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Rivals Camp Series Atlanta: The Friedman Awards

ATLANTA – The third stop of the Rivals Camp Series was Sunday here in Atlanta and plenty of top prospects were in attendance. Here's a recap of some of the top performers at the event – the prospects who earned the Friedman Awards.

MORE FROM ATLANTA: MVPs | Top plays | Combine stars

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LONG-DISTANCE CALLER

Air Noland
Air Noland

Ohio State’s spring game was on Saturday and Noland, the Buckeyes' future quarterback, was in Columbus to take in the action and help recruit. After getting another up-close look at his future team and coaches, the Rivals250 signal caller jumped on a plane back to his hometown for Sunday’s camp.

Noland’s performance on Sunday earned him the quarterback MVP award and the quick turnaround to head back to Atlanta for the camp earned him the Long-Distance Caller Award.

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HELLO WORLD

Jones was a relative unknown coming into the camp on Sunday but that changed In a hurry once he stepped on the field. The Mississippi native has packed a lot of muscle on his 6-foot, 217-pound frame but it wasn’t his physical stature that earned him the Linebacker MVP award. Jones showed off some incredible speed and physicality during 1-on-1s.

He kept up with every running back in attendance and used his 6-foot-5 wingspan to knock down passes most people didn’t expect him to be able to reach. With only three smaller offers in hand, Jones said “hello” to the Power Five world with his eye-opening performance.

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BUZZWORTHY

There were a few big-time quarterbacks on the field on Sunday and Baker showed he can hang with the big names. The North Carolina native, who will play his junior season at Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth, has a solid 6-foot-2 frame and throws the ball with plenty of power and accuracy. Baker has a quick release and the ball jumps out of his hand. He also showed he can throw the ball with touch to fit it into tight windows.

Baker already has more than five Power Five offers but more should be on the way for the 2025 prospect.

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WALKING GIANT

Gaston literally blocks out the sun when he walks up to you. At 6-foot-8, 330 pounds, he was the biggest player at the camp on Sunday. What makes it even more impressive is how well he carries that weight.

Upon first glance, it doesn’t appear Gaston would weigh that much because he has a fairly trim frame. Despite that immense size, Gaston moves incredibly well and has a very bright future ahead of him.

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BEAST MODE

Waltclaire Flynn
Waltclaire Flynn

A veteran of the offseason camp circuit, Flynn is a well-known prospect who never shies away from competition. He had a very good day working from his center position on the offensive line and had no issue standing up to defensive linemen who wanted to confront him after the play was over.

Flynn does a great job using his hands to fend off defensive linemen and showed a level of toughness college coaches love to see from their offensive linemen.

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DEEP THREAT

Jerome Bettis Jr.
Jerome Bettis Jr.

Some players with famous parents can skate by based on their last name. Not Bettis. He is a legitimate Power Five prospect nearing double-digit offers and had multiple highlight-reel catches on deep passes. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds with a near 80-inch wingspan, Bettis was able to pull down a few juggling catches over defensive backs.

Bettis seemed to have the natural skills to make you question whether ball skills like that can get passed down from generation to generation.

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SUPERMAN

Jahkeem Stewart
Jahkeem Stewart

It’s Stewart’s world and we’re just living in it. This freshman isn’t just any freshman. Just watching Stewart on the field and listening to him talk, he could easily pass for a current college player. He’s had a fantastic camp season so far and it’s fair to assume that will continue. At this point, Stewart has scout’s asking themselves “What can’t this defensive lineman do?”

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ARM CANNON

One of the more heavily recruited quarterbacks in the 2025 class, Hill has been to multiple offseason events and had plenty of success. He stands out in a crowd thanks to his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame but what gets everybody’s attention is how strong his arm is.

Hill can launch the ball down the field with ease or fire it between defenders who look to be in position to knock it down. Because of his unique arm talent, Hill is prone to making some really impressive passes but reining in that power can sometimes be a chore for him.

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RAISED STOCK

Tavaris Dice
Tavaris Dice

Currently unrated, Dice is a prospect the recruiting world will get very familiar with as the spring goes on. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive tackle holds offers from Duke, Florida, Maryland and South Carolina but more will surely join that list when college coaches hit the road in the coming weeks.

Dice showed good lateral quickness and strength during 1-on-1s and his 85-inch wingspan really gave defensive linemen problems.

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MR. STRETCH

Hezekiah Harris
Hezekiah Harris

Just a freshman, Harris isn’t someone even diehard recruiting fans would be familiar with. That’s going to change over the next few months because he has some physical traits college coaches are looking for in prototypical defensive ends and pass rushers. Measuring in at nearly 6-foot-5, Harris had a 81-inch wingspan with 34-inch arms, which earned him this award. At just 208 pounds, Harris has plenty of room to fill out too.

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