5/3/2016 football Edit

Fab 15: Big Ten defensive commits impress in New Jersey

Adam Gorney • Rivals.com

National Recruiting Director

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour stopped in Piscataway, N.J., this past weekend. Here is a look at the top defensive performers at the camp.

Recruiting wrap: Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Rutgers and North Carolina are at the top of Friday’s list and the 2018 four-star wants to visit with the Wolverines and Buckeyes soon.

Performance: Friday has an impressive repertoire of moves and abilities, which allowed him to dominate during the one-on-one portion of camp. At only about 260 pounds, Friday is incredibly powerful against leaner offensive tackles and super fast around bigger ones, so he can do it all. He’s also quick off the snap, often surprising the offensive linemen with his speed. In a best-of-three final against five-star OT Isaiah Wilson, Friday won two reps.

Recruiting wrap: Rutgers, Temple and Old Dominion have offered so far and the three-star cornerback is planning to visit Syracuse soon.

Performance: Hand has a phenomenal combination of size, athleticism and toughness and he made it difficult on receivers all day. On every rep he took, Hand was physical at the line of scrimmage and then shadowed the receiver every step of the way. Once the ball got there, Hand either picked it off, knocked it down or it was an overthrow because Hand was so tight in coverage.

Recruiting wrap: The four-star linebacker is committed to Nebraska.

Performance: Roberts is the complete package because he’s physical against running backs or receivers at the line but that’s not all. The Nebraska pledge also does an excellent job keeping pace through routes and then he has the physical tools to knock down or pick off passes.

Recruiting wrap: The 2018 four-star defensive end is committed to Penn State.

Performance: Parsons has a non-stop motor, he’s super aggressive and relentless when trying to win reps. He wore down offensive tackles because Parsons just never stops attacking. The 2018 recruit has tremendous speed, a great spin move and his never-say-die attitude are what makes him so special.

Recruiting wrap: Michigan and Clemson seem to be the outright favorites for the four-star linebacker ranked second at his position nationally. Penn State and Rutgers are also staying involved.

Performance: Singleton did not take a lot of reps but when the physically impressive linebacker was out there, he stopped everything. The four-star had no problem turning and running with backs or slot receivers on deep routes and he closes really well for someone his size. On the hoof, Singleton is one of the best-looking linebackers in the country.

Recruiting wrap: Maryland, Clemson, Florida and Florida State are the early favorites for Jones, who said that Oklahoma, the Gators and the Seminoles would receive official visits.

Performance: The four-star is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds and uses that physical presence to his advantage. Not only can Jones be a nuisance at the line of scrimmage but he has tremendous instincts as the receiver goes through his route. When the ball is coming, Jones does a tremendous job knocking it down as well. Basically, Jones doesn’t give up anything easy.

Recruiting wrap: The three-star cornerback is committed to Maryland.

Performance: The first thing that stands out about Bazzie is his strength. He’s chiseled with muscles and he’s not afraid to be physical at the line of scrimmage. The Maryland pledge is also very quick-twitch in his coverage, closes really well and aggressively attacks the ball once it’s in the air.

Recruiting wrap: The four-star defensive end is committed to Penn State.

Performance: First, Matos has impressive size at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds and he has great length and athleticism. The four-star is comfortable in his body and showed he’s a great athlete, especially with a devastating inside move against bigger offensive tackles. He’s an impressive prospect because of his size and motor. The swim move makes him stand out.

Recruiting wrap: Maryland, Tennessee and Texas A&M are recruiting the three-star defensive end the hardest. He could visit all those schools in the coming months. Ole Miss, Miami, Syracuse and Virginia Tech cannot be counted out, either.

Performance: Johnson is not going to overpower any legitimate offensive tackles because he’s only about 215 pounds. But as for speed, Johnson was one of the better defensive linemen at the event. He’s quick off the snap, has really fluid, quick moves to work around the tackle and he can go inside or outside. Getting to the edge is where he’s best, but Johnson has the quickness to beat offensive linemen inside, too.

Recruiting wrap: The three-star defensive end has an offer from Maryland.

Performance: Rogers is an active, hard-working defensive lineman who has violent hands so offensive tackles have no success grabbing and holding even inside the shoulder pads. The three-star prospect also has an outside move because of good speed but he seems to like to go inside and use his hands to his advantage.

Recruiting wrap: The two-star prospect has an offer from Rhode Island.

Performance: It is hard to believe that Rhode Island is the only offer for Wilder. He shadowed receivers as well as any other defensive back at the event, had smooth footwork and then made it very difficult for all the receivers. Wilder had at least two interceptions.

Recruiting wrap: The three-star defensive tackle has been heavily recruited by Rutgers and recently landed offers from Nebraska, Florida, Florida State and others. He plans to visit South Carolina and Syracuse soon.

Performance: Martin did not get many opportunities early during one-on-ones as other players jumped at the chance but once he got going, the three-star prospect definitely had his impressive moments. Overpowering smaller interior offensive lineman was no issue as Martin did it regularly. He also has violent hands and a good motor, plus Martin has no problem shooting gaps to break into the backfield.

Recruiting wrap: The three-star defensive end is committed to Penn State.

Performance: The thing that stood out most about Barber is his speed to the edge and his ability to basically work around any offensive tackle. Off the snap, Barber makes himself difficult to block, uses his hands pretty well and gets to the edge without many problems. The Penn State commit didn’t get many one-on-one reps but showed great leverage when he did.

Recruiting wrap: The three-star Canadian defensive back is committed to Michigan.

Performance: St-Juste spent a lot of time during the one-on-one portion of camp defending slot receivers and he did a fantastic job of getting his hands in there to poke the ball away. The three-star Michigan commit has length and great timing to not hit the receiver but still get his arms around receivers to deflect the pass.

Recruiting wrap: The Washington, D.C., recruit is just getting started with the recruiting process.

Performance: Hansford has a lot of speed, and that’s mainly what stands out about him. He does get beaten from time-to-time by top-flight receivers and sometimes bites on double moves because he’s trying to make a play, but Hansford makes up ground quickly, closes really well and makes it tough on receivers because he’s so fast.