Day 2 Notebook: Playmakers Shine on Saturday

DENTON - Day two of fall camp, presented by Rhino Steel Buildings, saw a lot of big plays on both sides of the ball during Saturday's practice.

Several position battles are in full bloom at the early stages of camp, and one of the benefits of the eight walk-thru ramp-up period is that the team is operating at a higher pace than in years past at this early stage of camp. That was no different on Saturday.

PLAY OF THE DAY: The play of the day today came during the team portion of practice, when redshirt sophomore quarterback Austin Aune (Argyle) threw a well-placed pass to the front corner of the end zone that was hauled in by senior receiver Jaelon Darden (Houston), with a leaping grab for a score between a pair of defenders.

Key Moments:

• During 1-on-1's, true freshman safety Garnett Burke (Grand Prairie) leaped up at the goal line for a one-handed pass break-up on a deep ball. 
• Junior receiver Greg White (Riverdale, Georgia) ran a crisp post route and hauled in a deep touchdown pass.
• Redshirt sophomore defensive back Keelan Crosby recorded a pair of interceptions Saturday, the second of which saw him showcase his awareness in coverage on a deep ball intended for Darden.
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jason Bean (Mansfield) connected with fellow redshirt sophomore Jyaire Shorter for a 70-yard strike after a route run to perfection to create separation. Bean hit Shorter in stride over the top for the score.
• True freshman corner Tavorice Weaver (Dallas) recorded a nice pass break-up on a back-corner fade.
• Junior linebacker KD Davis (Ennis, Texas) burst through with a strong run fit to meet the running back in the hole for no gain.
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kason Martin (Manvel, Texas) did a great job reading and reacting to a late corner blitz and quickly connecting with redshirt senior receiver Deion Hair-Griffin on a slant that resulted in a touchdown. Martin was able to get the ball to his target quickly before the safety could get to Hair-Griffin. 
• Redshirt sophomore defensive back Javier Neal (Whitehouse, Texas) high-pointed a ball for an interception down the sideline.
• Redshirt sophomore receiver Austin Ogunmakin (Houston) created good separation at the line of scrimmage and went up to go get it over his defender on a fade into the back corner of the end zone.
• Bean exhibited good placement when he hit his former high school teammate, redshirt sophomore receiver Deven Langston (Mansfield), in stride on a slant for a touchdown after Langston was able to shake his defender with a quick move at the line of scrimmage.
• Ogunmakin also hauled in a 60-yard scoring grab on a post route following a great pump fake from Aune, who put the throw on the money.
• Redshirt freshman linebacker Gabriel Murphy (Dallas) made a nice play by shedding a block and then stuffing the ball carrier for a minimal gain during the team period.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Amani Gilmore, a Kentucky transfer, picked out redshirt sophomore receiver Roderic Burns on a deep ball for a long touchdown during the 7-on-7 period.
• Sophomore corner DeShawn Gaddie (Arlington) had a strong showing on Saturday, recording several pass break-ups, including a short pass where he showcased his burst with a strong break on the ball to get a hand in and separate it from the receiver.
• Senior running back DeAndre Torrey (Gautier, Mississippi) made a decisive cut that saw him able to accelerate into the second level for a big gain during the team period.
• True freshman receiver Detraveon Brown (Shreveport, Louisiana) also had a productive day on the outside, and made a difficult catch in traffic on a ball fit into a tight window by Aune for a 15-yard gain.
• Redshirt freshman defensive end Kenneth Dotson (Houston) recorded a sack during the team period, showcasing a good get-off to beat the tackle.
• Redshirt freshman running back Oscar Adaway III (North Little Rock Arkansas) made the most of his opportunities during the team period and on one occasion busted a big run after cutting to the outside. 
• Redshirt freshman receiver Damon Ward, Jr. (Beaumont, Texas) made a nice diving catch on the sideline, doing a nice job of maintaining the catch to the ground.
• Martin made a nice throw on the move to find redshirt freshman Kealon Jackson (Houston), who hauled in a first down grab heading towards the sideline.
• Gilmore threw another deep touchdown, this time to redshirt sophomore David Chapple (North Little Rock, Arkansas), who got behind his defender.
• Senior defensive back Cam Johnson (Houston) made a nice play on a tipped ball to come down with an interception during the 7-on-7 period. 

The Mean Green have an off-day on Sunday and will be back Monday for their first practice of fall camp in shells. Keep an eye on MeanGreenSports.com as well as on our social channels @MeanGreenFB (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook) for the latest camp content throughout the duration of fall camp.