Coach Marty Schottenheimer is coaching the 2010 Shrine Game West team, and ran a tight practice.  It seemed like fewer drills were run for the prospects, as Marty and company focused on more coaching and less repetition.  Like the East squad there were no shoulder pads in today’s practice, but players still practiced hard.  Let’s take a look at who stood out in the afternoon.

QB

Todd Reesing (Kansas) did not have a good day of practice.  He looked adequate when throwing routes of 10-yards or less.  However, when asked to throw downfield he neither had the accuracy or arm strength to get a completion.  Reesing looked good when throwing on the run, but had to make short throws in order to be on target.  He does have a nice set up when dropping back, and his footwork is crisp.

Matt Nichols (Eastern Washington) looks really good when he moves around in the pocket.  Nichols did a good job of throwing on the run, and was looking to make plays downfield rather than being overly cautious with the football.  The ball comes out of his hand hot, and he throws with plenty of velocity.  He’s not all about the rocket, and showed good touch when throwing downfield.  His ball placement was good when throwing deep sideline passes as he would regulary hit his receivers in stride over the outside shoulder.  He also threw a very nice deep out, which is a crucial throw to make in the NFL.

Max Hall (BYU) was about what I expected him to be.  He’s efficient and effective, but doesn’t really have a “wow” factor to his game.  He runs a good bootleg play and has enough athleticism to evade oncoming rushers while keeping his eyes downfield.  Hall’s delivery is very smooth and natural.

RB

Pat Paschall (North Dakota State) reminds me of a player we saw at the Shrine Game back in 2007 - Houston RB Anthony Alridge.  Like “Quick Six” Paschall is thin, quick, and agile.  However, he runs out of control and is often making moves when moves aren’t necessary to gain positive yardage.  Because he’s out of control there were times today when Paschall would lose his balance if he did get to the open field.

Keith Toston (Oklahoma State) was the most explosive running back on the West team.  He showed good quickness after the handoff, and I liked his inside/out ability.  Toston would not try to bounce his runs outside, but when he was in the second level of the defense he’d cut towards the sidelines and turn on the speed.  I liked his footwork and natural instincts for running the football. 

Dimitri Nance (Arizona State) looks like another Shonn Greene-type of running back.  He runs with a low center of gravity, keeping his shoulders low and his knees high.  I can’t wait to see players attempt to tackle him when the plays are live.  Besides great pad level Nance also showed good burst and footwork to elude defenders.   

WR/TE

Kerry Meier (Kansas) is a very intriguing prospect because of his size and athleticism.  The converted quarterback is a savvy route runner, and knows how to find the soft spot in a zone.  Meier also knows how to come back to the quarterback to help with a completion.  I like the way he squares his shoulders to the line of scrimmage and presents a big target.

Seyi Ajirotutu (Fresno State) I liked the way Ajirotutu would go low to get a catch, or he would sky to make the completion.  Ajirotutu also displayed the best run after the catch ability out of all the West squad receivers.  He is a good sized target, and could be a factor in the red zone.

Emmanuel Sanders (SMU) was getting coached up by WR coach Keenan McCardell today—and he listened intently to the former All-Pro.  He is very quick, and would sometime slip on his routes because he was trying to make an insane cut.  I liked the way he would look the pass into his hands before turning upfield.

Verran Tucker (California) needs to gain more strength in his lower body.  He’s a good sized target at 6’2” but has very thin legs.  I like the way he hauled in deep passes on the sidelines.  He looked very comfortable tracking the ball through the air when the pass was deep.

Jordan Sisco (Regina) was making a lot of catches today.  He seems like a very “try hard” type of player that will work hard to hone his skills.  Time after time he would make a difficult catch seem routine.  Sisco has natural hands and always caught his passes with arms extended away from his body.

DEF

Brian Jackson (DB-Oklahoma) did a nice job of swatting down a pass without pass interference.  He timed his move correctly, and the result was an incomplete pass.