Fab 15 Defense: Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy

MORE PRO FOOTBALL HOF ACADEMY: Fab 15 Offense | Recaps: Day 3 | Day 2 | Day 1

The defense was the most dominant force this week at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy. The top four defenders were very good and it was very difficult to choose a top overall performer.

Recruiting wrap: Miami, Florida State, Clemson, Auburn and Ohio State are in good position with Samuel early in his recruitment.

Performance: The difference between the top three defensive backs was so small that they should really be 1A, 1B and 1C but Samuel just seemed to come up with a few more big plays than Tyreke Johnson and Brendan Radely-Hiles. Samuel is an elite athlete and showed it by breaking up passes it looked like he had no shot at getting. His footwork was near perfect and he had the patience and instincts to not jump on double-moves from the receivers. One of Samuel’s signature plays from the camp was a pass he intercepted along the sideline by jumping higher than Johnson.

Recruiting wrap: Johnson has taken a liking to UCLA, USC, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Performance: Johnson is tremendously gifted and it showed during the practices. This was his first camp since coming back from injury so there was some noticeable rust, but he shook that off quickly. Johnson’s best assets were his instincts and length. Both helped him come up with interceptions, pass breakups and it threw off the timing between the quarterbacks and receivers. Johnson responded well to the challenge of covering Samuel when he lined up as a receiver. That’s when Johnson made some of his best plays.

Recruiting wrap: UCLA, Nebraska and Florida have caught Radley-Hiles' eye. He is going to camp at Alabama and LSU soon.

Performance: Radley-Hiles was the best player at the camp on Monday but took Tuesday off before coming back on Wednesday and showing that his performance earlier in the week wasn’t a fluke. He did a great job of anticipating routes and it helped him make a lot of plays on the ball, resulting in interceptions. Radley-Hiles isn’t the tallest defensive back but he always seemed to be in position to force a bad throw or knock down the ball.

Recruiting wrap: Clemson, North Carolina, Alabama and Ohio State have made good impressions early in Henry’s recruitment.

Performance: Henry is as good as advertised. There wasn't an offensive lineman that posed a serious threat to him as he easily won his one-on-one reps. Henry seemed to be just as effective regardless of which defensive end position he played. He even took some reps as a tight end and dominated the linebackers when he did.

Recruiting wrap: Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma stand out to Gervin.

Performance: The two things that really stood out about Gervin were his footwork and his physicality. He didn't waste any steps and was quick to explode off his plant foot which made is very difficult for receivers to get separation. Gervin didn't have a lot of interceptions but he forced bad throws because of how he stuck close to receivers.

Recruiting wrap: Notre Dame seems like it holds an edge over Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State and Tennessee.

Performance: Mustipher looked like a different defensive tackle than the one that showed up earlier this year to the Rivals Camp Series in New Jersey. He lost a lot of bad weight and seemed much more aggressive. Mustipher's explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and the power he generated made him pretty much unstoppable. He's also learned some new pass rushing moves.

Recruiting wrap: Parsons is committed to Penn State.

Performance: Parsons could have been higher on this list but he only took four reps as a defensive end during the entire camp. He won all four of those reps but he mostly played as a defensive back and wide receiver. Parsons has exceptional athleticism and it will take him far in football but he just needs to stay focused to reach his full potential.

Recruiting wrap: Ohio State, Florida State, Clemson and South Carolina are Thomas’ final four schools. He doesn’t know when he will commit.

Performance: Much like Parsons, Thomas is an elite athlete but didn’t spend much time working with the defensive line. A late arrival, he didn’t start participating until Monday afternoon and was initially working with the defensive backs. When he did work with the defensive line, Thomas’ strength and speed off the edge outmatched every offensive lineman he faced, winning reps taking both inside and outside routes to the quarterback.

Recruiting wrap: Thomas holds offers from Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Cincinnati and Ole Miss but the Bulldogs are his top team.

Performance: There’s a lot to like Thomas’ potential. He is very quick off the line, played with good pad level, and had strong hands. Thomas was able to push offensive linemen around and he should continue to raise his profile as a recruit as he gets bigger.

Recruiting wrap: Burton is still waiting on his first offer.

Performance: If Burton adds another inch or two he could be a major national recruit. He is every bit the 6-foot-2, 295 pounds he is listed and beat a lot of offensive linemen at the snap. That speed combined with his power made Burton almost unblockable. Burton’s offer sheet should start to explode during or just after this season.

Recruiting wrap: Cooper is still waiting on his first offer.

Performance: Cooper is an outstanding athlete off the edge and will be a major factor for his team this season. He had an excellent move where he started rushing to the outside and used his speed to duck inside and beat the offensive lineman. Cooper will get taller as he gets older and that will only help him become an even more dominant defensive end.

Recruiting wrap: Penn State is in good shape for Humphries but look for him to visit a few more schools before committing.

Performance: Humphries was hindered by a minor injury but his patience and football IQ really served him well. He has had better performances but he still was able to make a lot of plays on the ball and disrupt the timing between the receivers and the quarterbacks. Humphries was very smart about when he would get physical with receivers and when he would give them some cushion.

Recruiting wrap: McKinely holds offers from most of the nation’s top football programs. He has visits to Texas A&M and Oklahoma coming up.

Performance: McKinley is definitely on the smaller side but had very good feet and did a good job of timing up his breaks to knock down the ball. He didn’t practice much but certainly made an impact when he was on the field. Players like Samuel and Johnson challenged him when they took reps as a receiver.

Recruiting wrap: Virginia Tech and North Carolina are at the top of Hollifield’s list but he is still open to all schools.

Performance: Linebackers are at a severe disadvantage in the camp setting but Hollifield held his own for most of the camp. He was battling a minor injury on Tuesday and Wednesday but, considering he is an inside linebacker, he still did a good job covering the running backs. Hollifield made sure to get his hands on running backs as they came out of the backfield and made it tough for quarterbacks to have an easy throw.

Recruiting wrap: Michigan, USC and Arizona have already offered Ware-Hudson.

Performance: Just finishing his freshman year, Ware-Hudson has a big-time future as a defensive lineman. He will get taller as he gets older but is already pretty advanced when it comes to his technique. Ware-Hudson is very strong for his age and knows how to play with good leverage. He will be one to watch in the years to come.