Several Alabama football commits put their skills on display during the practice portion of the 34th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star classic.
Five Alabama commits will participate in this year’s game. Kadarius Calloway will be the lone Tide commit on team Mississippi. Anquin Barnes, Deontae Lawson, Ian Jackson and Ga’Quincy McKinstry will represent the state of Alabama. The Mississippi and Alabama All-Stars wrapped up practice Friday morning ahead of Saturday’s game.
It is now time to take a look back at how each Tide commit performed throughout the week.
Ga’Quincy McKinstry – 5-Star ATH
McKinstry saw this event as an opportunity to show off his skills as a defensive back. He did that and more through three and a half days of practice. One can tell the Alabama commit was there to send a message as he was very vocal throughout the week. McKinstry’s impressive footwork and fluent movements in coverage were quite impressive, but the biggest takeaway from his performance this week was his aggressiveness. This is something he showed in flashes at Pinson Valley. He tapped into that aggressiveness a lot this week as he jam wide receivers at the line of scrimmage multiple times. McKinstry’s elite ball skills were also evident. He consistently attacked the football in coverage. The Alabama All-Stars will use McKinstry on both sides of the football Saturday.
RELATED: Ga’Quincy McKinstry ready to put signing behind him
Kadarius Calloway 4-Star ATH
Calloway is expected to play on both sides of the football for team Mississippi. The Philadelphia High School product spent majority of practice as a wide receiver as he is listed on the Mississippi All-Star roster as a wideout. His quick feet and ability to change direction with great efficiency stood at the forefront throughout the week. At 6-foot and approximately 210 pounds, the Alabama commit has the frame of a running back which made his quick movements that much more impressive. He also got some looks at defensive back. Touchdown Alabama was able to see him in action during his senior season, and he was very aggressive when coming downhill to make tackles. Unfortunately, this was not put on display during the week due to the fact that most game-like scenarios were ran at half speed. I expect him to be more aggressive during Saturday’s game.
A couple of clips from Alabama 4-Star athlete commit, Kadarius Calloway from Day 2 of AL-MS All-Star Practices.
The Alabama commit is expected to play on both sides of the football Saturday for the Mississippi All-Stars. pic.twitter.com/qnCXIXrKrt
— Justin Smith (@Jdsmith31Smith) December 10, 2020
Deontae Lawson
Lawson will be used mostly as an edge rusher in Saturday’s matchup. The linebackers were limited for the most part, but Lawson was able to show some smooth movements in the 7V7 portion. His impressive vertical proved to be one of his weapons this week as he was able to knock a pass down at the line of scrimmage while rushing from the edge. Alabama plans to use the Mobile Christian product as an inside linebacker at the next level. His lengthy frame and all-around athleticism should allow him to flourish there. Saturday’s game will allow Lawson to show what else he can do.
Ian Jackson
Similar to Lawson, Jackson was limited this week. The Prattville native will line up at inside linebacker for the Alabama All-Stars. Unlike the other Alabama commits playing in this year’s game, Jackson has only played defense throughout his high school career. His High football IQ peaked its head out a couple of times as he was able to read where runs were going in the backfield.
Anquin Barnes
Barnes was impressive throughout the week. The quickness he showed off the snap at 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds was really eye-catching during the one-on-one portion. He also showed he can be a an inside run stopper during the light scrimmages. Touchdown Alabama saw Barnes in action this season, and it was evident that he possessed some great strength. The biggest knock on his game was his mobility. Barnes showed he can move throughout the week as he was able to consistently beat out offensive linemen. If Barnes can show some improved lateral movement in Saturday’s game, a rating increase could be in store for the Alabama commit.
RELATED: Anquin Barnes showing ‘speed’ and ‘power’ at AL-MS Practices
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Justin Smith is a Scouting/Recruiting analyst for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
