Prospects shine at the Rivals Camp Series in Philadelphia

COATESVILLE, Pa. - The seventh stop of the Rivals Camp Series was here in the Philadelphia area this weekend at Coatesville High School 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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Watson looked like a different quarterback than in years past. He’s really filled out and it has helped his throwing motion and the additional power was obvious. The Nebraska commit was the most consistent throughout the day and, even though it was a very deep quarterback group, Watson was able to shine through drills, routes on air, and in 1-on-1s. His ball placement was excellent and he was able to throw accurately and on time on routes towards the sideline, across the middle, and down the field. It was really impressive to see how he was able to lead receivers that he’s never really played with. Syncing up his timing with new receivers is key in these situations and it bodes well for his future in Lincoln.

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Big running backs don’t often have much success in camp situations like this but Willis has really focused on improving his explosiveness and route running abilities. Willis dominated during the pass blocking portion of the camp, tossing some linebackers aside and making his presence known. In 1-on-1s Willis showed off reliable hands and was unexpectedly good at creating separation between him and the linebackers. If Willis is able to replicate this performance and build on it for the fall season it could really mean a lot for his stock in the eyes of college coaches. A big back like him that can pound the rock and also make plays as a receiver in passing situations will be a major asset to any college team.

Haynes was a pleasant surprise and Rutgers fans should be extremely happy he is already in the fold for them. Measuring in at 6-foot-1.25 with a wingspan of 6-foot-3.5, Haynes was much more explosive than we expected and he consistently called the ball in tight coverage. Haynes was excellent as a route runner too. He did a nice job shaking free of defensive backs that tried to press him at the line of scrimmage and had no problem playing physically when needed. His length gave defensive backs real problems and he was able to come down with multiple acrobatic catches. Haynes's explosiveness and straight line speed could be tough for defensive backs to match up with at the next level.

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The four-star offensive tackle has been phenomenal at camps this offseason and Sunday was no different as Okunlola completely dominated from his left tackle spot. He is big and physical and during one rep he lifted a defensive end off his feet to show just how in control he can be from the tackle spot. He's also quick, resets well, uses his hands really well and with a wrestling background is not afraid to mix it up. Okunlola has been so good at recent events including the Rivals Camp here in Philadelphia and has made an argument to push much higher in the offensive tackle rankings. It's still hard to determine where his recruitment is headed since Okunlola is not giving hints on his official visits but the four-star can play anywhere in the country.

Heard is not the biggest or longest defensive end in the class but his speed to the edge is impressive and very hard for offensive tackles to deal with. The four-star from Camden, N.J., can make himself small and tough to block, dip his shoulder and get to the edge before most of these offensive linemen get out of their stance. When tackles start guessing or try to get a jumpstart on Heard's speed, he can go inside and win that way. West Virginia looks like the front-runner along with Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia on his top list.

Big linebackers like Jones don’t often thrive in camp settings like this but the 2024 prospect showed impressive range for his size and did a good job making plays on the ball. He’s a very good blitzer as well, showing off a variety of moves during pass rushing drills. Jones's forte isn’t coverage in space but he leaned on his physicality and length to disrupt the timing between the running back and quarterback to swat away a number of passes.

Picking the defensive back MVP was perhaps the hardest decision on the day but Agard came away with the award because of his ability to consistently contest passes and make plays on the ball. It didn’t seem like there were many plays where he was caught out of position and he was able to use his speed and explosiveness to keep receivers from creating separation. Agard had a couple of interceptions on Sunday but he was also able to force a lot of bad passes because of how tight his coverage was.

The positional MVP awards can only go to one person but there were still many others that stood out that got recognized as 2024 Rivals250 quarterback Michael van Buren, three-star running back Durell Robinson, three-star receiver Demitrius Bell, 2024 Rivals250 offensive lineman Jordan Seaton, four-star Clemson defensive end commit David Ojiegbe, three-star linebacker Kalen Cobb and 2024 Rivals250 defensive back Boo Carter landed those awards.

This summer the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge will be held in Atlanta and these prospects were invited from the Philadelphia regional stop: