these from tom luginbill, espn director of football recruiting: skill position thumbnails.i've snagged from that link some thumbnails interesting to us for some reason or other. not all are our commits or past hopes. for instance, i found luginbill's comments about the accuracy and touch of the qb up there who was throwing to cayleb to be very interesting. i had pretty much guessed the guy wasn't able to use the skills of his receivers to very good advantage, and luginbill sort of says that. i really wish cayleb and nelson had been on the team with connor and johnathan, but, of course, there was a draft, so it wouldn't work out that way. i've also included the thumbnails on a couple other of the top qbs for comparison. also the guy who was connor's best receiver if it wasn't johnathan. what was said about that guy, together with info on his size, etc, makes me think he might be a good deal like onyebule, but i think miles is probably faster, if rivals numbers are anything like accurate.he didn't have much to say about johnathan. : )Team Alpha SpeedILB Peter Jinkens -- A true sideline-to-sideline player who can cover a lot of ground in a hurry in a 7-on-7 setting. This was a challenging environment for all the linebackers, as they were often matched up with elite slots or pass-catching backs, but Jinkens can hold his own in space.
QB Zach Kline -- Kline's quick, compact release stands out. He must continue to develop touch and the ability to change ball speeds depending on the throw. Kline and Jake Rodrigues exhibited the best vertical arms on hand.
TE Dominic Ramacher -- This jack-of-all-trades offensive weapon was utilized exclusively as a tight end which is where we feel he will end up. He is a just a good football player, much like Sean Price, another tight end in The Opening.
Team Alpha Talon
ATHs Bralon Addison and Germone Hopper -- Both are "space" players with the ability to create serious mismatches out of the slot. Speed, quickness and big plays after the catch were staples of these guys' games at The Opening. Quick hands and the ability to stretch the field make them threats in all three phases of the passing game.
S Landon Collins -- Difference-maker, 'nuff said. He was so much better in coverage that when we saw him this past fall, we felt that when he keeps the ball in front of him, he can really wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks trying to throw between the numbers. The 2011 SPARQ rating champion is big, physical and fast and actually translated his athletic feats in a combine setting to the gridiron with ease.
WR Nelson Agholor -- He's tall, lean and very smooth. We came away very impressed with his ability to catch the ball away from his frame consistently as well as outside-his-catch radius. He is a long-striding, smooth route-runner who plays with a lot of confidence.
Team Field Generals
WR Corey Coleman -- Coleman was clearly one of the fastest playmakers on hand and very good in space. He, too, was reminiscent of Bralon Addison. He has good size and a lean frame with fluidity through the hips to make people miss after the catch.
RB Trey Williams -- Williams looks like a woven ball of nylon. He is a muscle ball that is short and extremely explosive much in the same way Duke Johnson is.
Team Land Sharks
LBs Kwon Alexander, Reggie Ragland and Jabari Ruffin -- All looked the part and played well, especially when they were able to keep the ball in front of them. Ruffin may have the most athletic range in terms of smoothness in drops. They are big and physical. Ragland could end up moving into a defensive end role. As mentioned, this was a challenging environment for each linebacker on hand. Alexander could be special.WRs Cayleb Jones, Darius Powe and Malik Gilmore -- There wasn't a better-looking trio of wide receivers on the hoof, but this team did not have many small, quick playmakers. Jones and Powe are the most athletic and quick-twitch of the three, while Gilmore is more of a possession guy. All three have huge wingspans and strong hands to haul in poorly thrown passes.QB Jake Rodrigues -- He possessed the strongest arm of any quarterback in attendance when it came to driving the ball with velocity and power. He must control his ball speed like Zach Kline. His feet can be inconsistent, and that affects his accuracy. Like Chad Kelly, Rodrigues has swagger, and we like how he carries himself. His live arm and quick release can't be coached.
Team Superbad
QB Connor Brewer -- Brewer is so intriguing because as a workout guy he does not always sparkle, but put him into a competitive environment, and he really flourishes. He is a gamer who displays tremendous anticipation, timing and accuracy to short and intermediate levels of the field. He is not a strong-armed downfield passer with great velocity. In terms of working through progression and adjusting to foreign personnel, he and Tanner Mangum were ahead of the curve.
RB Johnathan Gray -- Special.
Sean Price -- It was a pleasant surprise to see Price had packed on some serious weight, and he made a ton of plays in the red zone. He is a great leaper and catches the ball nicely away from his frame. Now possesses the bulk to be a factor as a run-blocker and can create mismatches down the seams.
ATH Daje Johnson -- This Johnson is like Duke Johnson on offense, but as a corner, he really impressed last week. He is short and stout and can really run. His short-shuttle times in the SPARQ rating championships reflected the ideal change of direction he has to become a top-notch physical cover corner if he stays on defense.
