Friedman's Takeaways: 2Tenths Top 150 camp
PITTSBURGH -- The 2Tenths Top 150 camp was held at Shady Side Academy on Sunday and more than 200 area prospects were in attendance. National recruiting analyst Adam Friedman was on the field to check out the talent.
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The next wave of linebackers
There is a surprising number of high-end linebacker prospects in the Pittsburgh area and a number of them were on the field Sunday. Four-star Dayshaun Burnett was the highest ranked of the group. At this point the 2025 prospect continues to show physical development while becoming more agile in the open field.
Class of 2025 linebacker Bradley Gompers was also a physically impressive prospect with a very solid frame but, with a cast on his hand, he was unable to take part in one-on-ones. During position drills, Gompers showed the athleticism and footwork necessary to play the position at a high-level.
Linebackers such as 2026s Colsen Gatten and Ashton Blatt along with class of 2027 Roman Thompson are each impressively built prospects for their class and could be some of the next heavily recruited prospects from the Pittsburgh area.
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West Virginia DB commit is one to watch
Many scouts on hand were looking forward to seeing Jason Cross Jr. but he wasn’t 100-percent physically so he didn’t take part in one-on-one drills. He was a full participant during position drills and looked the part. He has really smooth footwork, is very light on his feet and has good change of direction speed. Cross has a wiry 6-foot-1 frame with really long arms. That length and soft hands could help him become a major asset in the secondary at the next level.
The West Virginia commit chose the Mountaineers over Pittsburgh, Michigan and Syracuse. Dino Babers and his coaching staff at Syracuse haven’t stopped recruiting Cross but he says he is still soundly committed to the Mountaineers. If their 2023 season doesn’t get off to a good start, it could be interesting to see if Syracuse picks up momentum with Cross.
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Two quarterbacks stand out
Keisean Henderson was in town visiting family and decided to take part in the first and second session in Sunday’s camp. He took the majority of his reps as a quarterback, but sprinkled in a few as a receiver and defensive back at various points during the one-on-one session. Henderson has a really impressive 6-foot-3 frame and a solid 170-pound build. Most of his offers are as a receiver or defensive back, but as more coaches see how quickly he’s progressed as a thrower, those offers are turning into athlete offers.
Henderson's recruitment is still taking shape, but Texas A&M figures to be involved for the duration of his recruitment. He was spotted wearing an Aggies towel during Sunday’s workouts.
Henderson had one of the best days of any quarterback there on Sunday, but Julian Duggar impressed too. The lefty is developing well, and his accuracy has continued to improve throughout the spring. It’ll be interesting to see how his recruitment changes after the first few games of the upcoming season.
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Penn State commit back in action
Penn State wide receiver commit Peter Gonzalez has been back on the field after fully recovering from an ACL injury. He looks like the big, strong outside receiver we expected him to develop into. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Gonzalez has the strength to muscle any defensive back out of his way and he was particularly successful at reeling in deep passes in jump ball situations. Gonzalez hasn't exactly mastered the entire route tree but he has the look of a receiver that will effectively use his frame to give quarterbacks big targets in the short-to-intermediate range while providing a big target downfield and during red-zone possessions.
Another notable pass catcher to remember is 2027 tight end Carter Bonner. The 6-foot-3 incoming freshman has great hands and proved to be a dangerous downfield target.
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Young guns in the secondary
There were a lot of underclassmen defensive backs who look like they could turn into regional or national prospects before all is said and done. Class of 2026 prospect David Davis already has a few offers and looks like he’s turning into a very physical defensive back. He has the long speed to stick with most receivers, especially when playing from depth, and his solid footwork allows him to break on passes well.
Kyshawn Robinson and Da'Ron Barksdale, both 2026 prospects, had very good days as well. There’s still a lot of room for Robinson to grow and fill out. Barksdale is a really intriguing prospect who could compete all over the defensive backfield. He is so explosive and quick-twitch that he's able to bait quarterbacks into bad passes before closing and getting a hand on the ball.
Delmario Shields, a 2025 prospect from Munhall (Pa.) Steel Valley, had as much success as any defensive back at the camp. His recruitment could see an uptick after the first month or so of the season. The same could be said about Xair Stevenson, also a 2025 prospect, once more coaches get a close look at him.