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Published Mar 20, 2018
Houston Awards: Who stood out at the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp
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Nick Krueger  •  Rivals.com
Recruiting Analyst

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

HOUSTON - Even after the camp MVP Awards were passed out, there are still more players that showed that they were worthy of recognition after their performance on Sunday’s Rivals Three Stripe Camp presented by adidas. While these players may not have left the camp with any hardware, they do deserve one last mention for their respective performances over the weekend.

RELATED: Teams that created buzz on Sunday | Takeaways from camp | Players who earned their stripes | Updates | Full Rivals Camps Series schedule

BEST FRESHMAN

A quick look at Jackson’s offer list should indicate that he find his way to top freshman honors. Georgia, LSU, Memphis, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas A&M have all been quick to make the move to offer him and he flashed why early in the offensive and defensive line one-on-one drills when he shut down feisty Lamar defensive end Kenneth Dotson on consecutive reps. While there was a good balance between the players on both sides of the line, Jackson held his own well enough throughout the afternoon and already has the sort of build that should continue to grow with his abilities.

VACUUM CLEANER

Ducros is a 2019 prospect, but his recruitment has yet to really begin. On the high school level, he plays in a St. Pius X offense that is led by Rivals100 quarterback and Rivals Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas invitee Grant Gunnell, but is one of many mouths to feed in the passing game. However, during 7-on-7 tournaments and particularly in the camp on Sunday, he caught absolutely everything headed his way. He is currently listed as an all-purpose back, but is continuing to grow both physically and as a player, and has become a very sneaky offensive talent.

PLEASANT SURPRISE - OFFENSE

Earlier in the day, Benefield might not have been pegged as a guy ready to impress as he’s always been slight of stature. During pass-catching drills, he sometimes needed to double-clutch balls to secure them, but once the one-on-one periods began, he stole the show.

His light frame was an asset in the open-field tackling drills as he was able to dance around diving defenders. One-on-one against defensive backs, his hands were the strongest part of his game after he made several catches that looked all but deflected. As an accomplished track athlete as well, Benefield showed well in all phases of the day for a wide receiver.

PLEASANT SURPRISE - DEFENSE

In similar fashion to Benefield, the eye-test may not have led many to single Harbor out as one of the more productive defensive tackles heading into the event, but that’s not where the camp is won and lost. Harbor has a bit of a reputation of showing well at spring camp events, and if he were just a couple inches taller, would be a more earnestly recruited prospect. Harbor was also one of the stronger players at the position at the Dallas event last spring, and has given offensive linemen fits at other camps over the past few years.

MR. CONFIDENCE - OFFENSE

Williams holds a few offers, but is worthy of more - and should he keep on this spring as he has to this point, they will come. All afternoon he let it be known that he was on a mission to earn a fourth star, and while that won’t be immediately decided, he’s doing a good job building a case for himself. Rivals.com watched him put on a show in 7-on-7 events already this spring, and he continued his success at Sunday’s camp. Williams’ ability to stop on a dime, and change direction with such burst has shook more than the occasional defensive back. He has a sure pair of hands as well, and is bound for more offers from programs looking for a sharp slot receiver.

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MR. CONFIDENCE - DEFENSE

Young is another player that came to the 3 Stripe camp with a bit of a reputation after some strong camp performances elsewhere earlier this spring. He spent the afternoon at defensive end, but is certainly athletic enough to be an outside linebacker should the situation call for it.

Right from the start of OL vs. DL one-on-ones, Young wasn’t shy about celebrating the reps he won, but may have bit off a little more than he could chew by calling out five-star offensive tackle Kenyon Green and promptly losing both reps. By no means did that sour an otherwise successful day for young, who was one of the most exciting players to watch at the event.

MUSCLES MARINARA - EZRAH THIBODEAUX

Thibodeaux was another name called back from the Rivals adizero Combine, and is one of those recruits that’s already built like a college football player. He tried to hang in pass coverage against the speedy running backs and slot receivers, but nobody was expecting that to be his forte - particularly on longer, downfield routes. Where Thibodeaux’s imposing stature came into play most was during the open-field tackling one-on-ones, and he may have displaced a player or two from the ground despite it being a ‘limited contact’ drill.

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