Team Vapor Carbon
QB Tanner Mangum -- Mangum came into the event with a grade of 77 off junior tape, and we can tell you his grade will raise significantly. The BYU commit took charge of his team and never looked back. Throwing darts and laying the ball into tight spots downfield on deep routes, Mangum was calm and cool and got better each day. He does not have an elite arm, but it's certainly good enough, and he makes good decisions with the football. He is a steal for the Cougars and could be a Kellen Moore type.
QB Zach Kline -- Kline's quick, compact release stands out. He must continue to develop touch and the ability to change ball speeds depending on the throw. Kline and Jake Rodrigues exhibited the best vertical arms on hand.
TE Dominic Ramacher -- This jack-of-all-trades offensive weapon was utilized exclusively as a tight end which is where we feel he will end up. He is a just a good football player, much like Sean Price, another tight end in The Opening.
Team Alpha Talon
ATHs Bralon Addison and Germone Hopper -- Both are "space" players with the ability to create serious mismatches out of the slot. Speed, quickness and big plays after the catch were staples of these guys' games at The Opening. Quick hands and the ability to stretch the field make them threats in all three phases of the passing game.
S Landon Collins -- Difference-maker, 'nuff said. He was so much better in coverage that when we saw him this past fall, we felt that when he keeps the ball in front of him, he can really wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks trying to throw between the numbers. The 2011 SPARQ rating champion is big, physical and fast and actually translated his athletic feats in a combine setting to the gridiron with ease.
WR Nelson Agholor -- He's tall, lean and very smooth. We came away very impressed with his ability to catch the ball away from his frame consistently as well as outside-his-catch radius. He is a long-striding, smooth route-runner who plays with a lot of confidence.
Team Field Generals
WR Corey Coleman -- Coleman was clearly one of the fastest playmakers on hand and very good in space. He, too, was reminiscent of Bralon Addison. He has good size and a lean frame with fluidity through the hips to make people miss after the catch.
RB Trey Williams -- Williams looks like a woven ball of nylon. He is a muscle ball that is short and extremely explosive much in the same way Duke Johnson is.
Team Land Sharks
LBs Kwon Alexander, Reggie Ragland and Jabari Ruffin -- All looked the part and played well, especially when they were able to keep the ball in front of them. Ruffin may have the most athletic range in terms of smoothness in drops. They are big and physical. Ragland could end up moving into a defensive end role. As mentioned, this was a challenging environment for each linebacker on hand. Alexander could be special.WRs Cayleb Jones, Darius Powe and Malik Gilmore -- There wasn't a better-looking trio of wide receivers on the hoof, but this team did not have many small, quick playmakers. Jones and Powe are the most athletic and quick-twitch of the three, while Gilmore is more of a possession guy. All three have huge wingspans and strong hands to haul in poorly thrown passes.QB Jake Rodrigues -- He possessed the strongest arm of any quarterback in attendance when it came to driving the ball with velocity and power. He must control his ball speed like Zach Kline. His feet can be inconsistent, and that affects his accuracy. Like Chad Kelly, Rodrigues has swagger, and we like how he carries himself. His live arm and quick release can't be coached.
Team Superbad
QB Connor Brewer -- Brewer is so intriguing because as a workout guy he does not always sparkle, but put him into a competitive environment, and he really flourishes. He is a gamer who displays tremendous anticipation, timing and accuracy to short and intermediate levels of the field. He is not a strong-armed downfield passer with great velocity. In terms of working through progression and adjusting to foreign personnel, he and Tanner Mangum were ahead of the curve.
RB Johnathan Gray -- Special.
Sean Price -- It was a pleasant surprise to see Price had packed on some serious weight, and he made a ton of plays in the red zone. He is a great leaper and catches the ball nicely away from his frame. Now possesses the bulk to be a factor as a run-blocker and can create mismatches down the seams.
ATH Daje Johnson -- This Johnson is like Duke Johnson on offense, but as a corner, he really impressed last week. He is short and stout and can really run. His short-shuttle times in the SPARQ rating championships reflected the ideal change of direction he has to become a top-notch physical cover corner if he stays on defense.
Team Vapor Carbon
QB Tanner Mangum -- Mangum came into the event with a grade of 77 off junior tape, and we can tell you his grade will raise significantly. The BYU commit took charge of his team and never looked back. Throwing darts and laying the ball into tight spots downfield on deep routes, Mangum was calm and cool and got better each day. He does not have an elite arm, but it's certainly good enough, and he makes good decisions with the football. He is a steal for the Cougars and could be a Kellen Moore type.
