LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – It’s significant that three days of practices are in the books for the 2012 Under Armour All-American Game.
As is usually the case, the players get more comfortable around the third day and begin to show a wider range of their talents. 

Their coaches have taken notice, too.

Deion Sanders likes the way Michigan cornerback commit Terry Richardson has played this week at practice for the Under Armour All-American Game.

Helping coach the defensive backs is one of the best to ever put on the cleats, Deion Sanders. The sure-fire Hall of Famer likes what he has seen from a trio of defensive backs on Team Highlight (Black).

“Number one (Terry Richardson), the (Bryson Echols) kid is playing his butt off and (Chaz Elder) as a safety has done well,” Sanders said. “The best thing about Richardson is he’s a very coachable kid. You tell him something one time and he is going to implement it. Whatever you tell him, he will do. Echols is a fighter, he’s battled in everything he’s done. These kids are sponges in that have been well-coached.”

Sanders has been especially impressed with Elder.

“He’s a playmaker. I’m mean he has great instinct and you can’t teach instinct. It’s the one thing you can’t teach.” he said.

White Team (BLUR) cornerbacks coach Claude Mathis of DeSoto (Texas) likes what he has seen from five-star safety Landon Collins (Geismar, La./Dutchtown), the nation’s third-ranked overall prospect.

“Collins, the strong safety has done well,” he said. “(He is) a very physical kid, an outside linebacker type but he can still cover the tight end down the field. I can’t wait to see him when he gets to play the run and hit somebody.”

Also assisting with the White Team is former NFL receiver Reidel Anthony. Anthony spoke after Tuesday’s practice on the receiver core, and is more than impressed with Miami commitment Angelo Jean-Louis (Wellington, Fla./Palm Beach Central).

“Jean-Louis is great off the jam,” Anthony said. “His best attribute is he really wants to compete. Ball in the air, he competes. He always wants the quarterback to throw him a jump ball. He never wants to come off the field, but I had to take him off the field today because his hamstring is bothering him.”

The former Florida Gators star and current assistant coach at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala also likes what he has seen from a pair of Texas commitments.

“Cayleb Jones is doing a great job fighting through turf toe,” Anthony said . “I mean, that’s one of the most nagging injuries you can have. He uses his body well. He just plays big and that’s what he is going to have to do on the next level. He looks like he has the ability to open up and use those long legs to run too, but it’s hard to tell because he has the turf toe.

“Thomas Johnson is exciting. He has great feet. Like I told him, he’s not the biggest kid kind of like I was, so he’s going to have to use his hands and feet more to win and get off the line of scrimmage in the future. Once he gets off the line of scrimmage there is nothing anyone can do about him and he has a great set of hands.”

Anthony says that Oklahoma commitment Sterling Shepherd (Oklahoma City, Okla./Heritage Hall) may be the most improved receiver over the three days of practice.

“(Shepherd) is very quick and uses his hands well off the line and runs pretty good routes,” he said.

Because of the nature of the position, linebackers tend not to stand out as much as skill players in this setting, but Michigan commitment Joe Bolden (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) has drawn as much praise as any on the White Team. Linebackers coach Joey McGuire of Cedar Hill High in the Dallas area loves what he has seen from the future Big Ten player.

“I love the Bolden kid,” McGuire said. “He’s one of the most instinctive kids I have seen. He’s similar to the Spence kid (Sean Spence at Miami) from the first Under Armour game in that he is so instinctive on the field. He just finds the football,”

McGuire has also been surprised by the speed of Texas commitment Peter Jinkens (Dallas/Skyline).

“I was really impressed with how well he ran,” McGuire said. “The other thing he did well was cover the tight end. When you first come in, some guys have to have a little help covering these really good tight ends, but I’m not sure Jinkens is going to need any help there.”

Inside linebacker Dalton Santos (Van, Texas- committed to Tennessee) and Stanford commitment Noor Davis (Leesburg, Fla.) have also impressed.

“Santos in the middle, he’s a true MIKE linebacker,” McGuire said. “He’s a true, SEC MIKE linebacker. Davis, going to Stanford, can play all three positions. There is a reason he is going to Stanford. He’s really smart, you tell him one time and he does it. He’s a heady football player.”

Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke is assisting the with the quarterbacks and likes what he has seen from Texas commit Connor Brewer (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral).

“Connor has picked up on what we want to do schematically more than anyone,” Weinke said. “He’s not a flashy guy, but a consistent guy. I think he’s a guy that is going to get the ball out of his hands quickly, make the correct decisions and do it with accuracy. In terms of a total package, he’s a consistent guy and a guy that will make good decisions.”

The athleticism and leadership of Chad Kelly (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph School) has also stood out.

“I think he’s probably the most athletic,” Weinke said. “He’s got the big arm and can run around a little bit. He’s probably the most vocal of the three guys and has taken the leadership role a little bit.”

Weinke has also been impressed with three other offensive players this week.

“Number 5 on the outside (Angelo Jean-Louis) is the guy that has probably made the most plays,” he said. “He’s consistent in your normal plays, but also gives you the wow factor. And Johnathan Gray- I’m mean every time he touches the ball you think he has a chance to score. He’s shifty, but I also think he can run through some guys. He’s stood out. I also like the big tight end number 22 (USC commit Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick). He’s going to be able to do some damage in the red zone. He’s a big body, but he’s also going to be able to maneuver.”

The Under Armour All-American Game will kick off at 7:30 Thursday night and will be televised live by ESPN.