Fab 15: Offense turns heads in Atlanta
DULUTH, Ga. -- The Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour made its annual stop in the Atlanta area on Saturday, with some of the country’s top players taking the field at Northview High School to show their stuff. There were plenty of notable showings and here’s a rundown of the top offensive performances.
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Recruiting Wrap: Wonnum has offers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois and others.
Performance: Wonnum took home offensive line MVP honors, a shock considering the number of talented 2017 prospect in attendance. Wonnum is tall and relatively lean and he did a great job of using his long arms to keep opponents off balance. It’s clear that Wonnum has a good fundamental base and will only get better as he continues to add strength.
Recruiting Wrap: Salyer has early offers from several programs, including Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and others.
Performance: Salyer’s last name rhymes with mauler and it’s only appropriate considering the performance he turned in. He had his way with pretty much every defensive lineman and finished his blocks with authority. He’s the perfect guard prospect and has the strong lower body that allows him to hold his ground even against bigger defensive linemen.
Recruiting Wrap: Robinson is committed to Alabama.
Performance: Robinson fits the mold of big-bodied backs who have had success at Alabama in recent years, but more important than his size was his ability to stay light on his feet. Robinson was great in drills and drew praise from the event’s coaches for his overall effort. Robinson also showed how well-rounded his game is during the one-on-one period, where he made several impressive catches in the open field.
Recruiting Wrap: Jones is committed to Kentucky.
Performance: Jones captured his second MVP award of the Rivals Camp Series after also taking home top honors at the Orlando camp in February. On a windy day, Jones was one of the few quarterbacks at the event whose ball consistently made it to the wide receivers on target. Jones continues to show improvement at every event he attends, a good sign for his future development
Recruiting Wrap: Hayden is a Tennessee legacy and has an offer from the Vols, but he is also looking at schools like Michigan, South Carolina, Arkansas and a few others.
Performance: Hayden continues to add weight to his frame but doesn’t look like he’s lost a step of the speed that makes him an explosive playmaker on offense. Hayden was one of the most consistently impressive players during drill work and then backed up his showing there by winning several reps during one-on-ones.
Recruiting Wrap: Blount is considering Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and several others.
Performance: Blount took home the wide receiver MVP award after being one of the event’s top route-runners and then showing an ability to get separation from coverage. The usually sure-handed receiver had a few drops, but even that couldn’t take away from excellent performance.
Recruiting Wrap: Jones is considering Tennessee, Georgia, Clemson and others.
Performance: Jones narrowly missed out on quarterback MVP honors after turning in an excellent day. The versatile playmaker is known for making plays with his legs, but he showed his passing skills are the No. 1 reason why schools are pushing so hard for his services. He’s still working his way back from a leg injury he suffered late in the fall, but even at less than 100 percent he was one of the best prospects in attendance.
Recruiting Wrap: Askew is considering Alabama, Georgia, Auburn and several others.
Performance: The speedy Askew is listed in the Rivals.com database as an athlete and elected to work out on offense. As the day went along, his ability to make plays in space became even more apparent and there were only a few defensive backs at the event could keep up with him. If he chooses to play offense in college, Askew could be a great fit in the right offensive scheme.
Recruiting Wrap: Mays is committed to Tennessee.
Performance: The class of 2018 prospect from East Tennessee rolled into Atlanta looking to prove a point and he did exactly that. Mays was the most physical offensive lineman in attendance, and he had the moment of one-on-ones when he caught a defensive lineman mid-swim and dumped him into the turf. Mays got a little over exuberant at times and made some mistakes that led to him losing reps, but it was only because he was trying too hard to win each rep emphatically. It’s clear he’ll be in the discussion with the top linemen in his class.
Recruiting Wrap: Johnson has several offers, with Auburn, Georgia, Alabama and USC among his early favorites.
Performance: Johnson might have taken more reps than any other offensive lineman and while he had an up-and-down day in terms of wins, when he did take wins, they were very impressive and when he took losses, they weren't by much. Johnson has very good size and is a true guard, who can both pass and run block impressively.
Recruiting Wrap: Brice is committed to Clemson.
Performance: Brice is a Rivals Camp Series veteran and came back with another solid performance. He showed good accuracy and impressive velocity, but was victimized a little bit when it came to one-on-ones thanks to some errant play from wide receivers.
Recruiting Wrap: Williams is committed to USC.
Performance: Williams showed some of the best body control at the camp, going up to make tough grab after tough grab in windy conditions. It’s easy to see why the Trojans worked so hard to get him in the fold early and after his showing on Saturday, the school will likely have to work even harder to hold off Southeast schools looking to add a special playmaker.
Recruiting Wrap: Ruggs has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Miami and several other programs.
Performance: Ruggs isn’t as flashy as some wide receivers when it comes to letting people know that he won reps, but he was very impressive as he went about his business. He showed a nice ability to run routes and take coaching during drills and he had no problem going toe-to-toe with some of the event’s top defensive backs.
Recruiting Wrap: Marshall has offers from West Virginia, Auburn, North Carolina and several others.
Performance: One of the main words used to describe Marshall’s play was “dynamic,” as the shifty wide receiver looking great running in space. His only problem was finishing off the plays by hauling in the pass, and he showed an ability to make more of the flashy catches than he did the routine ones. Either way, a player of his electric ability will surely be making plays at the next level as well.
Recruiting Wrap: McClain has offers from Kentucky, Colorado, Mississippi State and others.
Performance: There’s a debate about whether McClain is a wide receiver or a tight end at the next level but either way, he was one tough cover for defenders. He showed a nice ability to get open and he hauled in several catches while using his big body to shield defenders. As long as he can get open, it won’t matter where he lines up in college.