Fab 15 offense: Who stood out in New Orleans?
JEFFERSON, La. -- The Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour rolled into New Orleans on Sunday and several big-time players were in attendance to show their stuff. Some stars lived up to the hype, while some sleepers also made a case for a move up in the Rivals.com rankings. Here’s a rundown of the 15 offensive players that caught our attention.
MORE: Rivals Camp Series | Rivals Recap: RCS New Orleans | Recruiting notebook
Recruiting wrap: Leatherwood is committed to Alabama.
Performance: The hulking offensive lineman recently made a big jump in the Rivals.com rankings and Sunday he made it clear that move was very well-deserved. Leathewood has great size, strength and very long arms and those attributes, combined with his trademark mean streak, led to him winning rep after rep against opposing defensive linemen.
Recruiting wrap: Akers recently backed off his commitment to Alabama and is now looking at Ole Miss, Georgia, Ohio State and others.
Performance: Akers came into the camp looking to cement his status as one of the country’s elite running back prospects and he did that. He was very impressive during drills, showing good footwork as well as impressive explosion. During one-on-ones, he had his way with slower linebackers, making play after play en route to MVP honors.
Recruiting wrap: Smith is considering LSU, Alabama, Georgia and several others.
Performance: Smith started the day by working at defensive back, but the versatile athlete made the switch to wide receiver and immediately started making big plays. Smith's speed is very impressive and his ability to cut on a dime gave defensive backs fits. People in Louisiana rave about Smith’s playmaking ability and he lived up to the hype.
Recruiting wrap: Free has offers from Louisville, Temple, Western Kentucky and others.
Performance: It was a three-quarterback race for the MVP award, but in the end it was Free who walked away with top honors. He throws a very nice ball and wide receivers were jockeying to catch passes from him during one-on-ones because his velocity cut through the wind that gave some other quarterbacks trouble. As the quarterback dominoes continue to fall, Free could be a guy who sees a few more offers come in during the spring.
Recruiting wrap: Ealy is considering Tennessee, Alabama, LSU and others.
Performance: Ealy got off to a bit of a slow start, struggling to win reps against less-decorated competition. But as things moved along and he faced better talent, he seemed to step up his game and by the time things were over, he was one of the best offensive linemen in attendance. Ealy is still a little raw and has some bad habits, but once his fundamental base catches up with his natural ability, he has a chance to be a dominant offensive lineman.
Recruiting wrap: Brahms has offers from Virginia, UCF, FAU and others.
Performance: Brahms rode to the event with Leatherwood and in the end it was the two friends who were competing for offensive line MVP honors. Brahms is very fundamentally sound and has a great base and once he anchors in, he’s not going to give up any ground, regardless of the size of the defender. He also showed versatility and looks like he could play guard or center at the next level.
Recruiting wrap: Epson has offers from Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss and several others.
Performance: Epson took and won several reps in impressive fashion during the one-on-one period, using a quick initial punch to get into defenders and more importantly locking them up and finishing blocks to the whistle. On several plays, he drove defenders into the turf for emphatic victories and when he was on, he was among the best offensive linemen in attendance.
Recruiting wrap: Blumrick has an offer from Memphis.
Performance: Brumlick and Free were neck-and-neck for MVP honors. But the 6-foot-6 Blumrick was very impressive as he threw some of the most consistent and catchable balls all day long. The one knock on Brumlick was his footwork, but that’s an easy fix for a guy with the type of arm talent he possesses.
Recruiting wrap: Narcisse recently decommitted from Auburn and is looking at LSU, Texas A&M and several others.
Performance: On Friday nights, Narcisse’s game is to make plays with both his arm and his legs, but even in a strictly passing setting on Sunday, he impressed. He has great arm strength and while he might not be as polished as some other quarterbacks at this point, his ceiling is much higher. Had it not been for a minor injury that slowed him at times, Narcisse would have been in the mix for MVP honors.
Recruiting wrap: Woodard has early offers from Houston, Kansas and Tulsa.
Performance: Woodard was a crowd favorite as he made a few highlight-worthy catches that drew an audible response from the gathered parents, coaches and others in attendance. He’s shifty in the open field and has consistent hands and also showed an ability to haul in passes, even if they weren’t exactly in the middle of his catch radius.
Recruiting wrap: Golden has offers from Memphis and Tulane.
Performance: Golden was one of the most productive wide receivers in the state of Tennessee in 2015 and he continued his production with an excellent showing at the camp on Sunday. Despite going against a loaded group of defensive backs, Golden won rep after rep during one-on-ones and showed a nice ability to get open and make big catches.
Recruiting wrap: Young has offers from Arizona State, Memphis, Texas A&M and several others.
Performance: The speedy Young turned heads with his ability to change directions quickly and his sharp footwork shown during route-running. The shifty prospect looks like he’s built to play in the spread, so it’s no wonder Arizona State and Texas A&M have jumped on board early.
Recruiting wrap: Jordan has offers from Nebraska, ULM and UTSA.
Performance: Jordan is listed in the Rivals.com database as an athlete and he did a little bit of everything while impressing on Sunday. During one-on-ones, his focus was on offense and he won several reps while showing a physical side that allowed him to use his size and body to shield defenders from the ball.
Recruiting wrap: Lewis is waiting on his first offer.
Performance: Lewis is a big, long wide receiver who did his damage deep down the field. The long-striding Lewis seemed to glide past several of the top prospects in the loaded defensive back group. When some of the defenders tried to get physical at the line and jam him, that didn’t bother Lewis either, who turned in one of the best overall days for an underclassman receiver at the event.
Recruiting wrap: The four-star prospect holds offers from Ole Miss and Missisippi State.
Performance: White is another prospect who is listed in the Rivals.com database as an athlete. During his time at wide receiver, he performed very well. He did a great job of getting separation from defenders and while he’s tall and lean, he has the frame to add some muscle that will make him even more difficult for smaller defensive backs to handle.