Fab 15: D-line, DBs win the day at RCS Kansas City

KANSAS CITY – Defensive line and defensive back were both deep position groups at Sunday’s Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour held in America’s Heartland, and it was a pair of sophomores who stood tallest at those position by day’s end.

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Recruiting wrap: Trevor Trout holds offers from Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas A&M. Missouri and Nebraska are the two schools he has the best feel for early.

Performance: After seeing Trout as a freshman at an RCS event, then watching sophomore film, he was a prospect we definitely had our eye on to compete for a position MVP award and Five-Star Challenge invite. The Rivals100 class of 2018 prospect accomplished both, showing tremendous quickness off the ball for a 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle. He is also ahead of the curve from a fundamentals standpoint.

Recruiting wrap: Arizona, Baylor, Kansas State, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas Tech are among Jalen Green’s early offers.

Performance: The 6-foot-2, 165-pound Green possesses that rare combination of height and fluidity that college coaches covet at the cornerback position. Listed as an athlete, the class of 2018 prospect worked out exclusively at defensive back and came away with position MVP honors. Green has outstanding change of direction and he showed a great feel for the position, regularly in perfect relationship to the receiver.

Recruiting wrap: Demarquez Trotter holds an offer from the in-state Vanderbilt Commodores.

Performance: Trotter made the trip from Nashville and nearly walked away with defensive back MVP honors. The 6-foot, 175-pounder is a playmaker who is always around the football. He was one of the few to make a play against Wide Receiver MVP DaRon Davis, staying in perfect inside position and intercepting a fade pass that was well thrown down the sideline.

Recruiting wrap: Ron Tatum awaits his first scholarship offer.

Performance: The buzz on Tatum already started this spring, and it will only grow heading into his junior season. My on-site notes on him read: raw, but talented. The sophomore uses every bit of his 6-foot-5 frame to his advantage and is very rangy. There is definitely some skill refinement that needs to take place over the next couple years, but Tatum has a unique skill set with a lot of un-teachable traits in his arsenal.

Recruiting wrap: Wyatt Hubert is committed to Kansas State.

Performance: Hubert jumped off the field immediately because he is in constant motion. Initially that made the Kansas State commit a little overaggressive and he had to take it down a notch, which he did by the time one-on-ones came around. Hubert is not overly big at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, but he is quick, with fast hands and he is always working towards the quarterback.

Recruiting wrap: Josh Maize holds nine offers and recently listed Connecticut, Miami (Ohio) and Central Michigan as favorites.

Performance: We loved what we had seen on film of Maize coming into the camp, and the on-field performance was every bit what we expected from the Chicagoland native. He looks every bit his listed 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds with a frame that will add weight easily. He does need to bulk up, because the one knock is he had trouble once offensive tackles get their hands on him, but speed and quickness are Maize’s game and he has plus tools in both categories, along with good length for the position.

Recruiting wrap: Devin Haney awaits his first offer.

Performance: The 2018 class in Missouri is already being hailed as possibly the best in the last decade out of the state, and Haney’s name should be among those top prospects after what he showed Sunday. Listed as a cornerback at 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds, Haney may eventually grow into a free safety, but he has the ball skills and the length that could keep him at cornerback. Haney also proved he was not afraid to be physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage.

Recruiting wrap: Anthony Payne holds 14 offers, including his most recent, which came from Army.

Performance: Payne is a little undersized at 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds, and kind of caught between the five-technique defensive end spot and the three-technique defensive tackle spot when it comes to a college projection. He could play either because of his explosiveness off the football. He also plays with excellent pad level and is able to work angles and maintain momentum toward the quarterback. He had a lot of success in the one-on-one session.

Recruiting wrap: Cooper Root is starting to hear from several FBS schools, but still awaits his first offer.

Performance: It was not a deep linebacker group, but at day’s end Root stood out as the clear top dog and won position MVP honors. The Wichita native looked all of his listed 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds and was probably the biggest linebacker in attendance. Root moves very well for that size, showing good change of direction in position drills and being able to stay with running backs and tight ends during one-on-ones.

Recruiting wrap: Houston Griffith holds offers from Illinois, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State and others. He plans to camp with Notre Dame, Ohio State and Tennessee this summer.

Performance: Griffith was on his second straight day of camps and his legs definitely looked tired toward the end of the day, but the talent that has earned him more than a dozen offers before the end of his sophomore year was also evident. Griffith did not have quite the break on the ball we are used to seeing from him, but he was always in good position and he continues to build up his 6-foot 185-pound frame into an intimidating physical presence in the secondary.

Recruiting wrap: Djimon Colbert is committed to Iowa.

Performance: We last saw Colbert one year ago at RCS St. Louis, and the development in his game over the past year was definitely noticeable. The primary area of improvement is in his fluidity. Colbert was a little heavy-footed as a sophomore, but he is a much smoother athlete now heading into his senior season and at 6-foot-1 and closing in on 200 pounds, he has great size for the safety position in college.

Recruiting wrap: Angel Dominguez is committed to Iowa State.

Performance: Among all the top defensive ends in attendance, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Dominguez looked the most ready for college. His frame gives him good length on the edge, but also the sturdiness to battle in the trenches. Dominguez also displayed a good first step and was able to get into offensive tackles quickly, where he then showed several impressive pass rush moves, including a very effective swim.

Recruiting wrap: Dayon Moore holds an early offer from Southeast Missouri State.

Performance: The jury on Moore was out following position work because at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, he was one of the most physically impressive defensive backs in attendance, but he had issues getting stuck in his change of direction. When the whistle sounded for one-on-ones, though, Moore’s competitiveness took over and he was one of the toughest covers at the camp. He made an outstanding interception, undercutting an out route early in the session.

Recruiting wrap: Eric Scott holds a handful of offers from FCS and mid-major programs.

Performance: Scott came into the camp known as one of the best athletes in the Kansas City area, but showed he has big-time potential on the football field as well. A 6-8 high jumper on the track, Scott translates that athleticism over to the football field and showed great range in coverage. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound prospect also used his size to his advantage and was physical at the line of scrimmage without being overaggressive.

Recruiting wrap: Ben Hutch holds offers from six SEC programs, but is in no rush to make his college decision.

Performance: Hutch is an athletic 6-foot-3 and 280-pound defensive tackle. He comes out of his stance a little high and that allows offensive linemen to get into him, but Hutch is strong at the point of attack and has great balance. He can use an array of rush moves to release from offensive linemen, and has a motor that keeps working toward the quarterback after initial contact. Hutch is still raw, but there is a lot to work with here.