1/10/2021 football Edit

Michigan Signees Have 'Amazing' Experience At Pylon All-American Game

EJ Holland • Maize&BlueReview

Recruiting Guru

The global pandemic forced prominent high school all-star games to be cancelled this winter.

However, Pylon, the nation’s premier 7v7 circuit, stepped up to the plate and gave high-level recruits one last chance to showcase their talent and enjoy hanging out with future teammates and opponents before heading off to the next level.

The inaugural Pylon All-American Game, which was held at AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys), featured three Michigan signees in Rivals100 quarterback JJ McCarthy, Rivals100 linebacker Junior Colson and Rivals250 wide receiver Cristian Dixon.

All played for Team Stripes, and while their squad fell to Team Stars in a game that featured four full 15-minute quarters with a running clock, the signees relished the experience.

“What an amazing time,” McCarthy said. “Honestly, just being able to have the opportunity to play football right now, play 7v7 with my coach for one last time and being a high schooler one last time was great. It wasn’t about the win or the loss. It was about enjoying this experience and living in the moment.”

Per 7v7 rules, quarterbacks have four seconds to throw the ball before being ‘sacked.’ McCarthy had no issue with that. He got the ball out in a timely fashion and was poised and accurate throughout the contest.

McCarthy completed 15-of-20 passes — two of his incompletions were drops — and tossed four touchdowns. For McCarthy, this was one last opportunity to get some work in before enrolling at Michigan next weekend.

The same applies for Colson.

While 7v7 is geared more towards wide receivers and defensive backs, Colson made his presence felt in the game. He controlled the middle of the field and didn’t see much action come his way.

Colson expressed some frustration after the game but like McCarthy, he took advantage of the opportunity.

“It was a great experience,” Colson said. “The game could have gone better. It should have gone our way. We just had a couple of bad plays. But overall, it was pretty fun. JJ is a competitor, and I can’t wait to meet up with him again in The Big House next week.”

Dixon only played five snaps in the game before exiting with a hamstring tweak. He is also set to enroll early at Michigan.

Overall, Michigan’s trio of signees showed their competitive nature by squaring off against some of the best in the country this weekend and left Dallas with more knowledge and camaraderie.

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