The Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour saw another successful year in attracting top talent from around the country to compete with the best. Here is a look at the best of the best from the defensive backs we evaluated.
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Recruiting wrap: Wade released a top 10 on May 20 that consisted of Alabama, Duke, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Tennessee, UCLA, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
Performance: Wade, the top-rated defensive back in the Rivals100, was outstanding at Rivals Camp Series: Columbus. Despite the difficult weather conditions, Wade broke on passes in front of him very well and broke up his fair share of passes. Showing crisp footwork, he didn't let wide receiver separate from him in the open field. Bigger receivers didn't give Wade a problem because he has the strength to go toe-to-toe with them.
Recruiting wrap: Samuel has a long list of offers and names no frontrunners in the process. Florida State, Miami and others are heavily involved.
Performance: Samuel may lack size, but he’s as good in coverage as any prospect in America. He also doesn’t lack for physicality. A true cover corner, the sophomore already has a long list of offers for a reason. At our Miami event, his physicality showed as he provided one of the more memorable jam jobs of the camp series.
Recruiting wrap: Okudah has a long list of offers, but Ohio State looks to be the leader.
Performance: Okudah is a safety with elite, natural coverage ability. He is physical, quick and doesn't get sealed off from making plays on the ball by receivers. At the event in Dallas, he wasn't shy about pressing receivers at the line and matching them step-for-step. When playing off receivers, he had sharp reactions and easily closed on balls and broke up passes.
Recruiting wrap: Blades has a growing offer list, but is thought to be a Miami lean because of strong family ties.
Performance: Blades has an ideal build. He has the length and size to play safety but retains the speed and agility of a corner. Blades, who welcomes competition, has not yet reached his potential, but his combination of size and agility is rare. He took home defensive back MVP honors at the Miami camp, where he routinely challenged some of the best wide receivers in the country.
Recruiting wrap: Taylor is committed to Washington.
Performance: Taylor was outstanding at our Los Angeles camp, especially during one-on-one drills where he shut down every wide receiver in every conceivable way. On short routes, Taylor broke on the ball to knock it away. He stayed with speedy receivers on deep routes to pick off the pass or bat it down. Nobody had any success against Taylor, who has an impressive combination of speed, length and toughness not seen in many cornerbacks this cycle.
