RCS Miami: Top underclassmen
MIAMI -- The Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour made its annual stop in South Florida last weekend, and plenty of players beyond the Class of 2017 made an impression. Here are the top underclassmen from the event.
MORE: Top offensive performers | Rivals Camp Series | RCS Miami video interviews | Team notes | Top defensive performers
Recruiting wrap: Pope has a slew of early offers, including Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
Performance: Pope continues to look the part of the next big wide receiver prospect to come out of South Florida and on Sunday he made play after play during one-on-ones. Pope has good size and terrific speed and just has that “it” factor when it comes to the possibity of a highlight-worthy play happening at any time.
Recruiting wrap: Fuller has early offers from West Virginia and Georgia.
Performance: The speedy Fuller turned plenty of heads, with one Rivals.com analyst even remarking that he was so fast off the line that he looked like he was “shot out of a cannon.” That explosion off the line led to him leaving several defensive backs in the dust, which is pretty impressive considering he’s just a rising sophomore.
Recruiting wrap: Frierson has early offers from LSU, Alabama, Georgia and others.
Performance: Frierson is a long, rangy prospect at the safety position and he used his length to make several plays on the ball during one-on-ones. There’s a reason Frierson has caught the eye of several big-time programs. He has a knack for making plays. He has the look of a player who will end up with 20-plus offers before it’s all said and done.
Recruiting wrap: Casteel is waiting on his first offer.
Performance: Castell spent his freshman season as a third-stringer on the depth chart at ultra-loaded St. Thomas, but it shouldn’t be long before he starts to catch the eye of college coaches. He was a favorite of the event’s coaching staff for his polished mechanics, as well as his ability to get the ball deep down the field.
Recruiting wrap: Sainterling has early offers from Cincinnati and Mississippi State.
Performance: Sainterling is listed as a guard in the Rivals.com database, but was actually best while working at center on Sunday. He won several reps during one-on-ones and seemed to improve as the session went along. He has a little bad weight, but if can continue to add muscle, he could turn into a nice prospect to watch gong forward.
Recruiting wrap: Gagg is waiting on his first offer.
Performance: Another rising sophomore, Gagg showed great touch as well as ability to put the ball in the right spot for his receivers. He’s still growing, and as he continues to develop, his arm strength should continue to improve.
Recruiting wrap: Scaife has offers from Southern Miss and Syracuse.
Performance: The 6-foot-4, 275-pound Scaife had a very good day, showing a tremendous initial punch that sent defenders flying on several occasions. When smaller, quicker players tried to beat him to the outside, he was great at washing them inside and using his strength to overpower. Scaife has a good fundamental base and size to go with it, so several schools should come calling as his career goes on.
Recruiting wrap: Cook has offers from Alabama, Florida, Miami, Ohio State and several others.
Performance: The younger brother of former five-star prospect and current Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, James Cook already looks the part of a player much older than just a rising sophomore. He showed good feet during drills and also has good hands out of the backfield. If his development continues on the same path, there will be another Cook tearing up college football down the line.
Recruiting wrap: Williams has offers from Clemson, N.C. State, Syracuse and several others.
Performance: Williams' coverage skills were impressive during one-on-ones. He has excellent closing speed and that allows him to gamble and not get burned on deep balls. He will surely add more offers to his list.
Recruiting wrap: Swann has offers from Mississippi State, North Carolina, Syracuse and others.
Performance: On the hoof, Swann doesn’t look like the most impressive prospect, but he had the best techinique of any offensive lineman at the event. He has a strong lower body and was good at setting his base and anchoring down and that leverage allowed him to win reps against bigger defensive linemen. Swann looks like he will be a very productive interior lineman at the next level.
Recruiting wrap: Jones has an early offer from Mississippi State.
Performance: Despite weighing in at just 166 pounds, Jones was one of the most physical receivers in attendance. He will need to keep adding weight to his rather slight frame, but he clearly has a nice set of skills.
Recruiting wrap: Hawkins has several offers, including Illinois, North Carolina and N.C. State.
Performance: Hawkins measured in a just over 6-foot-3 and has a very good frame for an underclassman. He showed good strength and power during one-on-ones and while he’s still a little raw, he could develop into a very intriguing prospect.
Recruiting wrap: Shivers has offers from LSU, Kentucky, Louisville and several others.
Performance: At 5-foot-5, Shivers was one of the shortest players in attendance, but it was hard to argue with his performance. He’s extremely quick and his low center of gravity allows him to change directions in a hurry and defenders had an almost impossible time trying to cover him in space. With his skill set, he’ll surely find a role as an offensive weapon at the next level.
Recruiting wrap: Surtain has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida and several others.
Performance: Surtain’s father was a former Pro Bowler in the NFL and if his development continues at the rate it’s going, the younger Surtain looks like he’s headed for a bright future as well. He missed the second half of the camp after tweaking his hamstring, but he has everything you look for in a major college prospect. His size is what separates him from the pack and his ability to turn and run with smaller, quicker offensive prospects is impressive
Recruiting wrap: Perriman has an early offer from LSU.
Performance: Perriman was lauded by the event’s coaches for his route-running ability and it paid off when it came time for the competition period. He made catch after catch against the loaded field of defensive backs and looks like a perfect candidate to play slot receiver in a spread offense.