I woke up early to my phone buzzing with ESPN notifications. The 2021 NFL Draft had been a couple months ago, but rookie minicamps were starting up across the league. I scrolled through the updates while getting ready for what would be the freshmen's first official practice.
NFL ROOKIE MINICAMP UPDATES - JUNE 2021:
Ja'Marr Chase (LSU) - Cincinnati Bengals - "Chase looking explosive in Bengals camp, immediate chemistry with Joe Burrow"
DeVonta Smith (Alabama) - Philadelphia Eagles - "Smith's route running already impressing Eagles coaching staff"
Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) - Miami Dolphins - "Waddle's speed translating perfectly to NFL level"
These dudes just went from college to the pros like it was nothing. That's crazy.
I kept scrolling and saw some defensive guys too:
Micah Parsons (Penn State) - Dallas Cowboys - "Parsons' versatility already standing out in Cowboys camp"
Patrick Surtain II (Alabama) - Denver Broncos - "Surtain looking like a Day 1 starter"
Man, all these Alabama receivers going pro. DeVonta Smith was nasty. If I can get that good...
I threw on my practice gear and headed to the dining hall. The freshmen were easy to spot - they were sitting together at one table, and their personalities were on full display.
Antonio was literally flexing while eating cereal, checking himself out in his spoon. Owen had like three breakfast sandwiches and was working on pancakes. Brady was sitting straight up, reading what looked like a playbook while eating. Latrell was quietly drinking orange juice, looking scared to even breathe. Joey was talking nonstop to Mason about something.
This is about to be wild.
"Y'all see this circus?" Cameron said as we grabbed our food.
"It's about to get interesting when they hit the field," Tyler added.
At 8 AM sharp, Coach Rivera's whistle echoed across the practice field. The freshmen jogged out in their new gear, looking nervous but trying to act tough.
"Welcome to Malibu Prep football!" Coach Rivera shouted. "Freshmen, today you find out what you signed up for. Upperclassmen, today you show them what our standard looks like."
Here we go. Time to see what these kids are really about.
We started with dynamic warm-ups. Antonio moved smooth, like he knew he looked good doing it. Brady was super precise with everything. Joey was bouncing around with crazy energy. Owen was surprisingly smooth for a big dude, but he kept sneaking snacks from his pockets.
Owen's really eating during warm-ups. This dude is something else.
"Alright, let's see what y'all got!" Coach Rivera called out. "Freshmen receivers and defensive backs, you're with me for individual drills."
Time to see if these kids can actually play
Coach Rivera set up basic route-running drills. Five-yard hitches, ten-yard comebacks, fifteen-yard outs. Simple stuff, but it shows who actually knows what they're doing.
"Bailey, you're up first," Coach called.
Mason stepped up with this serious focus. When the whistle blew, he came off the line with a perfect two-step jab release , clean separation from the imaginary press coverage. His route was smooth, breaking down at exactly ten yards with his head snapping back to find the ball. When the pass came, he caught it with soft hands, securing it against his chest before tucking it away.
Damn. This kid's actually good. Like, really good. Way better than me at his age.
"Peterson, you're next."
Joey bounced up to the line and when that whistle blew, he exploded off the line with a speed release - just pure burst past where a defender would be. Problem was, he was supposed to run a comeback but he was moving so fast he overran his break point by five yards.
"Slow down, Peterson!" Coach Rivera yelled. "Speed without control is just running fast in the wrong direction."
"My bad, Coach! I'm just excited to be here and show what I can do for the ladies— I mean, for the team!"
Bro really almost said he's doing this for girls. I can't even be mad because at least he's honest.
Coach Rivera shook his head but I could see him trying not to smile.
Meanwhile, Brady was going through coverage drills on the other side. When they had him covering a slant route, he started in perfect press position, got in his backpedal smoothly, and flipped his hips to stay in phase with the receiver. His hand placement was perfect - riding the receiver's hip without grabbing.
This kid's gonna be a problem. Good for our defense, I'm gonna kill him in practice though.
"Harrison, let's see that arm!" Coach Rivera called.
Antonio jogged over to the quarterback drill area, immediately checking his reflection in the equipment cart's mirror as he passed it.
"Coach, you about to witness greatness," Antonio said, doing a little flex. "This arm is about to change the game."
This dude really just flexed before throwing a ball. The confidence is crazy.
Antonio set up in the pocket, took a clean three-step drop, and his hip shift was smooth as he transferred weight from back foot to front. His arm whipped through the throwing motion and fired a laser of a fifteen-yard out that hit the receiver right in the numbers.
Then he immediately turned to see if anyone was watching him.
"Y'all see that?" Antonio called to the freshmen on the sideline. "That's what elite looks like!"
Kid can sling it can't lie.
Owen was over with the D-line doing pass rush drills. Despite constantly snacking, dude was surprisingly quick for someone his size. He beat our backup left tackle twice in a row with a nasty inside swim move.
"Nice work, Jackson!" the D-line coach yelled. "But put down the granola bar during drills!"
Owen looked confused. "Coach, I need my energy."
Latrell was with the safeties, and every time he made a good play, he would apologize to whoever he beat.
"Sorry for that interception," Latrell said quietly after picking off a pass in coverage drills. "I hope I didn't make you feel bad."
After individual drills, Coach Rivera called for one-on-one matchups between receivers and defensive backs.
"Williams versus Revis!" he shouted.
Here we go. Time to see what Junior's really about.
I lined up across from Brady, and his eyes were intense. He was in perfect press coverage position, hands ready but not reaching.
