IMG Day 2: Top offensive performers
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Recruiting wrap: Smith is committed to Northwestern
Performance: Smith was beyond impressive on Sunday. He rolled into Florida as a
quarterback without a true national reputation but showed he could stand
toe-to-toe with a number of highly regarded prospects. He led his team to the
event's championship and looked nearly flawless doing so. He has a strong-enough
arm but really shines in his drops, where his feet remain light. His delivery is
deliberate and his accuracy is solid. Northwestern may be getting a steal in
Smith.
3
WR
Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers
Recruiting wrap: Mack is committed to Ohio State.
Performance: Mack has nice size (6-2, 205), reliable hands and an impressive burst. His
route running may not be perfect but his raw, physical tools make up for that.
He found the end zone often on Sunday and seemed to get better as his team
advanced through the tournament.
4
QB
Jonesboro, Ga.
Recruiting wrap: Cooper is committed to Clemson.
Performance: Cooper led his team to the championship game and while they came up
short in the end, there was no knocking the kind of day and overall weekend he
had in Bradenton. Cooper appears to have blossomed under the tutelage of Newton
and when he got hot, he was very impressive. Cooper was playing with a
bulky knee brace as he continues to recover from an injury he suffered last
season, but it didn't hamper his mobility or his throwing motion. The light bulb
appears to have come on for Cooper, who is primed for a big senior season.
5
WR
Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Recruiting wrap: Ridley is thought to be leaning toward committing to
but Alabama and others remain involved to some extent.
Performance: Ridley has been in the weight room. The four-star wide receiver
looked stronger than ever this weekend and was a bright spot for his team, which
suffered some costly injuries. Ridley can get up to top speed in a hurry and has
incredibly solid hands. He's as well-rounded as a receiver of his size (6-1, 190) can be.
6
WR
Covington (Ga.) Newton
Recruiting wrap: Huff has several offers, including Rutgers and
Performance: Huff was Cooper's most consistent wide receiver on the Cam Newton
squad that reached the finals, making catch after catch and getting open with
ease. The two developed quite a chemistry by the time the tournament was over
and Huff surprised many of the top-rated defensive backs at the event with his
talent. Huff already has some offers, but his showing on Sunday could provide a
jolt to his recruitment.
7
QB
Miami Gardens (Fla.) Carol City
Recruiting Wrap: Calvert's holds an offer from Liberty and also garnered an offer from USF.
Performance: Calvert has been incredible on the 7-on-7 circuit. He was great
again this weekend and showed incredible accuracy for most of Sunday. He has
enough arm strength and solid-enough footwork. He went through his progressions
well and often times used his third option to complete tough passes in
critical situations. There's a lot to like about Calvert, who should welcome in
a few new scholarship offers as a senior.
8
TE
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Recruiting wrap: Nauta is committed to Florida State.
Performance: Nauta is a serious 7-on-7 threat for the same reasons he's a
fantastic football player. His combination of size and quickness can't be
matched in the open field. He has become faster and stronger in recent months
and it shows as he accelerates. Nauta caught a number of touchdown passes on
Sunday and found creative ways to get open all afternoon.
9
QB
Newton (Pa.) Council Rock North
Recruiting wrap: McIlwain is committed to South Carolina.
Performance: McIlwain really got into a groove early in the day and
looked for a while like he might carry his team deep into the tournament. He
showed terrific accuracy and decent arm strength and did a great job of leading
his receivers into open spots on the field. McIlwain is known for his ability to
scramble as well, but his passing ability was impressive to watch.
10
WR
La Puente (Calif.) Bishop Amat
Performance: Vaughns doesn't talk as much as some of the top wideouts that were
at the event, but his game did the talking for him. He runs crisp,
smooth routes and makes getting open look effortless at times. He was also
without his regular 7-on-7 quarterback, but showed a nice ability to adjust to
some balls that other wide receivers might not have been able to haul in.
11
QB
Mac Jones (2017)
Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles
Recruiting wrap: Jones has offers from Kentucky and East Carolina.
Performance: Jones' name is still getting around in college recruiting circles,
but it should move faster after Sunday. The sophomore quarterback spun the ball
incredibly well and helped lead his team deep into the tournament. He has solid
footwork for a prospect of his age and shows nice touch ion deep balls.
There are probably plenty of more offers in store for Jones, who was one of the
day's most pleasant surprises.
12
WR
Miami Gardens (Fla.) Carol City
Recruiting wrap: Smith claims five scholarship offers including ones from USF,
Cincinnati and West Virginia.
Performance: Smith is long and lean at 6-3, 170. He also moves well and has reliable hands.
In a lot of ways, it's a wonder he hasn't attracted more college interest. On
Sunday, he caught a number of deep passes and used his height to pull down a few
jump balls. Smith gets separation with some regularity but can also haul in
passes in traffic.
13
WR
La Puente (Calif.) Bishop Amat
Recruiting wrap: USC, Washington and Notre Dame are among the schools battling
for Sidney.
Performance: Sidney's game is built for the 7-on-7 format and when he was lined
up against linebackers or safeties, he was virtually uncoverable. Sidney is an
explosive playmaker who can also make plays after the catch but he showed a
flair for the dramatic when he made some highlight reel worthy plays as well. In
addition to his success on offense, Sidney also was important player on defense.
14
WR
Tampa (Fla.) Catholic
Recruiting wrap: Craig-Myers is looking at several schools, including Florida
State and Auburn.
Performance: Last year at this same tournament, Craig-Myers was dominant and
carried his team all the way to the finals with the help of five-star teammates
Ray-Ray McCloud and Deon Cain. On Sunday he again made play after player,
including a few incredible leaping grabs, something that is a trademark of Craig
at tournaments. If he had better quarterback play, he might have ended up higher
on this list and his team would have likely advanced deeper in the tournament.
15
QB
Khalil McClain (2017)
Fairburn (Ga.) Creekside
Recruiting wrap: McClain is waiting on his first offer.
Performance: McClain first emerged at Cam Newton's tournament in the Atlanta
area last month and continued his excellent play into the national championship
at IMG. Some believe McClain might end up at tight end, but as of now he looks
like a big, physical wide receiver with great body control. He showed a nice
ability to go up and make tough catches in traffic and his strong hands make him
a threat to haul in any pass that comes his way.
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Rob Cassidy
Southeast Recruiting Analyst
Woody Wommack
Southeast Recruiting Analyst
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