MORE: Takeaways from the Rivals adizero Combine in Charlotte
FORT MILL, S.C. – The top football prospects from the Carolinas were joined by prospects from surrounding states to take part in the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas. At day’s end, a collection of well-known and up-and-comers earned their stripes via outstanding performances from among their peers.
QUARTERBACK MVP
Garcia caught the eye of fellow campers from the moment he walked into the event, standing at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. It wasn’t long after that the camp’s coaches were buzzing about Garcia as well, as his arm strength was on full display in the windy and sometimes rainy conditions. Garcia is just starting to catch the attention of FBS coaches, most recently adding Charlotte to his list after visiting on Saturday. But once Power Five coaches come to watch him throw in the spring, it would be a shock to not see Garcia’s offer list explode.
RUNNING BACK MVP
Boykins was fantastic from start to finish and earned the MVP award over some other very good backs. He is very twitchy and his cuts were very sudden, making it really hard for defenders to stay close to him. Quarterbacks loved getting matched up with Boykins in one-on-ones because they knew they were going to have a lot of room to get him the ball. South Carolina signed Boykins’ brother, Derek, in the last recruiting cycle and the whole family went to Columbia for the spring game on Saturday. Penn State is his newest offer but North Carolina and Duke are coming after him hard.
WIDE RECEIVER MVP
Muhammad came in as a marked man. He is a highly-ranked wide receiver that many know, so he knew a lot of eyes would be on him. He showed up and shined. Muhammad caught everything. His hands flashed all day. He was quick off the line of scrimmage, he consistently created separation and he made plays down the field and across the middle. Many programs are still in pursuit of Muhammad, including Nebraska, North Carolina, NC State, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
OFFENSIVE LINE MVP
It wasn’t the best day for the offensive line group as the loaded defensive line group presented a bevy of problems, but Mays was the most consistent and held his own while working at center. Ranked as the nation’s No. 2 player at the position, Mays showed why as he used his strong lower half to anchor in and hold his ground against opposing defensive linemen. The Tennessee legacy is high on the Vols, who appear like the team to beat at this point in his recruitment.
DEFENSIVE LINE MVP
A year after coming into the Charlotte camp with zero offers and winning the defensive line MVP award, Capehart came back and pulled off a repeat performance. Now committed to defending national champions Clemson, Capehart made easy work of most of his opponents during one-on-ones, showing good strength and quickness. Capehart played both inside and outside, showing the versatility that will only help him get on the field early for the Tigers. Capehart also earned a return trip to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas for his efforts.
LINEBACKER MVP
Simpson was one of the prospects everybody was excited to see today and he did not disappoint. The running back turned linebacker played with patience, physicality, and was plenty aggressive. Simpson’s length and overall speed gave running backs fits and quarterbacks had a hard time throwing to a spot Simpson couldn’t reach. A short list from Simpson is coming but North Carolina is already a lock to make the cut. Keep an eye on Auburn, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Georgia as well.
DEFENSIVE BACK MVP
Roseman-Sinclair took home defensive back MVP honors for the second-straight season. The North Carolina commit is a four-star safety in Rivals100 and he flashed cornerback coverage skills Sunday. He has good length, he breaks well on the ball and he knows how to use his length to his advantage. The Tar Heels have a versatile defensive back on their commitment list.
GATORADE AWARD WINNER
Jones' stock has to be on the rise. He earned the invite after a strong combine showing Saturday, and there was no doubt, he belonged. Jones has a handful of offers, but that list will grow in the coming months. He was in the running to the end for the offensive line MVP award, so he didn’t just blend in, but he stood out. Jones is built like a defensive lineman with great strength and he showed the ability to move his feet too. He projects as a guard or center on the next level.
ADDITIONAL FIVE-STAR CHALLENGE INVITES
Cowan has been a major recruit for a few years already and he has taken his game to the next level. He impressed at the Future 50 in January and was very impressive again today. Cowan is quick at the snap but big and strong enough to play inside or outside. On top of that, he is so nimble that he can jab step one way and spin back the opposite way, causing the offensive lineman to get out of position. Cowan is considering a lot of programs, but Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State are just a few to keep tabs on with him.
Huntley is often overshined by his five-star teammate Jordan Burch, but on Sunday he showed that he’s well worth his Rivals250 ranking in his own right. Huntley continues to improve physically and used a vicious push-pull move to set up offensive lineman and then overtake them in one-on-one reps. With programs such as South Carolina, Oklahoma, Stanford and others jockeying to land his commitment it’s easy to see why he’s a priority for those programs. Huntley earned an invite the Five-Star Challenge for his efforts.
Rooks is a repeat invitee for the Five-Star Challenge and the NC State commit has definitely improved his game. His hands are more consistent and his routes are much more crisp. Rooks is stronger than he looks and he has great technique for breaking press coverage. He isn’t a burner but he creates a lot of separation with sharp cuts and explosiveness. Quarterbacks loved targeting Rooks on crossing routes and on double moves because he was almost always open.