RCS Dallas: What to watch for
The Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour returns to Cedar Hill High School for the Dallas stop on the 2015 tour. This year's event will feature no shortage of talent with prospects coming from Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and, of course, Texas to showcase their abilities. With so many big names expected to attend, there will be plenty of storylines to watch. Here's a breakdown of what we're looking
forward to seeing when things get started on Sunday in the Metroplex.
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Little leads the way
Gregory Little committed to Texas A&M in June.
Many talented prospects will make their way to the Dallas-area to compete on Sunday. They will enter Longhorn Stadium, they will lace up their shoes, and they will go to work.
Five-star Allen, Texas, offensive tackle Gregory Little will lead the way for a strong group of players. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Texas A&M commit has firmly established himself as one of the nation's top players, and he will arrive Sunday ranked No. 8 overall and No. 1 at his position.
Little knows the competition will be fierce, but it will certainly not be something he has not faced before. He has been a mainstay along the offensive front for Texas powerhouse program Allen, and he has never shied away from a challenge.
Little is also looking to earn a return trip to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge in Baltimore.
Back to Baltimore?
Little is not the only prospect hoping to return to Baltimore. Marrero (La.) John Ehret Rivals100 linebacker Michael Divinity will compete in his second Rivals Camp Series event in as many days after attending the Rivals Speed & Skill Challenge in Houston on Saturday with hopes of making his way back to Baltimore. Divinity made his mark at linebacker, but also recorded a touchdown reception during 7-on-7 competition at the 2014 event.
Rivals100 safeties Deontay Anderson and Brandon Jones also have their sights set on returning to M&T Bank Stadium.
A new prospect to the region is also focused on a trip to Baltimore. Four-star
Oregon Ducks quarterback commitment Seth Green was an alternate quarterback at the 2014 Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge. Green recently transferred to Allen, Texas, from Woodbury (Minn.) East Ridge.
Depth at defensive line
The offensive line group may have the top overall prospect at the camp, but the defensive front may have the most imposing group of any on Sunday.
Four 2016 Rivals100 defensive tackles will be on-hand and they will be joined by two 2017 Rivals100 standouts at the same position. The defensive end group also features some top not prospects with one 2016 Rivals100 prospect, two 2016 Rivals250 standouts and 2017 Rivals100 defender. Then comes the depth.
It reads like a murders row for opposing offensive linemen. At defensive tackle, there is Kendell Jones, Chris Daniels, Rashard Lawrence, Edwin Alexander,
All of them present a unique set of issues for opponents in the trenches. One of the more physically imposing prospects will be Killeen (Texas) Shoemaker defensive tackle Kendell Jones, who is nicknamed 'Hulk' for his physical build and strength. He recently tipped the scales at 365 pounds but no one would guess by the way he carries the weight. Marvin Wilson has proven he can and will handle any and all competition and come back for more. Tyler Shelvin had one of the top performances of the summer by an interior defensive lineman at a
LSU camp last summer. They all have their stories.
The guys above are the tip of the iceberg for the defensive line though. Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Elkins defensive tackle Ross Blacklock has shown some big-time flashes. Levi Onwuzurike of Allen, Texas, has a
great combination of strength and quickness. Macon (Miss.) Noxubee defensive end
Jeffery Simmons is attracting national attention. New Orleans defensive ends Sci Martin and Andre Anthony are as quick off the edge as they come. And Spring, Texas, defensive tackle Bravvion Roy is as solid as they get in the middle of the defense.
Several have not been mentioned. but there is only so much space. Let's just say the talent pool is deep for Sunday.
Dual-threat strong
Rivals250 quarterback Jalen Hurts has offers from Big
12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC programs.
Depth at quarterback is not a new thing in Texas and the surrounding states. The NFL ranks are littered with quarterbacks with roots in the region. So it does not come as a surprise that the quarterback depth in Dallas will be strong.
Dual-threats lead the way. Channelview, Texas, Rivals250 quarterback Jalen Hurts is the headliner of the group. He took home quarterback MVP honors in
Houston a year ago and then went on to pass for over 2,500 yards, rush for over 900 yards, and account for 40 touchdowns. Green also adds to the star-power of the 2016 dual-threat group.
The 2017 dual-threat group is headlined by Texans Shawn Robinson,
Chris Robison, Jason Shelley, Avery Davis, Tracin Wallace and Kellen Mond. All of them already hold scholarship offers as they prepare for their junior season.
Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian quarterback Nick Starkel leads the way for the pro-style group. He is coming off a strong performance at the Rivals Quarterback Challenge in Atlanta, and he is poised to show his abilities at Cedar Hill.
Choices to make
Most of the players on-hand have choices to make on the college front, but some have position choices to make as well. There will be a few who make some interesting choices on Sunday.
The athlete category is a strong one with a couple of Louisiana prospects leading the way. Alabama commit Shyheim Carter has proven to be deadly with the ball in his hands at Kentwood, but defensive back is very
much a possibility for him on the college level. Rivals100 standout Devin White is facing a similar offense or defense question. At 6-1, 250 pounds, White has been a highly productive running back at North Webster, and he has the athleticism to be highly productive at either on the college level.
TCU commit Sewo Olonilua is a guy who could project anywhere from running back to safety and linebacker is certainly not out of the question.
Tyler (Texas) Lee athlete Zach Hall spends his time at quarterback on the high school level, but he has the tools to be a playmaker at receiver or cornerback in college. South Grand Prairie's Greg Eisworth and Lancater's Tyrell Alexander are other high school quarterbacks who also
project well to other positions.
In the 2017 class, eyes will be on South Oak Cliff athlete Markiese King and Cedar Hill's
Jaylon Jackson. King and Jackson both have the kind of quick change ability and explosive speed which have drawn comparisons to former area standouts like Dontre Wilson and Laquvionte Gonzalez.
Each of these guys have the ability to line up at multiple positions on Sunday and be standout performers.
