5/29/2015 football Edit

Best of RCS: Athletes

Rivals.com

Publisher

The Latest: Georgia and Tennessee continue to battle to land Hardman.

The Skinny: Hardman missed the Atlanta stop of the Rivals Camp Series with an injury but came back with ready to make a point in Charlotte. He was dominant as an offensive player and looks like one of the class' true stars.

ATH

Lamar Jackson

Elk Grove (Calif.) Franklin, RCS: Los Angeles/RCS: Las Vegas

The Latest: USC and UCLA are out in front, but Oregon's recent offer could be important. Alabama and Notre Dame are still showing interest.

The Skinny: Jackson has tremendous length, so he can jam smaller receivers at the line and not let them get into their routes. He has a smooth backpedal and does a tremendous job of breaking on the ball to tip it away. Jackson is definitely a safety or could grow into a linebacker, but he's also great in pass coverage one-on-one.

ATH

D.J. Morgan

Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco, RCS: Las Vegas

The Latest: Morgan recently committed to Arizona State.

The Skinny: Morgan was excellent in coverage. On deep balls. the Arizona State pledge was athletic and crafty enough to tip away numerous passes or run stride-for-stride with receivers so they couldn't make the grab. He needs to be more consistently dominant, but in Vegas, Morgan showed what he can do on a good day.

ATH

Nathan Tilford

Upland, Calif., (2017), RCS: Los Angeles

The Latest: Michigan and UCLA seem to stand out most early on for the 2017 prospect.

The Skinny: There is talk that Tilford might even be better at linebacker, but on offense at the L.A. camp he simply dominated any linebacker or defensive back who dared defend him in one-on-one situations. Tilford caught short passes, he went inside and outside and was especially dangerous going deep and running by the defense.

ATH

Chase Lucas

Chandler, Ariz., RCS: Las Vegas

The Latest: Lucas picked up an offer from Texas earlier in the week and has garnered attention from Oregon and Texas A&M during the spring evaluation period. He admits UCLA is out front heading into the summer, but he's in no rush to make a decision.

The Skinny: Lucas shined at both cornerback and receiver in the camp, making plays on both sides during one-on-one matchups. The four-star prospect got open fairly easily, showing the ability to gain separation with great burst and change of direction. That same fluidity helped him stay with receivers through their routes.

ATH

TaDarryl Marshall

Leeds, Ala., RCS: Atlanta

The Latest: Marshall is committed to Tennessee but plans to take official visits this fall.

The Skinny: Marshall is a playmaker at the quarterback spot for his high school team but played wide receiver at RCS: Atlanta. He shined all afternoon and showcased nice top-end speed. He could play receiver or defensive back in college.

ATH

Damian Alloway

Fontana (Calif.) Summit, RCS: Los Angeles

The Latest: California and UCLA remain the two favorites, and Wisconsin rounds out his top three.

The Skinny: Alloway has his way with linebackers who try to grab and hold and do anything to stay with him. He has excellent moves to free himself up and is also a constant deep threat, so players have to respect that. Alloway showed at RCS: Los Angeles that he can separate from anybody but also catch the ball in tight windows as well.

ATH

Khalil Tate

Gardena (Calif.) Serra, Los Angeles QB Challenge/RCS: Las Vegas

The Latest: Tate remains committed to Arizona, but an official visit to USC could happen.

The Skinny: The debate will continue whether Tate is best at quarterback or receiver, but he showed at two camps that he's dangerous on the outside. The Arizona commit is a big body, so defensive backs can't muscle him, but he also has blazing speed so he can get down the field and make big plays.

ATH

Devin White

Springhill (La.) North Webster, RCS: Dallas

The Latest: White continues to keep an open mind, but Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU and Auburn are a few schools to watch.

The Skinny: At 6-feet, 250-pounds, White spent his day working at linebacker in Dallas. He was fresh off a plane and had to hurry to make his way to camp, but once he arrived he was ready to get to work. He stood out the most during position drills where he showed off his quick feet and the ability to change directions with ease.

ATH

Demetric Vance

Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech, RCS: Cleveland

The Latest: Vance committed to Michigan State on May 13.

The Skinny: Safeties are asked to essentially play a cornerback role in camp one-on-ones, but even at 6-feet-3 and 196 pounds, Vance showed very well covering wide receivers. He also had to battle a bout of asthma early in the day, but his impressive skill set took over and he emerged as a top performer in a loaded RCS: Cleveland defensive back group.

ATH

Sewo Olonilua

Kingwood (Tex.), Houston Speed & Skill

The Latest: Olonilua is committed to TCU but continues to receive interest from Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Baylor.

The Skinny: Olonilua showed up in Houston bigger than most linebackers (6-2, 215) and ready to play cornerback. He spent his time at defensive back and did not disappoint. He showed the ability to turn and go with the best receivers at the event and he covered plenty of ground. He was a very bright spot in Houston and took home the Athletic Achievement Award.

ATH

Lamont Wade

Clairton, Pa. (2017), RCS: Cleveland

The Latest: Pittsburgh, Penn State and Ohio State are three of the schools most involved in Wade's recruitment.

The Skinny: Wade can play on either side of the ball but will likely play cornerback at the next level. At RCS: Cleveland, Wade's aggressiveness and speed helped him have a lot of success against some of the nation's best receivers. His athleticism and ball skills were very evident when he pulled in some impressive interceptions.

ATH

Greg Johnson

Los Angeles (Calif.) Augustus Hawkins, RCS: Los Angeles/RCS: Las Vegas

The Latest: Johnson remains wide open, but USC and UCLA could have a slight edge.

The Skinny: Johnson has developed a reputation at running back, but it has been at cornerback where the 2017 prospect has taken care of business in the camp setting. He is smooth, smart and surprisingly physical against older players. Plus, Johnson can go up and tip away passes or pick them off so it's always tough to throw on his side.

ATH

Javonte Richardson

Maple Heights, Ohio (2017), RCS: Cleveland

The Latest: Richardson holds early offers from Kentucky, Bowling Green and Toledo.

The Skinny: The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Richardson could project to several positions on the field in college. At RCS: Cleveland, he lined up at wide receiver and defensive back, showing best at wide receiver where his size, speed and athleticism was tough for opposing defenders to handle.