All-American Bowl: Stock up prospects

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Saturday saw dozens of the nation’s top prospects play in the nationally-televised All-American Bowl inside the Alamodome. The game was the culmination of a week of action which included four practices.

On3 was on hand in San Antonio throughout the week and saw several prospects turn in strong showings. Here are nine prospects who put forth ‘stock up’ performances at the All-American Bowl.

Day 1 Top Performers | Day 2 Top Performers | Day 3 Top Performers | Overall Top Performers

ATH Jelani McDonald – Texas

Jelani McDonald entered the week at the All-American Bowl as one of the more intriguing back seven defensive prospects in the 2023 cycle. At around 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, McDonald pairs a big frame with with high-end athleticism that he shows as a high school quarterback, basketball star and state finalist in the triple jump. Though he’s spent much of his time on offense at the high school level, the week in San Antonio shined a new light on the Waco (Texas) Connally star’s coverage skills. McDonald worked at corner over the course of the week and held up very well while facing some of the top receivers in the cycle. The fact the new Texas commit can come out of basketball season and cover talented receivers despite his relative lack of experience as a defensive back is a testament to his overall athletic ability and considerable upside. It will be interesting to see where he ends up from a size and position perspective, but the upside and versatility were readily apparent at the All-American Bowl. McDonald ranks as the No. 82 overall prospect in the On300. – Charles Power

LB Samuel Omosigho – Oklahoma

Samuel Omosigho spent much of his high school career playing on the offensive side of the ball, where he doubled as a productive receiver in addition to playing on defense. The Oklahoma signee showed he can be an every down linebacker during the week at the All-American Bowl. He looks college-ready from a physical perspective with elite length for the position along with a developed physique. On the field, Omosigho proved he can play between the hashes and showed a strong display of understanding run fits and triggering to the football. The fluidity was also on full display during the 7-on-7 periods. The native Texan also looked comfortable during team settings throughout the week. Omosigho ranks as the No. 100 overall prospect in the On300. – Cody Bellaire

TE Pearce Spurlin – Georgia

Pearce Spurlin missed the majority of his senior season due to injury. With that said, the All-American Bowl provided the chance for the Georgia signee to remind everyone why he’s been one of the top tight end prospects for most of the 2023 cycle. Spurlin has a big frame at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds with plus length. He is a fluid, nimble mover and showed some high-end change of direction and route-running ability, particularly for such a taller tight end. Spurlin was able to separate from linebackers and some safeties over the course of the week. He also flashed a large catch radius, scooping low thrown balls off the ground and elevating to come down with high point grabs. Spurlin ranks as the No. 117 overall prospect in the On300. – Charles Power

EDGE Tomarrion Parker – Clemson

Few prospects at the All-American Bowl were more dominant in 1-on-1’s than Tomarrion Parker. The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder flashed his considerable pass rush polish in practices, lighting up most offensive tackles he faced. Parker showed a quick first step along with the ability to bend and stay low. We also saw him employ a nasty spin move in the team period. It’s easy to see why the Phenix City (Ala.) Central product has been a sack artist at the high school level. He has a natural feel and advanced skill set that is simply a mismatch for many opposing tackles. We also liked what we saw from his energy and effort level throughout practice and the game. Parker ranks as the No. 148 overall prospect in the On300. – Charles Power

OT Spencer Fano – Utah

Unlike most top offensive linemen in the 2023 cycle, Spencer Fano was not on the national camp circuit – leading some ambiguity around his size and frame. The Utah commit passed the eye test in San Antonio, looking to be over 6-foot-4 and around 275 pounds. Fano was arguably the most consistent offensive lineman for the West over the course of the week. He was a standout in 1-on-1’s during the joint practice and held up well against five-star pass rusher Keon Keeley during Saturday’s game. The quickness and ability to anchor on contact stood out. Fano also flashed his versatility, working at both right tackle and center in practice. He could feasibly play any spot on the offensive line, adding to his overall value as a prospect. Fano ranks as the No. 173 overall prospect in the On300. – Charles Power

ATH Malachi Coleman – Nebraska

Malachi Coleman came to San Antonio with the reputation as one of the more explosive jumbo athletes in the 2023 cycle. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is a twitchy athlete who stars as a sprinter with a scintillating 10.46 second mark in the 100 meters. For starters, the track speed carried over to the field, where Coleman flashed the ability to separate from defensive backs on downfield routes. He also showed some encouraging coordination and technical receiver skills. To be honest, the route-running was better than expected – we saw Coleman drop his weight and change direction with regularity. The ball skills also checked out as well, as the Cornhusker signee went up to high-point the football throughout practice. The physical tools are considerable, but the technical skills Coleman showed point to a prospect who is not a project as a wide receiver. Coleman ranks as the No. 184 overall prospect in the On300. – Charles Power

LB Whit Weeks – LSU

Projecting linebackers in coverage based on the high school football setting can be difficult. The all-star game setting can allow for a more translatable look as to how linebackers play and cover in space. Whit Weeks was a standout in that regard over the course of All-American Bowl week. The LSU signee was the best cover linebacker at the event, in our opinion. Weeks made a ton of plays throughout practice, in 1-on-1’s, 7-on-7 and team periods. His athleticism, instincts and coordination shined while operating in space. Weeks also showed a feel and toughness as a run defender. This carried over to the game, where he led the East in tackles in addition to notching a tackle for loss and recovering a fumble. Weeks’ ability to translate to as an every down linebacker was evident in San Antonio. The Georgia native ranks as the No. 233 overall prospect in the On300. – Charles Power

WR Malik Elzy – Illinois

Malik Elzy was the On3 MVP for the West on day one and continued to string together several strong periods of practice throughout the week. He entered the event well known for his strong hands and ability to win at the catch point. With that said, we were impressed by his route-running and ability to separate with change of direction. Elzy may not be a receiver who is going to blow you away with his times on the stopwatch, but he plays relatively fast and showed some technical ability as a route-runner. He also displayed strong ball skills making multiple contested catches during the 7-on-7 periods. Elzy, who committed to Illinois during the All-American Bowl, looked like a blue-chip wide receiver in San Antonio. – Cody Bellaire

RB Mark Fletcher – Miami

Mark Fletcher made his presence felt with several flashes throughout the week of practice. He has a readymade build at around 6-foot-1, 225 pounds and showed some suddenness and twitch as a ball carrier. At times during the week and in Saturday’s game, Fletcher showed the ability to make defenders miss in tight quarters, in addition to his power as a runner between the tackles. We were impressed by his ball skills as a pass catcher during practice. This carried over to the game, as he caught a pass downfield for a long score. Over the course of the week, Fletcher showed he has some all-purpose ability and encouraging movement skills as a bigger back. – Cody Bellaire