Friedman's Takeaways: Baltimore hosts future offensive stars

Over the past three weekends, the Baltimore area has played host to two major events where top prospects from all over the country have come to show off their skills. Two weeks ago, the OT7 7-on-7 tournament brought in prospects from as far as the West Coast and this past weekend some of the region's most coveted prospects participated in the Baltimore Under Armour Next Camp. Here are some of the major takeaways from the top offensive prospects at both events.

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Quarterback was the thinnest group throughout the two events, but there were a few headline players that deserve mentioning.

The highest ranked of all of them was 2024 Rivals250 prospect Michael Van Buren. His commitment will be coming on Saturday and it looks like Oregon has snatched the momentum away from Penn State. Van Buren throws the ball with impressive accuracy and displays plenty of mobility. He isn’t the biggest quarterback so it’s imperative that he’s able to set his feet before delivering the fall.

At OT7 it was really good to see Cutter Boley again. The Kentucky native has a huge arm and a bit of a longer release, but throws an accurate ball and showed some improved anticipation skills compared to this time last year.

Samaj Jones has a very muscular build and throws ball with plenty of power. He’s able to takeoff when necessary but he prefers to throw the ball from the pocket and can deliver accurate passes with ease, especially down the field.

Khristian Martin also has a big arm and likes to get the ball down the field but his mechanics are a little less refined. He has a much bigger build and plenty of potential at the next level.

Running back Dilin Jones really stole the show this weekend with a dominant 1-on-1 session. The Good Counsel stand out showed quickness, explosiveness, and reliable hands throughout the day while making plenty of linebackers look like amateurs. During the season Jones has shown off more of his power running style, so it was really great to see how explosive and quick he could be in a 1-on-1 setting.

Track stand out Peyton Lewis was hard to miss as well. Tennessee, Penn State and South Carolina are all over him and it’s easy to see why.

Remember to keep an eye out for 2026 running back Savion Hiter in a few years. He has a chance to be really special along with fellow 2026 running back Messiah Mickens.

Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances running back Dejuan Williams, a four-star prospect, ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash.

The receivers that have come through the Baltimore area in recent weeks have been absolutely outstanding. High-level prospects like this only come through in the spring and it’s great to see a wide range of players with different skill sets.

Receiver Kwazi Gilmer, who has official visits set to Cal, Michigan State, Stanford, UCLA and Washington, has great explosiveness and brings the strength of a much bigger receiver to the field. He should be a difficult matchup for any defensive back at the next level.

Rivals250 prospect Boo Carter's versatility combined with his explosiveness and strength in a smaller and compact body makes him one of the more dangerous weapons on the offensive side of the ball in the cycle.

New Notre Dame commit Micah Gilbert is a really powerful receiver who can make a lot of plays down the field.

Tight ends like Jack Larsen, who is also a Notre Dame commit, along with Florida State lean Kylan Fox are really impressive flex tight ends who should be very productive at the next level.

Similar to Boo Carter, Jonathan Paylor is one of the more explosive offensive weapons in the cycle who could line up in the backfield or in the slot in college. South Carolina seems to have a bit of an edge for him at this point.

Zycarl Lewis is also a smaller offensive weapon who brings outstanding explosiveness too.

Alabama commit Rico Scott proved to be very solid at the Under Armour camp on Sunday and it will be good to watch his progression throughout the rest of the spring.

Receivers like Elijah Moore and Chanz Wiggins had a lot of success on Sunday, a recurring theme for them this offseason.

Wisconsin has a really intriguing receiver commit in Kayn Barry-Johnson. He made one of the most impressive catches you’ll ever see at OT7 and it’ll be interesting to see how he develops throughout the rest of his high school career.

On the offensive line, it was really great to get an up close look at 2025 prospect Jaylen Gilchrist. He could end up playing tackle or guard at the next level because of his combination of lateral quickness and strength. He isn’t the biggest offensive lineman but he has good length and does a nice job sliding to stay in front of defensive linemen.

Perhaps no offensive lineman helped themselves in the rankings more than Ryan Howerton. The three-star offensive tackle is a massive prospect. He did a great job showing patience as a pass blocker while using his quickness to cut off any angle the defensive lineman may have had at the snap. Expect his recruitment to pick up momentum in the coming weeks.

South Carolina commit Mike Williams has shown a lot of progress over the years and he’s a massive prospect that should see time at tackle and guard at the next level.

Two prospects from the state of Virginia in Moritz Schmoranzer and four-star Fletcher Westphal had up and down performances but they bring a ton of potential to the field.

Keep an eye on 2025 offensive linemen Kenneth McManus, Jayvon McFadden and Darius Gray as the process rolls on.