From the national stories
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RIVALRY TRASH TALK
Clemson and Ohio State settled things on the field during Saturday’s College Football Playoff, with the Tigers coming from behind to beat the Buckeyes. But the rivalry between the two teams carried over into Tuesday’s practice, with Clemson five-star defensive tackle signee Bryan Breese and Ohio State four-star offensive lineman signee Luke Wypler exchanging barbs during one-on-ones. The argument was generally friendly in nature, but when elite competitors get together to go head-to-head, even in practice as teammates, it’s easy to see the fire come out. Seeing the two engaged and competing is a great sign for them as they head to the next level.
*****
... The East practiced just in upper shells Tuesday, so there was no 100 percent live action. That makes it difficult for a position like linebacker to stand out, but Ohio State’s
Cody Simon
still caught our attention with his play. Manning the middle linebacker role, Simon quickly diagnosed plays and comes downhill very quickly. He found himself in holes before the running back could get there many times on this day.
*****
LINEMEN LOOK THE PART
If you were to line up the East offensive and defensive lines and tell an uninformed observer the No. 1-ranked player in the class was in that group, a half dozen or more could easily be selected. This is one of the more impressive line groups the game has hosted in recent years. The actual No. 1, Clemson defensive end
Bryan Bresee
, probably would not be the first pick of most, despite being very impressive looking. Defensive end
Myles Murphy
, along with offensive linemen
Paris Johnson Jr.
,
Tate Ratledge
and
Myles Hinton
, all have frames of future first-round draft picks.
*****
The offensive and defensive lines met up for a session of one-on-ones during the afternoon practice. Here is our ranking of the top performers from that session.
1.
Bryan Bresee
2.
William Anderson
3.
Luke Wypler
4.
Donell Harris
5.
Myles Murphy
*****
Ohio State trio inspires confidence
CJ Stroud
Future Ohio State Buckeyes
CJ Stroud
,
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
and
Gee Scott Jr.
flashed instant chemistry during the West practices. Stroud split reps with
Bryce Young
and
Malik Hornsby
and made a case as the top quarterback of the group. Stroud has a big arm, a great release and he’s able to quickly and smoothly get the ball out of his hands. When he found a rhythm, Stroud was hard to slow down.
The most interesting wrinkle, of course, is that he quickly turned to his future teammates during the 7-on-7 portion. Smith-Njigba, another Ohio State five-star signee, worked in the slot and showed he can stretch the field, catch passes underneath and was utilized a bunch on screen passes to let him work in space. Scott was also impressive on the outside, flashing exceptional hands throughout Tuesday’s practice and making a ton of grabs on go-routes and drags and running smooth routes.
*****
*****
RIVALRY TRASH TALK
Clemson and Ohio State settled things on the field during Saturday’s College Football Playoff, with the Tigers coming from behind to beat the Buckeyes. But the rivalry between the two teams carried over into Tuesday’s practice, with Clemson five-star defensive tackle signee Bryan Breese and Ohio State four-star offensive lineman signee Luke Wypler exchanging barbs during one-on-ones. The argument was generally friendly in nature, but when elite competitors get together to go head-to-head, even in practice as teammates, it’s easy to see the fire come out. Seeing the two engaged and competing is a great sign for them as they head to the next level.
*****
... The East practiced just in upper shells Tuesday, so there was no 100 percent live action. That makes it difficult for a position like linebacker to stand out, but Ohio State’s
Cody Simon
still caught our attention with his play. Manning the middle linebacker role, Simon quickly diagnosed plays and comes downhill very quickly. He found himself in holes before the running back could get there many times on this day.
*****
LINEMEN LOOK THE PART
If you were to line up the East offensive and defensive lines and tell an uninformed observer the No. 1-ranked player in the class was in that group, a half dozen or more could easily be selected. This is one of the more impressive line groups the game has hosted in recent years. The actual No. 1, Clemson defensive end
Bryan Bresee
, probably would not be the first pick of most, despite being very impressive looking. Defensive end
Myles Murphy
, along with offensive linemen
Paris Johnson Jr.
,
Tate Ratledge
and
Myles Hinton
, all have frames of future first-round draft picks.
*****
The offensive and defensive lines met up for a session of one-on-ones during the afternoon practice. Here is our ranking of the top performers from that session.
1.
Bryan Bresee
2.
William Anderson
3.
Luke Wypler
4.
Donell Harris
5.
Myles Murphy
*****
Ohio State trio inspires confidence
CJ Stroud
Future Ohio State Buckeyes
CJ Stroud
,
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
and
Gee Scott Jr.
flashed instant chemistry during the West practices. Stroud split reps with
Bryce Young
and
Malik Hornsby
and made a case as the top quarterback of the group. Stroud has a big arm, a great release and he’s able to quickly and smoothly get the ball out of his hands. When he found a rhythm, Stroud was hard to slow down.
The most interesting wrinkle, of course, is that he quickly turned to his future teammates during the 7-on-7 portion. Smith-Njigba, another Ohio State five-star signee, worked in the slot and showed he can stretch the field, catch passes underneath and was utilized a bunch on screen passes to let him work in space. Scott was also impressive on the outside, flashing exceptional hands throughout Tuesday’s practice and making a ton of grabs on go-routes and drags and running smooth routes.
*****
