A dozen top performers from the DGA Mini-Camp

NOLENSVILLE, Tenn. – As states re-open around the country, prospects who have lost out on off-season exposure and work are getting a few opportunities this summer. This week’s DGA Mini-Camp in the Nashville area was one of those opportunities, bringing together prospects from a half-dozen states. Here is a breakdown of the standout performances from that three-day event.

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WEEKLY SERIES: Midwest prospects who will commit during dead period | Florida | East Coast | West | South Central

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2022: Top 100

MORE: Rivals100 DT Damon Payne sure of three official visits

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Howse has put in the work this off-season and came into this week’s event in great shape. His size and skillset provide him the ability to play cornerback or move back to safety, and schools are recruiting him for both. Although the ability to flip his hips and run with receivers through their routes is there, Howse looked a little more comfortable in a traditional safety role.

A Rivals250 prospect, Josey is in the midst of a heated recruitment that could last into his senior season. On the field, though, Josey took care of his business at this week’s mini-camp and showed the skills that earned him a four-star rating. He carries little bad weight on his frame and plays light on his feet. Josey has a solid anchor and, combined with his footwork, is adept at keeping defenders at bay.

Already with a top five and likely to decide this summer, Keeler came down to Nashville for the first day of the mini-camp to get some work and keep his skills sharp. When we last saw Keeler in the fall he looked offensive tackle-size, but the three-star defensive end has leaned up and did not look to have an ounce of fat on him. That translated to his play as well, and he looked more explosive.

Listed as a cornerback, Mooyoung may be starting to outgrow the position even though he is still capable of locking down receivers one-on-one. Physically, though, he looks like a strong safety, and his skillset will certainly fit well in that position if he ends up there in college. Mooyoung landed his first Power Five offers in early May, and could be on his way to more this fall.

It was a deep defensive back group at the DGA Mini-Camp, but on Day Two Caldwell was the top performer of the group through position drills and one-on-ones. Receivers could not shake him and his ability to break on the football allowed Caldwell to get his hands on a number of passes during the day, including a couple interceptions. He is the latest in a line of big-time defensive back prospects to come out of Belleville High.

Although he is a rising senior rated as a three-star prospect, I put Lewis in this category because his stock is on the rise. The prospect I saw this week in Nashville was much improved over the one I saw prior to, and during, his junior season. Lewis has trimmed up his frame and that has allowed him to be more agile and capable of handling speedy edge rushers.

This was my first time seeing Pollard in-person, and what I first noticed was how big he is for the cornerback position. His listed size of 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds looked right on, and he still brings all the athleticism, fluidity and change of direction abilities you need to play cornerback. There are still developmental things he can polish, but the raw tools are there to be an outstanding collegiate cornerback.

Fresh off of landing his first Power Five offer on Monday from Kentucky, Veltkamp made his appearance at the mini-camp. The tall, athletic passer is the son of Western Kentucky’s strength and conditioning coach, so it was no surprise he looked in mid-season shape. It was also easy to see what colleges love about his arm, as he threw the ball with both velocity and accuracy at the event.

Physically there were few prospects who jumped off the field like Diatta did this week. At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds the local product has the frame and the physical tools of a Power Five defensive end. He holds a handful of FCS offers, but had this been a normal off-season Diatta would have added FBS schools by now. He is definitely a prospect to watch rising late in the 2021 class.

There is no film out there on Keith that I can find, which means he is coming from completely off the radar. The rising sophomore flashed high potential at the DGA mini-camp this week, though, and physically it looks like he still has more growth ahead of him. What really caught my attention this week was how violent Keith was with his hands for a young lineman, and how relentless he played until the whistle.

A prospect I was unfamiliar with coming into the week, MacGregor was one of the few prospects in attendance from Alabama, and he put on for his state. As a rising senior MacGregor looked more physically developed than many of the underclass receivers in attendance, but it was his explosiveness and the crispness of his routes that really set MacGregor apart.

With a handful of early offers, Watkins could be placed in the Prospects On The Rise category. The class of 2022 prospect missed his entire sophomore season with a knee injury, though, so in some ways he is starting from scratch. I have been watching Watkins since middle school and what he lacks in height he makes up for in strength, agility and fundamentals.