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Published May 6, 2018
Prospects that earned their stripes at Rivals 3 Stripe Camp in Ohio
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Adam Friedman  •  Rivals.com
Rankings Director and National Transfer Portal Analyst
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@RivalsFriedman

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

HILLIARD, Ohio - Nearly 170 of the best players in the Midwest turned out for the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas gunning for an MVP award or the rare invitation to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas. Take a look at the few players that achieved these goals.

RELATED: Updates from Columbus | Full Rivals Camps Series schedule

QUARTERBACK MVP

The quarterback group was loaded with talented prospects, which makes it even more impressive that Mertz ran away with the MVP award. The others were good but he was clearly better. Mertz's mechanics, accuracy, arm strength, and touch were outstanding. The Wisconsin commit says he is solid with the Badgers despite receiving recent offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, LSU and many others. Mertz is visiting Ohio State while in Ohio but doesn't have any other visits planned.

RUNNING BACK MVP

A well-rounded running back, Swanigan did a great job making linebackers miss during the open field tackling drill and they still had a hard time keeping up with him during one-on-ones. He made some really impressive catches down the field but his quickness out of his breaks made it really hard for the linebackers to stick with him on crossing routes. Old Dominion is Swanigan's biggest offer right now but expect that to change as the season gets closer.

WIDE RECEIVER MVP

Other receivers had good days but Robinson's consistent performance earned him the trophy in the end. Robinson has outstanding speed and even the best defensive backs at the camp could barely keep up with him. There weren't many errant throws on the day but it didn't matter for Robinson. He made plenty of tough, leaping catches all over the field. The Wildcats are all over Kentucky native but so are Michigan, Duke, Northwestern and Purdue coming after him. Ohio State hosted him just after the camp.

OFFENSIVE LINE MVP

Hubbard made the trip from western Pennsylvania to show that he was one of the best and put on an outstanding performance. He beat a lot of big names for the MVP award by showing off great patience and was strong enough to beat many of the best defensive linemen in attendance. Hubbard's surprising quickness and great size made it very difficult for any defensive linemen to get around him, especially to the inside. Mississippi State, Duke, Pittsburgh, Temple and Clemson are doing the best job recruiting him so far.

DEFENSIVE LINE MVP

Easily the most powerful defensive linemen in attendance, Briggs made easy work of offensive linemen. The repeat Five-Star Challenge invitee didn't just use his strength to beat his opponents. Briggs showed off crisp hand techniques going to his left and right and seems like he has gotten a bit taller. Michigan State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State and most of the other major programs in the Midwest are coming after Briggs.

LINEBACKER MVP

Robinson isn't the biggest linebacker but he has good length and is stronger than he looks. During open field tackling drills he was extremely aggressive and running backs quickly learned to protect themselves when facing him. Robinson showed great range during the one-on-ones and made a lot of impressive pass breakups and even pulled in a couple interceptions. Programs haven't started recruiting him just yet.

DEFENSIVE BACK MVP

Devonshire is a veteran of the camp circuit and his instincts have really improved. He has a great feel for the game and showed impressive closing speed when the ball was thrown in front of him and during the few times receivers were able to get behind him. Devonshire's length helped him break up a lot of passes and he grabbed some very impressive interceptions. He listed Ohio State, West Virginia and Indiana as the three programs recruiting him the hardest.

GATORADE AWARD WINNER

After picking up his first Power Five offer earlier in the week and earning an invitation to Sunday's camp after impressing at the Rivals adizero Combine presented by adidas on Saturday, it’s fair to say Strange is having a pretty good week. A quick-twitch athlete, Strange's explosiveness and overall speed made it a very long day for the linebackers. He has great hands and separated from linebackers with ease. Albany and Rutgers will have a lot of company very quickly on Strange's offer sheet.

ADDITIONAL FIVE-STAR INVITES

A big, rangy safety, Grant has a great skillset and did well in press and soft coverage. Wide receivers had a very tough time getting separation and Grant didn't back down after taking a lot of reps. He was physical with receivers when they were downfield and earned an invitation to the Five-Star Challenge for his efforts. Originally scheduled to announce a commitment this weekend, Grant is very high on Kentucky, Iowa State and Purdue. All three schools will get official visits from him but Kentucky is viewed as the leader right now.

One of the few prospects in the 2020 class that has earned an invitation to the Five-Star Challenge, Rogers and an incredibly powerful and versatile offensive lineman. He impressed in the one-on-one drills and very nearly wont he MVP award. There was one rep Rogers won using only one hand. He did a great job using his strong base to stonewall defensive linemen but still had the quickness to make sure their counter moves didn't work. Rogers has offers from all over the country and recently returned from a road trip that featured visits to Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee. He really enjoyed those visits and now his recruitment has a distinct SEC flavor.

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