Credit to David Wilson of the Miami Herald:
The Under Armour All-America Game was quiet for the Miami Hurricanes, even though they had five of their signed recruits slated to play in the showcase. Two players couldn’t play because of injury or off-field reasons. Two wide receivers were rarely targeted and neither logged a catch.
Most importantly for Miami, there was no reason to talk about the one offensive lineman it had in the game. Jalen Rivers earned the start at left tackle for Team Savage for his impressive play throughout the week of practices in Central Florida and then he made it through the entire game Thursday at Camping World Stadium without ever needing the spotlight. The four-star tackle was a stabilizing force for his team, particularly in pass protection.
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Whenever he was in the game, Rivers looked like the tackle the Hurricanes have been desperate to find.
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“This whole week was an eye-opener,” the 6-foot-6, 331-pound offensive lineman said Thursday in Orlando. “I went against top athletes and they got me better; I got them better, hopefully. I got different little coaching tips that I never really heard before, and I really took that in and I took their advice.”
Rivers was a top performer throughout the entire week at the Under Armour Game. The senior landed on 247Sports.com’s list of top performers for two of the three practice sessions in Lake Buena Vista, and 247Sports
called him the “No. 2” offensive lineman after the third and final practice session.
He lived up to his practice reputation in the actual All-America Game. He didn’t allow a sack and rarely allowed any pressure while playing roughly half the game at left tackle. Rivers was responsible for opening up a number of holes as a run blocker. Savage, which ultimately lost 30-24 to Team Pressure, consistently moved the ball better when Rivers was protecting quarterbacks’ blind side.
He looked like exactly the sort of player Miami needs and hoped it got when he signed his national letter of intent in the early signing period last month. Rivers, whom 247 pegs as the No. 15 tackle in the Class of 2020 and the No. 145 overall prospect, is set to arrive in Coral Gables next week to early enroll and, given the Hurricanes’ struggles along the offensive line throughout 2019, he could be a factor to play immediately.
While he didn’t pick Miami with the expectation he would immediately win a starting job, Rivers is excited to just join the competition and he knows what strong performances in the spring could yield.
“I just came in. Playing time wasn’t my necessary goal. It’s just a result that’ll come along with my major goal, which is to come in and compete, and work and not be soft,” Rivers said. “I have something to prove because I’m the freshman. I’m the new boy on the block, so it’s going to be fun.”
Rivers has all the physical attributes coaches are looking for at tackle. His 6-6 frame gives him the necessary length to handle athletic edge rushers, and he carries his 331 pounds well. He’s already athletic — he’s a state champion in the shot put, and also competed in basketball and weightlifting at Orange Park Oakleaf — with the ability to get even quicker if he sheds a little bit more bad weight.
The mental side of the game, Rivers feels, is his greatest strength. Oakleaf coach Frank Garis said Rivers was about 360 pounds as a freshman, so he has already proven he has the work ethic to get in better shape. He was a candidate to be valedictorian and, more importantly, he’s willing to learn. Rivers said his greatest attribute is how well he takes coaching, and he said he even picked up some tips from his time at the All-America Game.
“One major one that I’ve been told before, but that was earlier in my football career,” Rivers said, “when a defender gets by me — outside of me — put my hand on their hips to drive them out because I usually was putting it on their shoulders to push them out. But I think that’s more effective to put my hand on their hip when they drive, so that was the one major one.”
The last attribute is what might be most important if the Hurricanes are going to be willing to slot him in somewhere along the offensive line in 2020. Miami felt comfortable starting freshman offensive linemen Zion Nelson and Jakai Clark for most of the season because they proved to be more eager, and willing to learn than some of the upperclassmen who couldn’t shake some bad habits.
There’s one key difference with Rivers, though: Rivers is a blue-chip prospect, whereas Nelson and Clark were late additions to the Hurricanes’ Class of 2019. He’s polished, he has a high ceiling and he has the personality coach Manny Diaz claims to be valuing highly on the recruiting trail.
“I know that some people aren’t coachable and I feel like I am. I take heed to every tip, or advice that I got from coaching or whoever and I adjust well,” Rivers said. “Just learn from my mistakes and also I just think my work ethic compared to other people is just totally different, and I think Miami is going to be happy with my work ethic
