Debose, Armstrong still going at it in practice

The first time the Black Under Armour All-America team went 11-on-11 to walk through offensive formations and defensive schemes in practice Wednesday Seminole speedster Andre Debose lined up in the right slot and looked up to find teammate Aravious "Ray Ray" Armstrong right in front of him playing strong safety.

Nothing new there.

Friends since childhood in Sanford, Debose and Armstrong immediately chuckled and went into jovial trash-talk mode.

"That's pretty much been every day in practice at high school," Debose said after the three-hour practice session. "Me and Ray we get really competitive. We go at it, and we're going to have to talk. That's been since Pop Warner Jr. Midget days when we were 10, 11 years old we were going at it in practice."

What gets said?

"It's usually him talking first and I have to retaliate," Debose said with a big grin. "I always tell him, 'you can't run with me'. He comes back with, 'you have to get off the line first'. He jams me at the line of scrimmage. I just have to get past him."

Even Dyron Dye, Seminole's third player in Sunday's all-star game on ESPN, got in on the conversation at Disney's Wide World of Sports. At one point, when he saw Debose and Armstrong jawing at each other, Dye laughed and said something to both players from the sideline.

Once the team went live 11-on-11 the two teammates only lined up across from each other once or twice and it did not get physical. Armstrong ran with Debose on his route for about 10 yards and then released him to the corners or free safeties and stayed underneath.

Armstrong, a 6-4, 215-pound multi-dimensional athlete who played quarterback and DB for the 6A state champion Seminoles, alternated between free safety and strong safety during the workout.

Debose, a 6-1/180 sliver of speed, looks early to be the one of the favorite targets for his team.  He was pushed off his route on the first live offensive play. But the next time his number was called Debose ran right by a cornerback in single coverage and caught a sideline pass from Josh Nunes, a California kid bound for Stanford. The play probably would have gone for a touchdown in a game situation as Debose was behind everybody.

Debose went on to catch three of the next four balls thrown his way, including another deep ball late in the practice from Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who looked very good.

Pahokee's Nu'Keese Richardson, a UF commit, also was an active pass-catcher - mostly out of the slot - for the Black team.