SAN ANTONIO – All-American Bowl practices continued with Wednesday’s Day 2 action as some of the nation’s best prospects aim to put an exclamation point on their high school careers by turning heads in the Alamo City. Although Tuesday and Wednesday have seen plenty of action across the positional spectrum from the Alamo Bowl and Trinity University in the early part of this week, there’s always a special interest when it comes to the quarterbacks in a postseason good-on-good setting. 247Sports takes you inside some early impressions on the arms present in San Antonio this week.
WALKER WHITE (Auburn)
Ranked the highest of the signal callers in attendance, White entered the All-American Bowl tucked inside the Top 100 of the Top247 with no shortage of intrigue surrounding his presence this week. Standing at 6-foot-3+ and 222 pounds, White boasts a physical presence that draws eerie similarities to former Kentucky and Tennessee Titans starting quarterback Will Levis. Possessing an explosive arm capable of making every throw on the field, White has displayed NFL tools throughout his first two days of practice. Although team periods are typically a more controlled setting during the week, White’s looked very comfortable in the pocket finding ways to distribute to every part of the field from the pocket. Coming off a senior season where he improved his completion percentage (62.8 percent) by almost nine points, the Auburn signee continues to show signs of his development at the position as he’s been arguably the most consistent quarterback in attendance throughout the early part of the week. With no shortage of physical traits to bet on, White offers Auburn and Hugh Freeze an exciting piece of their future to build around.
HAUSS HEJNY (TCU)
One of the more enjoyable evaluations at the position, Hejny’s size was always going to be something to chew on when projecting him to Saturdays and beyond. The Top247 four-star QB checked in on Monday at a shade over 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds. A quick-twitch passer with an excellent athletic profile, Hejny rushed for more than 1,000-plus yards in his last two seasons as the starter at perennial TXHSFB 5A juggernaut Aledo. The TCU signee flashed his arm talent on Wednesday’s portion of the joint practice, connecting on a 45-yard touchdown with Texas five-star receiver signee Ryan Wingo during the 7-on-7 period of practice. A quarterback who’s probably best labeled with the “gamer” tag, Hejny should be a natural fit in a Kendal Briles offense that likes to highlight its quarterbacks mobility outside the pocket.
TREY OWENS (Texas)
Representing his home state of Texas in San Antonio this week, Longhorns four-star signee Trey Owens has flashed plenty in two days of practices at the All-American Bowl. Possessing a 6-foot-5+ frame near 240 pounds, Owens’ arm strength has been notable this week as he’s connected on a number of deep balls in both the 7-on-7 and team periods. A pure pocket passer with an NFL-type arm, Owens provides Steve Sarkisian with an intriguing in-state prospect with no lack of developmental upside as a passer. If you’re looking for a player comparison, look no further than former Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy in regards to frame and arm talent. Similar to Murphy, Owens will join one of the most talented quarterback rooms in the country where he will compete against two former No. 1 overall prospects in Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. With a year or two of tutelage under Steve Sarkisian, don’t be surprised if Owens emerges on the college football scene as a name to know.
DEMOND WILLIAMS (Arizona)
A late addition to this year’s All-American Bowl, four-star Demond Williams has looked to make the most of his opportunity in San Antonio this week. Similar to TCU signee Hauss Hejny, Williams too will face his challenges when it comes to projecting to the next level because of his lack of height but with that being said there might not be a more friendly quarterback situation awaiting the 4-star as he’s set to enroll with the Arizona Wildcats next week. Measuring in at 5-foot-9 on Monday, Williams came alive in the team period during Wednesday’s joint connecting on a post to North Carolina WR commit Jordan Shipp for a touchdown. A slippery athlete in the pocket that shows a natural ability to extend plays with his feet, Williams appears to be an ideal fit for a Jedd Fisch offense that has exploded under the leadership of another sub 6-foot signal caller in Noah Fifita.
MARCOS DAVILA (Purdue)
Capitalizing on some of the recent AAB opt-outs at the quarterback position, four-star Marcos Davila bounced back from an up-and-down practice on Tuesday and responded with a head-turning performance during Wednesday joint practices. The sturdy-framed passer checked into San Antonio on Monday at 6-foot-2+ while hovering around 240 pounds. Coming off a strong season at Midland (Texas) Legacy, the Purdue signee led his team to a 10-3 record as a senior while accounting for more than 3,300 passing yards in District 2-6A in Texas. Exhibiting a strong arm with some similarities to Texas signee Trey Owens, Davila lacks no shortage of arm strength as he’s shown an ability to make every throw on the field within the structure of the pocket. Although his decision-making at times can be erratic, Davila delivered on Wednesday with a number of big-time throws as he connected with five-star tight end Luke Reynolds for a score during today’s team period. Joining a pass-happy offense under offensive coordinator Graham Harrell in West Lafayette, Davila’s is a natural fit for an offense that relies heavily on their quarterback’s ability to distribute at a high clip.
JEREMY HECKLINSKI (Wake Forest)
One of the most productive arms entering this week in San Antonio, high three-star Jeremy Hecklinski has lived up to his billing as one of the most high-floor prospects at his position in attendance. Measuring in at a shade under 5-foot-11 and 168-pounds, the Wake Forest signee has been in command in his first two days of practices, showing an ability to get the ball out quickly and distribute on time and with anticipation. Throwing for more than 3,000 yards in each of his last two seasons at Marietta (Ga.) Walton, Hecklinski provides the Demon Deacons with a proven winner who should compete for playing time after adding some necessary weight to his frame in Year 1.
