Midwest prospects shine at the Rivals Camp Series in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS - The sixth stop of the Rivals Camp Series was here in Indianapolis this weekend and a bunch of top regional prospects showed out. Here is a breakdown of the positional MVPs and other top performers from the day.
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RELATED: Standouts impress at the Rivals Combine Series in Indianapolis
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QUARTERBACK MVP: Zane Flores
Flores had the easiest time getting his passes to cut through the stiff wind today. The Oklahoma State commit has really good mechanics and the ball really jumps off his hand. His smooth delivery and solid footwork helped him stay on target for most of the day. It was great to see how he worked with his receivers to develop effective timing routes and put the ball where only his receiver could catch it. It was a tight race for the quarterback MVP award, but it was Flores' consistency that won the day.
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RUNNING BACK MVP: Darrion Dupree
Dupree was so explosive and dynamic in the open field today. Linebackers had a really difficult time keeping up with him if he got a free release out of the backfield. He did a good job consistently catching the ball with his hands, but it was hard to get over how easily he was able to shake linebackers attempting to cover him. Dupree has good size and was certainly strong enough to not get bumped off of his routes. He also displayed the physicality coaches are looking for during the pass blocking drills. Missouri and Syracuse are the first two programs to offer the 2024 Rivals100 running back.
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WIDE RECEIVER MVP: Malik Elzy
The race for the receiver MVP award was the tightest of any position group but Elzy edged out the competition. The Chicago native had a lot of very impressive catches in traffic and did a good job of holding on to the ball through contact. Elzy doesn't have amazing straight line speed but he is very fast and his route running skills combined with that speed, help him create a lot of separation from defensive backs. Quarterbacks had easy windows to throw the ball into when looking his direction. Defensive backs that tried to press him at the line of scrimmage were quickly thrown aside because Elzy is just so much stronger than the competition. Notre Dame, Illinois and Michigan seem to be the main programs for Elzy but Ohio State is also in the mix.
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OFFENSIVE LINE MVP: Miles McVay
McVay made the trip from St. Louis and it was worth his while as he walked away as the offensive line MVP. The massive tackle dominated from start to finish and imposed his will on almost every defensive lineman he faced. McVay displayed a great punch, was fantastic with his lateral movement, and proved to be the ultimate competitor. The junior from East St. Louis has his choice of almost any team in the country, but Missouri, Alabama and Michigan State currently lead the way in his recruitment.
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DEFENSIVE LINE MVP: Kendrick Gilbert
Gilbert earned the defensive line MVP honors after a dominant showing and winning nearly every rep during 1-on1s. Gilbert used his length and athleticism to keep offensive linemen on their heels throughout the day and did a fantastic job displaying all of the tools in his pass rush repertoire. He was explosive off the ball and showed an uncanny ability to win with both speed and power. LSU, Kentucky, Purdue and Notre Dame are teams that currently standout in Gilbert's recruitment, and he has an upcoming official visit scheduled to Baton Rouge.
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LINEBACKER MVP: Owen Davis
In a very solid group of linebackers, Davis emerged as the MVP towards the end of the 1-on-1 period. Checking in a just over 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Davis did a great job of playing physically when he needed to but could turn on the jets in the open field. He covered a lot of ground during 1-on-1s and showed of his natural instincts on numerous occasions, which helped him make a lot of plays on the ball. Davis holds a handful of offers from programs like Marshall, Western Michigan, Ball State, Kent State and a few others but that should change soon enough.
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DEFENSIVE BACK MVP: Amare Snowden
Snowden arrived to Indianapolis with a purpose. He wasn’t going to tell everybody how good he is, he was going to show everybody that he is one of the best players the Midwest has to offer. By the end of camp, there was little question as to who reigned supreme in the defensive backfield. The 6-foot-3 defensive back locked down any type of receiver that he went up against, from smaller slot types all of the way up to elite tight ends, and it was truly was a site to see. Snowden has a great frame, is faster than you think, extremely instinctive, takes coaching and those are just a few of the reasons he was crowned defensive back MVP.
His recruitment remains open as he is also considering playing baseball at the next level, but Notre Dame, Penn State and Cincinnati are a few of the teams that standout to him right now.
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MORE ALL-CAMP TEAM MEMBERS
The positional MVP awards can only go to one person but there were still many others that stood out that got recognized as quarterback Drew Viotto, running back Corey Smith, receiver Fredrick Moore, offensive lineman Paris Patterson, defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain, linebacker Ethan Crisp, and defensive back Cameron Calhoun won awards.
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