From one of the managers.
Wasn't able to get over to practice Friday or Saturday, but have talked to some people over the past few days who have been at both practices. Some of this stuff goes back to some things I heard during workouts as well, as there's only so much you can take from 2 days.
Jalen Hurd-Most physically gifted of the early enrollees. Getting some reps with the 2s. Biggest key is improving his work ethic. "Still a 5 star in his mind" is what a couple of people have said. Barring injury though, I think the running back position is definitely in good hands moving forward as he matures.
Josh Malone-Having some trouble catching the ball early on. Consistent motor is a concern here as well. I think he is having some trouble adjusting to the speed and intensity of the SEC. A lot of time until Utah State, but I don't think he would be in the rotation as of today.
Ethan Wolf-More physically ready for the SEC than Helm. Good chance he contributes this season, but is not very athletic and his upside is limited as a tight end. A move to offensive tackle down the line definitely wouldn't be a surprise.
Daniel Helm-Very hard worker and has good athleticism. Will probably be the #1 guy at tight end for a while here assuming he develops. Having some trouble with drops early on, but hands don't seem to be a concern as he moves forward. Probably a situational guy this year.
Coleman Thomas-Lacks strength needed to effectively run block at this level right now. Definitely not a given that he will be the starter at RT. We'll learn a lot more starting tomorrow when the pads come on.
Ray Raulerson-Football IQ is a question mark, along with strength, which is extremely common for freshmen o-linemen. Almost assuredly headed for a redshirt.
Dimarya Mixon-Have not heard a single thing about him other than he needs to add A LOT of weight. Redshirt is almost certain.
Jakob Johnson-Has a lot of work to do when it comes to technique and understanding the game. Someone told me yesterday he "just wants to kill people every play." Will probably end up on special teams this year.
Neiko Creamer-Really struggled at WR catching the ball. No surprise he was moved to LB, I was told he really, really wanted to play WR. Haven't heard much about his play since he moved to LB. Apparently hasn't complained about it though.
D'Andre Payne-I think he is probably the safest bet to get consistent PT this year outside of Coleman Thomas and maybe Hurd. Really stood out early on and is getting all the work with the 2s at nickel and doing a solid job.
Emmanuel Moseley-Guy I've heard least about so far this spring, but I know Martinez really liked him in the recruiting process. Very high character kid.
I will go ahead and touch on the 3 JUCOs as well.
Von Pearson-He's going to draw a lot of CP comparisons. I don't think he's quite on that level, but he is special. He is VERY elusive (as the video circulating shows) and does a good job catching the ball. The only negative I've heard is that he lacks straight line speed. I think he is the clear-cut #2 target behind Quez this year (who I've heard has been the best player on the field so far this spring).
Dontavius Blair-Has a long way to go as a run blocker. Obviously he is pretty much the default starter at LT. Should do a decent job in pass pro.
Owen Williams-Probably the strongest player on the team. Don't think he's going to make a lot of plays, but will do his job. Needs to get in better shape, but he's another JUCO guy who will be plugged in as a starter right away.
I will likely be at practice at least once this week, maybe twice.
ETA: Forgot Creamer and Mixon