Army Analysis: National Combine standouts
SAN ANTONIO – Rivals.com recruiting analyst Barry Every breaks down some of the top performers from Friday's U.S. Army National Combine. We'll look at standouts from the Black team in this edition with analysis on the Gold team standouts to come.
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U.S. Army National Combine Standouts: Black Team
DT Nick Acree, 6-5/290, Richmond (Va.) King William
ASSETS: Has excellent height, impressive overall physique and is a very intense player.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to play with lower pad level and work on lateral movement.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: He was one of the strongest and meanest participants in the entire camp. His one-on-one battles with Robert Crisp were so heated the fans in the stands got excited.
CONCLUSION: He definitely has a bright future with Virginia Tech, a school that is historically known for great defenses. He should be physically ready to compete early in his career.
WR Markeith Ambles, 6-1/185, McDonough (Ga.) Henry County
ASSETS: Runs excellent routes, has great hands and very good body control.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to get stronger in order to help against press coverage at the next level.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: He was so dominant against the Black Team, he came back and competed against he Gold Team and had similar success.
CONCLUSION: There is no doubt he is the top receiver in Georgia, he may be the top overall prospect. Ambles should have an immediate impact wherever he ends up.
DQB Barry Brunetti, 6-2/210, Memphis (Tenn.) University
ASSETS: Has a very live arm, good spin on his passes and good overall body structure.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to work on his drops and overall footwork.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: He threw the prettiest deep balls of any quarterback that participated in the event.
CONCLUSION: This dual-threat quarterback has the ability to throw deep. He should become a very hot commodity for any college that runs the spread offense.
DB Christian Bryant, 5-11/174, Cleveland Glennville
ASSETS: Has excellent height for a corner and great hips.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to work on overall speed if he is going to play corner.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: Very, very competitive and was one of the quickest coming out of his breaks.
CONCLUSION: Bryant has ball skills and excellent change of direction. I also heard from teammates he can really lay the wood. If this is the case he might be the next great prospect from Glennville.
OT Robert Crisp, 6-7/300, Chapel Hill (N.C.) High
ASSETS: Has great height, long arms and excellent mobility.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: At 6 feet 7, 299 pounds he is actually a bit on the thin side. He needs to continue to get stronger and naturally fill out.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: Outside of his epic battle with Nick Acree, Crisp demonstrated some of the best lateral movement of any lineman.
CONCLUSION: Already has over 30 offers and he hasn't even come close to reaching his potential. Crisp could become a dominant left tackle at the collegiate level.
ATH A.J. Derby, 6-4/215, Iowa City (Iowa) High
ASSETS: Has good overall size and a very live arm.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to work on his drops and accuracy.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: Derby might have had the strongest arm of any quarterback at the combine.
CONCLUSION: He has a chance to be a good QB at the next level, he just needs more reps and work prior to his senior season.
OG Dominic Espinosa, 6-3/276, Cedar Park (Texas) High
ASSETS: Has very good feet and is one tough player.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to continue to get stronger and add about 20 pounds.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: He was not remotely affected by bigger defensive linemen who tried to bull-rush him. He just keeps his feet moving and fights to the end.
CONCLUSION: Plays LT in high school but should make a great center or pulling guard at the next level.
DT Sharrif Floyd, 6-2/297, Philadelphia George Washington
ASSETS: Incredible overall body structure and power.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to be more consistent with his pad level at the point of attack.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: May have had the most impressive showing in the one-on-ones of any defensive lineman at this event.
CONCLUSION: I find it hard to believe that this 6-foot-3, 293-pound DT has only two offers. He should become one of the hottest names in the country after his showing in San Antonio.
PQB Austin Hinder, 6-5/180, Steamboat Springs (Colo.) High
ASSETS: Has excellent height, a strong arm and excellent accuracy.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to add at least 25 pounds and continue to get stronger.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: Had some of the best footwork and tightest spin on his passes of any quarterback in this event.
CONCLUSION: There is no doubt that Hinder will be one of the top pro-style quarterback prospects in the entire nation. As he continues to physically mature his arm strength will get even better.
OT James Hurst, 6-5/275, Indianapolis Plainfield
ASSETS: Has good height, long arms and excellent lateral movement.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to continue to get stronger and add about 10 to 15 pounds.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: May have had the best feet of any lineman in the camp. He also has a nasty disposition.
CONCLUSION: No doubt will be one of the most sought-after offensive tackles in the entire country.
OT Jawuan James, 6-3/195, Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett
ASSETS: Has good height, good frame and above-average feet.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: Needs to get stronger and more aggressive.
WHAT WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE AT COMBINE: Was one of the more athletic offensive tackles in this event.
CONCLUSION: James has tremendous raw ability, and should become one of the top linemen from the state of Georgia. He claims one offer from UCF, but that number should increase dramatically by the end of May.
OTHERS WHO IMPRESSED: OLB Khairi Fortt, Stamford (Conn.) High; ATH DeMarco Cobbs, Tulsa (Okla.) Central; DT Ricky Heimuli, Salt Lake City Bingham; DT Evan Hailes, Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith.
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