RCS Orlando: What to watch for
The Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour rolls into the Sunshine State this weekend with stops in the Orlando and Miami areas. Annually more than 100 high-level prospects come out of the state, so there's never any shortage of talent. That will be the case on Saturday when the RCS Orlando takes over Oviedo High School, alma mater of likely 2014 NFL first-round draft pick Blake Bortles. Here are the five biggest storylines for Saturday's camp.
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1. Cowart vs. Jefferson
The Class of 2015 is loaded at the defensive line position and the state of Florida is home to two of the country's best. Five-star Seffner (Fla.) Armwood defensive end Byron Cowart and five-star Glen Saint Mary (Fla.) Baker County defensive tackle CeCe Jefferson headline the event. Both players currently sit in the top five for their class and both have a legitimate shot at overtaking Trenton Thompson for the No. 1 overall spot in the 2015 class.
A strong showing on Saturday could go a long way toward separating the two impressive prospects, who both had dominating junior seasons this past fall. Another interesting tidbit to add intrigue to the matchup is that the two players consider themselves friends, and have talked about playing together at the next level. A chance to spend an extended period of time together on Saturday could only further that bond and have a big recruiting impact down the line.
2. Will Ivey earn his fifth star?
While Cowart and Jefferson already sit at five-star status, one player right on the edge of earning his fifth star is Rivals100 Apopka (Fla.) offensive tackle Martez Ivey. The big-bodied Ivey led the way for one of the nation's most prolific rushing offenses this past fall and will have a great chance to answer the questions about his ability as a pass-blocker during drills on Saturday.
Ivey will be going toe-to-toe with names like Cowart and Jefferson and should have ample opportunity to show he has what it takes. Ivey and Cowart have waged some epic battles at camps in the past and Saturday should be no exception. If all goes according to plan, it will be the first of many times the two meet between now and National Signing Day, with plenty of marquee events and all-star events in the future for both elite prospects.
3. Can Holland hold off Pittman?
The linebacker position also offers plenty of intrigue with a pair of Rivals100 prospects itching to prove that they're the tops in the Sunshine State. Jacksonville Trinity Christian linebacker Jeffery Holland is currently No. 57 in the country, while fellow Jacksonville resident and First Coast High School prospect Sherrod Pittman sits five spots behind him at No. 62.
While Holland plays on the outside and is generally a more athletic prospect, Pittman will be looking to show what he can do in the open field. Holland has been known to take reps at multiple positions in camp settings, but Saturday figures to be his chance to put some distance between himself and Pittman as well as vault higher in the Rivals100.
4. Which unranked player will earn his stripes?
There are plenty of unranked players who have picked up offers since the last Rivals.com rankings release in February. While several wait for their rankings to be updated, they will have a chance to really help their stock with a strong showing over the weekend.
One of the players at the top of that list is Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange running back Dexter Williams. He managed to fly under the radar this fall, but once coaches saw his junior film following Signing Day, the offers started rolling in. Williams is listed at 6-foot, 190 pounds and on film looks like an all-around threat. On Saturday, he'll be tested in one-on-ones when he goes up against the likes of Holland, Pittman and others. Other intriguing prospects include recent Florida commit, Jacksonville First Coast wide receiver Tristan Payton and Jacksonville Creekside wide receiver Rashad Blunt.
5. Which QB will take home the MVP?
The Sunshine State isn't generally known for producing top-flight quarterbacks, but the group taking part in Saturday's camp should provide some interesting options. The group is headlined by four-star Florida State commit De'Andre Johnson, who has been committed to the 'Noles for more than a year. Johnson isn't one to shy away from competition and will be looking to further separate himself from the pack.
Also in the fold is 2015 Orlando (Fla.) Olympia prospect Deondre Francois. The dual-threat quarterback ran one of Central Florida's most exciting offenses this past fall and is generally considered the best Orlanda-area quarterback, along with Lake Nona (Fla.) and Clemson commit Tucker Israel, who will also be in attendance. Carrying the flag for the underclassmen at the position are prospects Augie DeBiase and Feleipe Franks. Both are in the class of 2016 and already boast multiple BCS offers.
Woody Wommack is a Southeast Region football recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.
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