The upside as on display in Wednesday’s practice. The Huntsville (Ala.) James Clemens product gave offensive linemen problems with his length and strength. He’s also a flexible athlete, showing the ability to bend and dip off the edge. Brown will need technical development, but the promise was evident.

Kamarion Franklin had the best day of the Mississippi defensive linemen in Tuesday’s practice. The Ole Miss pledge lined up at both defensive tackle and defensive end. Franklin, who was the tallest defender on Mississippi’s team by a good margin, made a handful of nice plays. We saw him get into the backfield on a few occasions. At one point, he capitalized on a bust by the offensive line, leading to a would-be sack.

Alabama commit Jeremiah Beaman had a solid practice on Wednesday. The On300 prospect showed his ability to work as a big defensive end. He was physical in the run game and flashed good bend off the edge. Beaman was noticeably trying to work on his game during practice and paid attention to detail.

Auburn pledge Jamonta Waller lined up at both defensive end and linebacker for Mississippi on Tuesday evening. The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder is built more like a true linebacker, but has extensive experience as a pass rusher at the high school level. He looked fairly comfortable in his drops and coverage at linebacker. Though we didn’t see him create too much pressure off the edge, Waller showed the ability to affect the play despite being blocked, leaping for a batted pass.

Defensive backs making plays

Amarion Fortenberry made the most plays in the Mississippi secondary during Tuesday’s practice. He was the smoothest defensive back in drills and carried that over to the live periods. The South Alabama commit picked off Anthony Maddox on a broken play, leaving his feet for a diving interception. He also showed good range in run support and coverage, while lining up at nickel and corner. A do-it-all player at the high school level, Fortenberry has been committed to South Alabama since the summer and received offers from Ole Miss and Washington State during the fall.

LSU cornerback pledge PJ Woodland drew first-team reps for Mississippi on Tuesday evening. He’s a feisty, active corner who breaks on the ball quickly. Woodland has a thin build and will need considerable time in the weight room and at the training table.

Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. is a name familiar to Alabama fans. The Crimson Tide commit and legacy made one of the best plays in coverage during Wednesday’s practice, recovering to make a play on a deep ball intended for Bryce Cain.

Additional notes

+ Uncommitted running back Daniel Hill saw work out of two-back sets for Mississippi on Tuesday. Hill has a readymade, stocky build, developed lower body. It’s tough to gauge physicality in the half-contact practice, but Hill ran hard up the middle and caught the ball well on the perimeter.

+ Miami commit Cam Pruitt is a true hybrid defender. He has experience as a safety and linebacker at the high school level. We saw him rush off the edge a good bit during Wednesday’s practice. Pruitt’s speed evident as he tracked down plays in backside pursuit.

+ Oklahoma commit Isaiah Autry lined up at left tackle for Mississippi and held up fairly well. Autry did a nice job in pass protection when matched up against Jamonta Waller.

+ Uncommitted wide receiver Braylon Burnside also had a solid practice for Mississippi on Tuesday. Burnside is a bouncy wideout with a well-rounded game.

+ Auburn commit Malik Blocton and Purdue pledge Jamari Payne also made plays on the defensive front for Alabama. Blocton played with a good effort level and we saw Payne use his athleticism to get into the backfield.