Beckles top dog at adidas

Saturday's adidas Elite Camp by Recruits Unlimited gave several top players in Los Angeles a chance to showcase their skills.

The player who stood out the most was defensive tackle Noel Beckles (6-1, 280, 5.1) from Los Angeles (Calif.) Verbum Dei. Not only didn't Beckles lose any of his one-on-one competitions, but he was downright nasty about too.

Beckles was very explosive off the football, so much so, the man going up against him didn't have a chance. He is planning on taking in a few more camps including UCLA and USC among others.

If his tape looks as good as his performance Saturday then it won't be surprising to see Beckles' stock take an upward turn. He definitely displayed the toughness and mean streak you need to play defensive tackle successfully on the D-I level.

There were two unheralded defensive ends who might be tweeners, but performed well on Saturday. One of them, Paul Verrette (6-0, 212, 4.5),who plays for one of the Inland Empire's best football programs, Corona (Calif.) Centennial. Verrette made it look easy and was hardly touched all day.

The same could be said for Ritchie Mataafa (6-0, 200) from Temecula (Calif.) Chaparral. Like Verette, Mataafa is undersized, but his motor to the ball was impressive.

Lakewood (Calif.) Mayfair was well represented with three linemen and one skill player.

In a year when offensive linemen are rare, there is a good chance that Mayfair could develop four players who will at the very least get some looks.

One of them is Fouimalo Fonoti (6-3, 275, 5.1). He's known more as a defensive lineman, but he will also play offensive line for his senior season. He is raw, but he looks the part, plus he's athletic, has quick feet and has the frame to carry more weight. He will be someone to keep an eye on as the recruiting process progresses. He has the upside and the potential to be good.

Mayfair had three other linemen at the camp worth mentioning. They are Kyle Mack (6-4, 280, 5.2), Detrick Turner (6-3, 285, 5.2) and Bradley Henderson (6-2, 260).

Also from Mayfair is cornerback/wide receiver Andre Allen (5-11, 185, 4.5). He was a smooth looking athlete who is already getting attention from schools from the Pac 10, Mountain West and WAC.

Torrance, Calif., was represented two player who definitely passes the look test in running back Michael Andrews (6-0, 190, 4.5) and tight end Sterling Carter (6-5, 220, 4.7) both players have the dimensions that D-I schools like.

Andrews has the athleticism to play on either side of the ball. Carter is raw and needs to learn to catch the ball with his hands, but his natural ability is obvious.

Running back safety Kevin Ayers (5-11, 185, 4.4) from Lynwood, Calif., showed off his bloodlines with a solid performance, Ayers the younger brother of UCLA freshman Akeem Ayers, showed good speed and was very smooth. Though Ayers played running back, he probably projects as a safety.

Another player with excellent bloodlines to show to the camp was Caleve Deboskie (6-0, 162, 4.5) played his junior season at Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton, but will play his senior season at Chandler, Ariz. Deboskie showed solid route running and good hands. Deboskie's older brother Covaughn Deboskie enrolled at Cal in January and participated in spring ball as a true freshman.

There were other out of state players who were noticeable in defensive end Laurence Gibson (6-5, 240) from Sierra Vista (Ariz.) Buena and defensive end Miles Harris (6-0, 200) from Las Vegas (Nev.) Sierra Vista. Both players dominated the opposition with quickness.

Running back Akil Sharp (5-10, 190, 4.49) also from Las Vegas (Nev.) Sierra Vista was one of the best running backs at the camp. He garnering a lot of recruiting attention this spring, but has yet to receive his first offer, but could change before the spring evaluation period is over.

Underclassman Sedale Foster (5-8, 165, 4.4) from Riverside (Calif.) North could stop on a dime then accelerate leaving his man and getting wide open. He certainly had a lot of fun much to the chagrin of players who were trying to guard him. He was mostly a backup as a sophomore, but if his explosion and all around athleticism is any indication then this will be a guy we will hear a lot about in the future.