Elite talent lined up for N.C. event
North Carolina and South Carolina are loaded with top prospects this year and the best of the best from each of those states as well as a few from the state of Virginia will be on hand for the Rivals.com Five-Star Showdown in Greensboro, N.C., on March 21 at Preohlific Park. The event will be run by former NFL star wide receiver Ricky Proehl and North Carolina high school coach Otis Yelverton and will feature numerous current and former NFL players acting as instructors. And led by Rivals100 studs Gabe King and Keenan Allen, both national top 50 prospects, the quality will be outstanding.
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King, ranked as the No. 34 prospect in the nation in the Rivals100, will lead a quality group of defensive linemen. The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder from Greensboro (N.C.) Page has numerous offers from power programs like LSU, Georgia, Tennessee and others as well as all the locals. Other defensive linemen of note include Matthews (N.C.) Weddington defensive tackle Darius Kilgo, Wilmington (N.C.) New Hanover defensive end Vince Allen and Wadesboro (N.C.) Anson defensive tackle Tra Thomas. 2011 stud Eric Young from Durham (N.C.) Hillside will also be on hand.
Along the offensive line, the state's top-ranked prospect, Robert Crisp from Chapel Hill, N.C., is hoping to make an appearance. The 6-foot-7, 299-pounder has offers from nearly every program in the country and going head-to-head with King and others will be a sight to see. Tarboro, N.C., tackle Takoby Cofield also highlights the offensive line along with Lexington (Va.) Rockbridge offensive guard Caleb Farris and others.
Allen, ranked No. 41 in the Rivals100, will work out as a wide out and as a defensive back and both groups are very strong. Allen, a 6-foot-2, 182-pounder from Greensboro (N.C.) Northern Guilford, has offers from Alabama, Cal, Clemson, South Carolina and all the in-state schools. He will be joined at wide receiver by Southern Durham, N.C., stud Anthony Creecy, a Rivals250 member, Shelby (N.C.) Crest athlete Reggie Wilkins, Raleigh (N.C.) Sanderson wide out Matt James and many others. 2011 stud Maurice Harris from Greensboro (N.C.) Northern Guilford, who has early offers from Clemson, North Carolina and Maryland, will also be on hand.
Allen will also work out at defensive back with some of the best players in the area. Charlotte (N.C.) Independence cornerback Victor Hampton, ranked as the No. 58 player in the country and a Florida commitment, will be on hand as will Southern Durham, N.C. stud A.J. Marshall, Greenboro (N.C.) Northern Guilford cornerback James Scales, Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley safety David Amerson and Lenoir (N.C.) athlete Darius Lipford. South Carolina studs Zach Miller from Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes and Manning, S.C. cornerback John Fulton also attend to participate.
Throwing the ball at the event will be Raleigh (N.C.) Southeast Raleigh quarterback Gabriel Henderson, who has offers from Virginia Tech and Kent State, as well as Sumter, S.C. signal-caller Stephen Curtis and Charlotte (N.C.) Victory Christian dual-threat James Harvin. And some top 2011 quarterbacks will also be on hand led by Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Latin gunslinger Sam Spence and Durham (N.C.) Hillside athlete Vad Lee. Virginia quarterbacks Troy Ruediger and Bo Revell will be making the trip down for the event as well.
Finally, the linebackers against the running backs will also be entertaining to watch. Raleigh (N.C.) Southeast Raleigh linebacker Kendall Moore, a Rivals250 member, leads a linebacker group that is also highlighted by Greensboro (N.C.) Northern Guilford Chris McCain, also a Rivals250 member, and Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Christian 'backer Ty Linton, who has numerous offers.
At running back, Tarboro, N.C. standout Damarius Harper and Jacksonville (N.C.) Northside running back Adrian Scott highlight a fast group. Grimsley running back Eric Davidson, Conley tailback Darrion Moore and Independence speedster Nyjee Fleming are three 2011 prospects to watch as well.
Coaching the players will be current and former NFL players such as Ricky Proehl (St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers), Steve Beuerlein (Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers), Courtney Anderson (Houston Texans), Al Wallace (Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills), Tito Wooten (New York Giants), Dino Philyaw (New Orleans Saints), Erik Williams (Dallas Cowboys) and more.
The event is invite-only so no walk-ups will be allowed and Rivals.com has exclusive coverage rights to the event. The Rivals.com AMP team will be on hand for video coverage of the event and participants are urged to bring junior film with them if it's not already uploaded on the site.
Participants are selected by Rivals.com Recruiting Analyst Mike Farrell and respected North Carolina high school coach Otis Yelverton. There are still a few slots open at certain positions for qualified participants so if interested e-mail mike@rivals.com for further information.
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