Best of Army Practice: Defense

SAN ANTONIO, Texas- The third full day of practices for Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl is in the books, so it’s time to take a look at who the best performers have been by position for both the East and West squads this week.

Here’s a look at the defense.



Top247 defensive end Alquadin Muhammad has been tough to block this week during practice for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Defensive end

1- Alquadin Muhammad, Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco- Muhammad has been a tough out for most of the East offensive linemen this week. He’s athletic, has a quick first step and has good hand quickness and length. The New Jersey standout will make a commitment on Saturday during the game and it’s expected to be Miami (Fla.) over Rutgers and others.

2- Jonathan Allen, Ashburn (Va.) Stone Bridge- The Alabama commit will play outside linebacker for the Crimson Tide, but is playing with his hand down in San Antonio this week and has impressed. The quick athlete is a natural playmaker and has formed quite a tandem with Muhammad during the practice sessions.

3- Torrodney Prevot, Houston (Texas) Taylor- Prevot, who currently is committed to USC (considering Notre Dame and others), has an excellent frame and a very quick first step. He wasn’t dominant in every session, but certainly makes his share of plays.

Also considered- Garrett Sickels

Defensive tackle

1- Eddie Vanderdoes, Auburn (Calif.) Placer- If there was a most dominant individual prospect on either team, it would likely be Vanderdoes. The five-star defensive tackle prospect lined up at both end (at 6-foot-1, 300 pounds) and on the inside and not many blockers even touched him, much less handled him. Vanderdoes recently de-committed from USC and the Trojans, along with Notre Dame and Alabama are the major players.

2- Kenny Bigelow, Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian- If it weren’t for the presence of Vanderdoes, Bigelow would easily be the most dominant defensive tackle. An outstanding athlete who played defensive end until he out-grew the position, Bigelow is excellent at using his athleticism plus strength to shed blockers and blow up plays.

3- Frank Herron, Memphis (Tenn.) Central- Herron, an LSU commit, is a definite stock-up performer this week. During Thursday morning’s East practice, he continuously shed blocks and blew plays up in the backfield. He’s a good combination of strength and athleticism and appears to be putting it all together on the field.

4- A’Shawn Robinson, Arlington Heights (Texas)- Like Vanderdoes, Robinson has lined up some inside and some outside. The Texas commit (with USC under consideration) is a good bull rusher on defense who overpowers offensive linemen.

Also considered- Wyatt Teller

Linebacker

1- Jaylon Smith, Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers- The nation’s No. 1 linebacker prospect looks the part and has been outstanding in coverage this week. He looks like he’s gained even more good weight and strength and flies around the ball. Smith is committed to Notre Dame.

2- Daniel McMillian, Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast- The Florida commit is an outstanding, instinctive playmaker with good athleticism and a great nose for the football. He was all over the field during the practice sessions earlier in the week.

3- Mike Mitchell, Plano (Texas) Prestonwood Christian- Mitchell was the top West linebacker during the first practice session and the Texas standout continues to impress with his athleticism. He's expected to commit to Ohio State on Saturday.

4- E.J. Levenberry, Woodbridge (Va.) C.D. Hylton- Levenberry has been good in coverage this week and had an interception that would have gone for a pick-6 during drills Thursday afternoon. The Florida State commit has had a solid week of work overall.



Also considered- Dorian O’Daniel, Tim Kimbrough

Cornerback

1- Mackensie Alexander, Immokalee (Fla.)- The East has three elite cornerback prospects and Alexander has been the best overall by a slim margin. Alexander is excellent in coverage and closes fast against the run. The uncommitted prospect is considering Clemson, Texas A&M and others.

2- Tre’Davious White, Shreveport (La.) Green Oaks- There may not be a prospect whose stock has risen more this season than White, who is committed to LSU. He has been outstanding in coverage for most of the week and is an explosive athlete.

3- Jalen Ramsey, Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy- Ramsey, a USC commit, has been outstanding in coverage during the week. He has excellent hips and recovery speed and used his quick hands to bat down multiple passes during drills.

3- Kendall Fuller, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel- Ramsey was the best corner the first practice, Fuller the second and Alexander the third. The Virginia Tech commit has excellent hips and feet and good ball skills.

Also considered- Chris Hawkins, Jourdan Lewis, Eli Woodard

Safety

1- Tray Matthews, Newnan (Ga.)- Matthews, a Georgia commit, is an asset against the run because of his size and ability to hit, but he has been excellent in coverage this week.

2- Nick Washington, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian- It’s Washington’s first time playing safety in two years and the Florida commit has made more than his share of plays. This is a good long-term position for the future Gator.

3- Tahaan Goodman, Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.)- You look at Goodman and think that perhaps his size makes him a strong safety, but then you see he has excellent coverage skills. Uncommitted, Goodman is considering a host of programs.



Also considered- Dymonte Thomas, Antonio Allen

Best of Practice- Offense

Steve Wiltfong, Jason Sapp, Charles Power, Brian Perroni and Sonny Shipp contributed to this report.