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Baton Rouge NIKE Camp loaded with firepower

BATON ROUGE, La. – While the NIKE camp at Texas A&M had to be cancelled before it ever really got started on Saturday, LSU’s indoor facility helped make the weather a non-factor for Sunday’s camp. However, with dreary weather looming many were afraid that the stars wouldn’t come out. While there was a handful that didn’t make it, the camp was still jam packed with big names.
The biggest name of the day obviously was, Reserve (La.) East St. John Ryan Perrilloux, who currently boasts more than 65 scholarship offers. He showed why he is a five-star candidate and one of the nation’s top overall prospects as he put a crisp spiral on the ball and easily had the strongest arm there. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound Perrilloux stood out in every agility drill as well and gave new meaning to the term “dual-threat” quarterback.
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Another Rivals100 lock that was in attendance was New Orleans St. Augustine defensive end Al Jones. Jones looked the part of a national recruit in warm ups and solidified that claim in testing and drills. The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder has picked up quite a few offers already and is the leading candidate for the state’s best defensive prospect.
Jones was an unstoppable force in drills all day long. He has super quick feet and long arms that can used to ward off blockers. He posted a good vertical jump and has great strength, making him one of the camp’s elite prospects.
Not a lot was known about Fort Walton Beach (Fla.) running back Glen Coffee before the camp. He had what was perhaps the biggest stock increase of the day. Coffee absolutely put on a show in garnering the highest SPARQ rating and camp MVP honors. The 6-foot-0, 185-pound Coffee put up crazy numbers, running a 4.44 40-yard dash, 4.28 in the shuttle, had a 36-inch vertical jump and 22 reps of 185 pounds on bench press.
So far this recruiting season Coffee has not gotten a lot of publicity, but that is sure to change from here on out as he is making a claim as one of the better running backs in the southeast.
Another prospect that was a lot like Coffee in the sense that he was a sleeper of sorts going into the camp has recently picked up some big time scholarship offers. That guy is offensive lineman Quinton Johnson. It is easy to see why Houston, LSU and Arizona thought highly enough of him to offer a scholarship.
With his 6-foot-3, 310-pound frame Johnson was a man among boys in every drill and stood out from the moment the players stepped on the field. He was the most impressive offensive lineman in what was a very good group of big men.
LSU commit Baton Rouge (La.) Parkview Baptist defensive lineman Lyle Hitt didn’t have far to travel to the camp and really didn’t need a stellar showing as he is already committed, but from his performance you might have thought that it was his only chance to impress college scouts. If there was an award for the player showing the most intensity, the award would be Hitt’s.
The minute he walked through the picture line before testing even started you could tell Hitt was different from most of the other recruits. He was extremely thick and well chiseled. The Tigers had a stellar recruiting season in 2004 and with guys like Hitt already in hand it looks like they are well on their way to another exceptional recruiting class.
If you want to talk about solid defensive backs then one guy you can’t help but mention is New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine safety Patrick Trahan. The 6-foot-2, 205 pound defensive back registered and impressive 36.3 inch vertical jump on the day. In fact, Trahan is so impressive looking that one might mistake him for a linebacker and don’t be shocked if ends up getting some looks at the position. He has already collected two impressive offers from Auburn and LSU and with the May evaluation period now in full force that list is expected to grow. Trahan is a strong contender to be the top defensive back in Louisiana.
If you ask anyone that was present at the camp who the most impressive physical looking prospect was and odds are that they will say that it was Mobile (Ala.) Williamson tight end Gabriel McKenzie. He registered at 6-foot-3, 218 pounds, most of which was solid muscle.
Though he ran a somewhat disappointing 40-time for his standards at 4.8 seconds, he is still the leading candidate for the top player in Alabama. It’s rare that a tight end is the top player is named the top player in any state, but then again this guy is rare.
If McKenzie was the most impressive looking prospect then Mamou (La.) wide receiver LaTerryal Savoy wasn’t far behind. He came in at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and looks like a prototype wide receiver. Savoy didn’t run the most impressive time of all the receivers in attendance, but posted a solid 4.6 40 time. Speed is not the name of his game though. There was not a defensive back in attendance who could hang with Savoy and he was the cream of the crop in the receiver corp on the day. Michigan is one school that has already taken notice of his size and ability by offering him a scholarship.
Perhaps the most versatile prospect of the day was New Orleans (La.) Abramson defensive end Alonzo Horton. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds Horton looks like he could play defensive end, linebacker or even safety or tight end. His future, however, is likely on the defensive line. At 220 pounds some may question that, but take one look at this kid and you’ll realize that he has the frame to add a lot of weight and do it quickly.
Schools like Auburn, Southern Miss and Michigan State certainly like his ability as they have already extended a scholarship offer to him. He is a very athletic big man, who could make a flat out scary rush defensive end on the next level.
Speaking of versatility, Alexandria (La.) outside linebacker/safety Nick Harris will remind you of a slimmer version of Horton. He checked in on the day at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. He definitely has the frame to play outside linebacker or make a flat out scary safety. He showed great poise and agility in the ladder drills with the infamous Harold Nash overseeing things.
He is a lean kid, who could very well have the opportunity to make an early impact at the school of his choice. He has already picked up a scholarship offer from Texas A&M and with performances like the one he had at the NIKE camp he has plenty more on the way.
For expanded coverage of the Baton Rouge NIKE Training Camp, you should check out StudentSports.com. Access to StudentSports.com requires an additional membership. Coming Soon! The best is getting better. The Rivals.com Recruiting Database will include all authentic data from this summer's NIKE Training Camp schedule.
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