On the final day of practice for the Senior Bowl, each team practiced in a variety of ways. The temperature was around 60 degrees at that time, but there were a few more clouds this time. The conditions were perfect for watching soccer all day long.
It was also a star-studded event, as NFL Hall of Famer and perhaps the greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice, was also in attendance to watch his son Brenden during the first practice. We had another NFL Hall of Famer today. Terrell Owens was spotted at practice and it turns out Owens will be inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame later this week.
National team senior bowl practice
red zone training
The national team immediately began activities for individual competitions. An interesting little note this time around for quarterbacks and receivers vs. defensive backs was that these were done in the red zone and sometimes at the goal line. During these practices, UCF wide receiver Javon Baker made some thrilling plays. When Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman threw him the ball, Baker showed great athleticism by jumping up to catch the ball and landing just inside the goal line.
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. connected with Brenden Rice over the middle on a diagonal, but the rope on his throw froze. Rice also needed to extend his arm to beat the defender and secure the take.
Goal line 11 vs 11
The red zone play continued to 11-on-11 in front of the goal line, another new aspect not seen in the other two Senior Bowl practices.familiar face since yesterdayOregon State defensive tackle Brandon Doras fired a shot like a cannon, going straight at Penix, forcing Penix to scramble and drawing a holding penalty, and then hitting Isaiah Adams, who had been bothering Penix the day before.
Michael Penix Jr. Senior Bowl – Photo Credit: USA Today
It required more scrambling, but this was a plus. With no one open and having to make a play before the pass rush came, Sam Hartman was able to escape the pressure and run into the end zone and score with no one nearby. Ta. Hartman was probably the most consistent quarterback of the group.
There were also plays on defense, particularly from Oregon cornerback Kyrie Jackson. The Ducks’ corners were kept in coverage by North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker on a route to the end zone. For a moment, it looked like Walker was going to score a touchdown, but it was unclear if Jackson would say anything about it.jackson I played diving To confirm that the ball was not perfect, but only showed good ball coverage ability.
The game of the day for the national team came on a late pass from Penix. This time he had to roll out to his left to extend the play a little bit. He found Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (brother of 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey) scoring a touchdown in the back of the end zone. Great throw by Penix and really great job by McCaffrey finding a good pocket in the end zone.
trench battle
In terms of who stood out in the trenches, let’s start with the attack. Without Jackson Powers-Johnson today, other Interior offensive linemen had more opportunities to make their presence felt. And they did.
Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini and Florida State’s Kingsley Eguacun were both the best centers on the national team. Both held their own, with Bortolini in particular persevering to compete with his opponent.
The defensive line also performed well. As mentioned above, Oregon’s Brandon Doras took advantage of the move by forcing Michael Penix Jr. to scramble outside the pocket and penetrate the backfield. Baylor’s Gabe Hall showed off the strength of a grown man by often outscoring the offensive linemen he faced one-on-one. Both seem like they have the potential to be mid-range disruptors at the next level.
U.S. team’s Senior Bowl practice
This practice was quite a challenge. His first hour consisted of stretches, walk-throughs, individual practices and a lot of special teams work. There was no competition between offense and defense until much later, and it didn’t last very long.
Defense star practicing
California ILB Jackson Salmon Senior Bowl – Photo Credit: USA Today
But when they finally got going, there were some big moments. The practice featured a series of strong plays from the defense, including Georgia safety Tykee Smith.
In the first, Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt was targeting Florida State tight end Jaheim Bell when Smith broke up a pass on the sideline. Pratt’s pass went a little too high and was tipped, and Smith intercepted the ball on the very next play.
Not to be outdone, California inside linebacker Jackson Sermon may have had his best day. During a 7-on-7 drill, Sermon intercepted a pass from South Alabama quarterback Carter Bradley, but that was just the beginning.
Later, during goal-line practice, Sermon stepped in front of a pass from Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton and jumped to steal the ball. Sermon displayed great athleticism throughout the afternoon, which led to some big plays.
Finally along the defensive line, they battled hard through one-on-one work with the offensive line. The one that stood out the most was Texas’ big defensive tackle Tyvondre Sweat. He sweats noticeably no matter what group he is in. he showed great strength He showed his talent as a run stuffer, pushing back offensive linemen. Oh, and he can also catch passes and do Heisman poses.
QB Michael Pratt Senior Bowl – Photo Credit: USA Today
Slash at Again, Platt Up and Down
There were some aggressive moments as well.From Louisville’s wide receiver, of course. Jamari Slash. Going down the right side of the end zone, Slash was holding defenders and still powering from the outside to the perimeter. Slash was able to turn his body toward the sideline and make the catch while staying within the frame.
Georgia’s Ladd McConkie also appeared on the scoreboard on Michael Pratt’s touchdown throw. It was an eventful day for Pratt. Pratt scored a touchdown, but before that he threw an interception to Smith.
South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler ended practice with a touchdown to Kentucky running back Ray Davis. It was a good week for Davis, who showed his skills as a receiving back. It usually goes like this at the Senior Bowl for running backs because there’s not a lot of physical contact.
Houston’s Patrick Paul is a left tackle who is 6-7 and weighs 333 pounds.Paul had an overall impressive week, and on one repeat he Gently put the defensive lineman down. He was blocking.