"Route's a comeback," Coach Rivera announced.
When the whistle blew, I came off with a hard vertical release, trying to sell the go route. Brady backpedaled smoothly, his hand riding my hip as I drove upfield. At twelve yards, I planted hard and broke back toward the quarterback.
Brady read my break perfectly, flipping his hips and staying in tight coverage. The pass came on time, but Brady's positioning was so good that I had to make a contested catch, reaching over his outside shoulder to pluck the ball with my fingertips before securing it to my chest.
I caught it, but had to work for it.
Okay, this kid's legit. That was some real coverage.
"Good coverage, Revis!" Coach Rivera called out. "Williams, that's what elite coverage looks like."
Brady jogged back with this quiet confidence. Didn't talk trash - just nodded like he'd done his job.
I respect that. Kid's got that calm energy.
"Bailey versus Johnson!" Coach called next.
Mason lined up against one of our junior DBs and used a subtle stutter release to create just enough separation. His route was clean- breaking down at exactly the right depth and using his body to shield the defender. When the ball came, he caught it away from his body with strong hands, immediately tucking the ball away.
"Peterson versus Davis!"
Joey bounced up like he was about to run track. When the whistle blew, he used pure speed to blow past the DB, but he was supposed to run a ten-yard out and instead ran what looked like a fifteen-yard comeback.
"Peterson! What the fuck typa route was that?" Coach Rivera yelled.
"A fast one, Coach!"
This dude's hilarious. All speed, no technique.
The other freshmen got their turns. Trevor Lewis looked solid at linebacker, reading plays well and filling gaps. Owen dominated the O-line in pass rush but had to stop twice to eat energy bars.
"Damn it Jackson! Stop eating during drills!" Coach Rivera yelled.
"Sorry Coach, my blood sugar was dropping!"
For the next drill, Coach set up some competitive passing exercises. Antonio stepped up for the quarterbacks and took a five-step drop, his footwork clean and balanced. The route was a twenty-yard dig, and Antonio patted the ball once before whipping his arm through and lofting a perfect touch pass over the linebacker's head. The receiver caught it in stride, hands extended away from his body before bringing it in clean.
But then Antonio immediately flexed.
"Y'all see that touch? That's what separates me from everyone else!"
The audacity of this kid is amazing.
Brady was covering our slot receiver on the next rep. He played off coverage, backpedaling smoothly while keeping his eyes on the receiver's hips. When the receiver made his break on a quick slant, Brady drove down hard, getting his hand on the receiver's hip to disrupt the timing. The pass was still caught, but Brady's technique was textbook.
Kid's fundamentals are crazy good for a freshman.
Mason ran a perfect fifteen-yard hitch, using a stutter-and-go release to get the defensive back to bite on the fake. When the ball came, he made the catch with soft hands, immediately turning upfield for extra yardage.
After an hour of individual work, Coach Rivera gathered everyone around.
"Alright, time for some competitive drills. This is where we separate the talkers from the players."
Finally it's about to get real.
He set up a gauntlet drill - receivers had to catch a pass while running between two defenders who could hit them as soon as they touched the ball.
"Upperclassmen first, show them how it's done," Coach said.
Tyler went first, caught the pass with strong hands away from his body, then immediately tucked it tight before taking the hit. When it was my turn, I focused on the ball first, catching it with my fingertips before pulling it to my chest and bracing for impact.
Standard stuff.
"Bailey, you're up first."
Mason stepped into the gauntlet with that same quiet focus. The pass came, and he caught it cleanly with both hands before tucking it away just as the defenders arrived. He took the hit and held on tight.
"Peterson!"
Joey bounced into the drill like he was excited to get hit. When the pass came, he caught it with one hand while already moving, and the defenders barely touched him because he was past them so fast.
"Did y'all see that speed?" Joey yelled. "Can't hit what you can't catch!"
Dude turned a catching drill into a speed showcase.
"Harrison!"
Antonio stepped up, and even in a hitting drill, he managed to check himself out in someone's visor reflection.
The pass came, Antonio caught it with perfect hand placement, took the hit, and immediately flexed while the defenders were still getting up.
"Y'all just witnessed perfection!" he called out.
"Jackson!"
Owen jogged up, unwrapping what looked like a protein bar.
"Coach, can I eat this real quick? I'm running low on energy."
"NO! Get in the drill!"
Owen sighed, put the protein bar away, caught the pass cleanly, and trucked through both defenders like they weren't even there.
"Revis!"
Brady stepped into the drill with that same intense focus. The pass came right at him, and he caught it with both hands extended, immediately securing it to his body before the contact came. Took the hit and popped right back up.
The drill continued with more competitive exercises. Route-running competitions where technique mattered more than speed. Coverage drills where defensive backs had to stay with receivers through multiple breaks.
Through it all, you could see who was ready for this level and who still had work to do. Mason looked like he belonged already. Brady was playing like a seasoned vet. Antonio could make throws but kept getting distracted by his own reflection. Joey had the speed but needed to learn patience.
This freshman class is wild. They're talented, but they all got their own things to work on.
After two hours of individual and competitive drills, Coach Rivera blew his whistle.
"Alright, water break! When we come back, we're going live. Full contact, full speed. This is where boys become men."
Here we go. Time to see how these freshmen handle real football.
The freshmen huddled together during the break, probably trying to process everything they'd just experienced. Meanwhile, the upperclassmen were already talking about who was going to get their first real welcome to Malibu Prep football.
Live periods are about to be interesting. These kids haven't seen nothing yet.