Future 50: Top offensive performers
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Top underclassmen from around the country converged on Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex Friday for the Under Armour Future 50 camp. The group of offensive players were led by a deep crop of wide receivers.
1. WR Trevon Grimes, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas
Recruiting Wrap: Grimes lists Ohio State as his favorite, with Florida and Florida State giving chase.
Performance: It was a deep group of wide receivers on the field Friday, and Grimes was at the top of the class. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound five-star has the prototypical frame for the wide receiver position, and utilizes it to shake off defensive backs at the line of scrimmage and win jump balls down the field. Grimes has a smooth, easy stride, chews up yardage in a hurry and possesses a sure pair of hands.
2. OL Robert Hainsey, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Recruiting Wrap: Hainsey is open, with Clemson, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Penn State among his favorites.
Performance: Hainsey was the surprise star of the offensive line group. The 6-foot-5, 272-pounder is not the first player you would pick out coming off the bus, but he was unquestionably the most effective in one-on-ones against the defensive linemen. Hainsey has an excellent initial punch, locks out well and does a great job resetting his hands. There is definitely room for physical growth, but his technique and mental approach are ahead of the curve.
3. WR D.J. Matthews, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian
Recruiting Wrap: Matthews committed to Florida State prior to his sophomore year, but may visit Indiana and Notre Dame this off-season.
Performance: At 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Matthews does not have near the physical presence that Grimes brings to the wide receiver position, but he may have been the most well-rounded receiver on the field. The Florida State commit is ultra-explosive off the line of scrimmage, but also shows several gears of downfield speed. Matthews has a strong pair of hands and a very good catch radius for a player his size.
4. TE Brock Wright, Cypress (Tex.) Cy-Fair
Recruiting Wrap: Wright committed to Notre Dame last June.
Performance: At 6-foot-5 and 238 pounds, Wright has great size for the tight end position. Outside of that, there is not one aspect of his game as a receiver that you can point to as being exceptional, yet he just makes it work. The Notre Dame commit was a favorite target for quarterbacks because he always managed to work himself open and caught everything thrown his way.
5. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech
Recruiting Wrap: Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State are the schools Peoples-Jones knows best. He plans to narrow his list to a top ten within the month.
Performance: Peoples-Jones looks bigger than his listed 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds. The Detroit native not only has great length for the position, but has put the work in at the weight room. That makes him difficult for cornerbacks to press at the line of scrimmage, and he got behind the defense several times for long receptions. Peoples-Jones has the frame and the game that college coaches look for on the outside.
6. RB Najee Harris, Antioch, Calif.
Recruiting Wrap: Harris has been an Alabama commit since last spring.
Performance: Even with five-star Dylan Moses in attendance, the 6-foot-2, 222-pound Harris was the most impressive physical specimen at the running back position. A five-star himself, Harris is a little stiff when asked to run routes in space, but his playmaking ability combined with his size still made him a tough cover for linebackers. The highlight of his day was a diving, one-handed snag over the middle with a defender on his back.
7. WR Daquon Green, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Tech
Recruiting Wrap: Green is committed to Florida, but still showing interest in schools like North Carolina, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
Performance: The 6-foot-1, 186-pound Green has a powerful build and is a powerful strider, which allows him to accelerate and change direction quickly. The Florida native was particularly good going across the middle, where he has the frame to withstand shots from safeties and linebackers. Top-end speed may be his weakness, but he did get deep late in the day and made an excellent one-handed reception.
8. QB Lowell Narcisse, St. James, La.
Recruiting Wrap: Narcisse committed to Auburn last July.
Performance: With just three quarterbacks throwing on Friday, the trio got plenty of work. Narcisse was both the most talented and the least polished of the three. The issues that the Auburn commit has to work on, though, are teachable. What is not teachable is the raw talent he possesses. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder has a quick, compact release that produces good velocity but lacks in the accuracy department.
9. WR Jerry Jeudy, Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Recruiting Wrap: Jeudy has a top ten that includes Florida, Miami, Florida State, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson and USC.
Performance: Jeudy started the day on a rough note, dropping a pass and trying to get too cute with his route running. After settling in, though, Jeudy made some of the day’s best plays from the wide receiver position. The 6-foot-1 wideout has great speed down the field and was able to get separation from defensive backs with consistency. After that early drop he made several tough catches out and showed strong hands.
10. OT Isaiah Wilson, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Poly Prep
Recruiting Wrap: Wilson lists Michigan as his leader, with Florida, Ohio State and Ole Miss giving chase.
Performance: The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Wilson was the most physically impressive prospect in a group full of big linemen. Two things were obvious during Friday’s event, and those were that Wilson has a tremendously high ceiling and a ways to go to get there. Not surprisingly he showed a devastating initial punch that staggered several defensive linemen. Speed rushes to the outside caught him on several reps, but he was able to finish after locking on to defenders.