Fab 15 defense: DBs stand out in the Big Easy
JEFFERSON, La. – The third stop of the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour took place in the New Orleans area Sunday. There was plenty of talent on display on both sides of the ball, but the deep group of defensive backs was one of the stories of the event. Below are the camp’s top 15 defensive performances.
MORE: Rivals Camp Series | Rivals Recap: RCS New Orleans | Recruiting notebook | Fab 15 offense
Recruiting wrap: Lee has a long list of offers, including ones from Texas Tech, Arizona State, California, Miami, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee.
Performance: Lee wasn’t the biggest or even the fastest corner at the event, but his combination of size and impressive-enough quickness made him remarkable. He stood out from the start of one-on-one drills, making more plays than any defensive back at the event. Lee is smooth in his backpedal and doesn’t mind sacrificing his body to break up a pass. Receivers rarely got separation from Lee, who was extremely physical at the line when the situation required it.
Recruiting wrap: Joseph is awaiting his first offer.
Performance: Sunday’s event didn’t carry an exceptional defensive line group, but Joseph did what he was asked and took home the MVP. The Texas-based junior won more reps than any other defensive lineman and showed a quick first step to go along with his powerful upper body. Joseph won a few of his reps relatively easily.
Recruiting wrap: Miller’s lone offer is from Memphis.
Performance: Miller moved well in drills and showcased long arms to go along with a broad frame. He truly made his mark during one-on-one work, where he showed an ability to run alongside smaller prospects. Miller could stand to add some muscle but is a truly versatile prospect that moves well laterally and can cover a number of different targets in the flat.
Recruiting wrap: Hopper holds offers from Auburn, Georgia, Louisville, Memphis, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Miami and others.
Performance: Hopper was in the discussion for the defensive line MVP award and showed advanced footwork for a prospect of his young age. Hopper defeated a few much older, bigger prospects using his quickness and an array of pass-rush moves. He will likely become a truly national recruit in the year ahead.
Recruiting wrap: Foster holds offers from Baylor and UTSA.
Performance: The 6-foot-2 Foster was one of the more physically impressive defensive backs at the camp. He shined in drills, where he showed of a nice vertical and a crisp change of direction. He broke up a number of passes in the day’s one-on-one session as well.
Recruiting wrap: Ndukwe holds offers from SMU and Colorado State.
Performance: At 6-foot-3 Ndukwe lacks elite height but that doesn’t stop him from being effective. He won reps with a powerful swim move and impressed with his ability to push offensive linemen onto their heels. As he becomes more versed with other pass-rush maneuvers, he’ll be tough to stop.
Recruiting wrap: Harris is committed to LSU.
Performance: Harris is long, athletic and breaks on the ball incredibly well. He is a little bit slight and could stand to add muscle, but he has plenty of time to do so. Harris has a remarkably consistent day and he shined in drills and made a number of impressive plays in one-on-one drills.
Recruiting wrap: Bailey holds offers from Kansas State, Arizona, Arizona State, Tennessee and others.
Performance: Bailey was among the most physical defensive backs at the event. The 6-foot Bailey has a thick frame and doesn’t mind using it to jam receivers at the line. He covered relatively well downfield but his aggression and his physicality were his calling cards.
Recruiting wrap: A five-star prospect, Moses has a long list of offers. UCLA, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Florida are the frontrunners to land his commitment.
Performance: Moses played both running back and linebacker on Sunday, but looked better on defense. Moses has a nice linebacker build with long arms. His agility is his strength, however, as he moves a well as any linebacker prospect in the country. Moses was solid in coverage, but shined during drills where his smooth athleticism took center stage.
Recruiting wrap: Blacklock is awaiting his first offer.
Performance: Blacklock lacks size but makes plays nevertheless. He’s listed at 5-foot-9 but his speed allows him to close on passes with the pace of a larger player. Blacklock made a couple spectacular pass breakups and his quickness shined through during drills.
Recruiting wrap: Clarke holds offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida and others.
Performance: Clarke could stand to add size but he has long arms and carries no bad weight. If Clarke can maintain his speed and agility as he gets bigger, he will develop into a monster of a prospect. Clarke covered running backs without straining and even stuck with them on a handful of double moves.
Recruiting wrap: Sparks is still awaiting his first scholarship offer.
Performance: Sparks has decent height and long arms. He could stand to add some weight but has the frame to carry it. He made a number of plays on deep balls and made one interception.
Recruiting wrap: Preston is awaiting his offer
Performance: Preston plays a number of positions but shined on defense during the camp. He covered a variety of different targets and made enough plays to get noticed. Hampton comes out of a backpedal well and doesn’t miss a step when it’s time to turn and run.
Recruiting wrap: Richardson is yet to land a scholarship offer.
Performance: The muscled-up Gaston is a safety prospect, but he covered like a cornerback. His quickness makes him versatile and his long arms allow him to close quickly on passes that hang in the air.
Recruiting wrap: Jones is awaiting his first offer
Performance: The undersized Jones plays both cornerback and wide receiver. His 5-foot-8 frame will likely hold him back a bit, but you can’t argue with the number of plays he made. Jones uses his quickness to his advantage and can stay with even the quickest of wide receivers.