UA All-America Game: Takeaways from Monday's practices

ORLANDO, Fla. – Here are some thoughts and analysis from day two of Under Armour All-America Game week.

MORE: Commitment predictions | Players discuss Early Signing Period | Takeaways from Sunday

The first practice for the Under Armour All-America Game on Sunday produced some inconsistent play from the six quarterbacks. The second practice on Monday produced more of the same, but that can also be attributed to Mother Nature.

After a beautiful day Sunday, it was a different story on a wet Monday that got progressively cooler and windier as the four-hour session moved along. This caused some erratic throws, as play-calling began to revolve around swing passes to the running backs and quick slants instead of the deep ball.

Adrian Martinez managed to have his second steady performance of the week, while Jacob Sirmon showed the most improvement from Sunday. But overall we are still waiting for someone in the group to truly break out.

The Penn State contingent in attendance had an impressive Sunday and continued to perform at a high level Monday. On a day without many big plays by receivers, Justin Shorter continued to stand out, while PJ Mustipher has fully proven himself as one of the top defensive tackles in attendance. Running back Ricky Slade also was one of the top players. With the passing attack limited due to the weather, Team Spotlight often relied on Slade on offense. He responded by catching numerous passes coming out of the backfield and breaking a few touchdowns on the ground.

Slade will likely carry a big workload on Thursday night during the game, as the other two backs on his team’s roster are Justin Hall, who suffered a hand injury Sunday, and Tyrese Johnson-Fisher, who has received minimal action during the first two practices after arriving in Orlando as a rugby player from England.

Coming into this week, a majority of the attention on the defensive line was given to the ends, who were supposed to dominate. And while players such as KJ Henry, Stephon Wynn and Tyreke Smith have performed up to expectations, it has been the defensive tackles who have opened the most eyes.

As mentioned already, Mustipher continued to dominate the interior on Sunday, but he was also joined by Robert Cooper, Cam Goode, Dante Stills, Coynis Miller and Austin Fontaine, who all flashed their potential. Keondre Coburn is also worth noting as he may have more potential than anyone on this list, but has lacked consistency. If he can improve that facet of his game he can be dominant at Texas.

Florida has found an impressive cornerback with Trey Dean. It was a huge get for new coach Dan Mullen to grab Dean in the Early Signing Period and after seeing him for the last two days, he has the potential to contribute immediately for the Gators.

Listed in Orlando at 6-foot-3 and 184 pounds, you would think that he is a safety, but he is extremely quick, has great feet and uses his frame to his advantage against receivers. He also plays with a chip on his shoulder, which today included a scuffle with Jalen Preston. Already one of the vocal leaders on Team Highlight defensive unit, Dean is one to watch on Thursday night and beyond.

Two of the top offensive tackles during the first two days have been Nicholas Petit-Frere and Richard Gouraige. Petit-Frere has been more consistent to this point, but Gouraige has flashed several times and has shown the potential that should make him a contributor at the next level.

Both have shown very well against the top defensive ends on Team Spotlight such as Jordan Davis and KJ Henry, but it will be more even more interesting to see how they do on Thursday night against Team Highlight, which includes the trio of Brenton Cox, Eyabi Anoma and Tyreke Smith.

Since the two have been lining up as bookend tackles during the first two days, seeing them on the field together during the game will give them another opportunity to shine.

The practice setting during for an all-star game isn’t always the best opportunity to showcase the abilities of a linebacker, so while many of them have been rather quiet during the first two practices, physically several look prepared to contribute immediately at the collegiate level.

First is Quay Walker, the Alabama signee from Georgia, who already looks like he could be playing for the Tide. Then there's Teradja Mitchell, who signed with Ohio State, could be the next dominant inside linebacker in Columbus. Also worth mentioning are Jack Lamb, an outside linebacker signed with Notre Dame, who has played angry for two days, and Xavier Peters, who looks bigger than some of the defensive ends in attendance. Fully unleashed on Thursday night, expect several of these players to make a serious statement.