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Rivals Camp Series L.A.: Grading the quarterbacks

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. - The first stop of the Rivals Camp Series is in the books here in Southern California and like every year the event was stacked with quarterbacks. Here are the ones that especially caught our eye:


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MORE RCS LOS ANGELES: How will the camp impact upcoming rankings? | Prospects now on the radar | Five commitment predictions | Five teams that should be pleased | Recruiting Rumor Mill | Players make their own predictions | Gorney on QBs, more | The Gorney Awards | Positional MVPs | Combine stars

CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State | JUCO

CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

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RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info for 2022 series

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Nico Iamaleava
Nico Iamaleava

The Downey (Calif.) Warren five-star quarterback will make an argument as the top prospect at his position nationally because he has such special physical qualities. Iamaleava measured in at 6-foot-5 with an 80-inch wingspan so he has incredible length, he’s such a fluid and smooth passer, he can zip it anywhere he likes and his fun-loving and engaging personality will be a coach’s dream as Iamaleava will recruit others to play with him once he makes his own choice. Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Oregon and others are in the running.

Grade: A+

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Malachi Nelson
Malachi Nelson

Ranked as the third-best prospect in the entire 2023 class, Nelson is so smooth and throws the ball effortlessly to receivers all over the field. He makes the right decision at almost all times, he zips it with ease and there’s nothing that rattles him even in a camp setting. The USC commit has all the tools to be incredibly special on the next level and coach Lincoln Riley’s offense is a perfect fit for him.

Grade: A+

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Julian Sayin
Julian Sayin

In an interview leading into the 2024 rankings release next week, Sayin said he aims to be “deadly precise” every time he throws the football and that encapsulates how he plays the position. The Carlsbad, Calif., standout is not going to overwhelm anybody with his size or athleticism but he’s a surgeon in the pocket, throws a beautiful football each time and gets it perfectly to his receivers.

Grade: A

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Jaden Rashada
Jaden Rashada

There's a reason Rashada is ranked so highly and he proved worthy of it on Sunday. The 6-foot-3, 177-pound quarterback did a good job throwing the ball accurately and showed excellent timing with the receivers. He did a nice job delivering the ball on multiple planes. Rashada was able to pair up with some outstanding receivers and he was frequently seen connecting on big plays throughout the 1-on-1 session.

Grade: A-

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Wilson looks almost exactly like his brother and he has a very good arm too. He throws the ball with a lot of power despite measuring in at just 5-foot-11. He did a good job fitting the ball into tight windows and his deep passes were on the money for most of the day. Wilson is very familiar with camps like Sunday and he did a nice job of working through the drills and finding receivers that he could work well with. His continued development is something to watch throughout the rest of this rankings cycle.

Grade: B+

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Lyons’ brother, Walker, is a four-star tight end in the 2023 class who has Alabama, Ohio State, USC, Stanford, Utah and BYU as his top six. All those programs and many others will be after Lyons as the 2026 quarterback has an advanced understanding and grasp of the position, already has good size and can throw it with any quarterback at the event. He’s fluid, doesn’t rush bad passes and has a chance to be really special down the road.

Grade: B+

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The future is bright for O'Neal. Just an 8th-grader, O'Neal boasts Power Five offers from Arizona and Louisville and played like a future top recruit should. At 6-foot-1, 205-pounds, O'Neal is a more powerful thrower than most other quarterbacks his age. His footwork was solid and he had a clean throwing motion. O'Neal was accurate during drill and did well for the majority of the 1-on-1 session. He'll definitely be a name to remember down the line.

Grade: B

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Boone Lourd
Boone Lourd (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

Lourd was one of the better quarterbacks in this deep group. He had his ups and downs but there is definitely a lot to work with. Lourd has sort of an effortless throwing motion and the ball really jumps off his hand nicely. Figuring out the timing with the receivers in this environment wasn't Lourd's strong suit but that shouldn't be an issue when he works with his teammates at the next level.

Grade: B-

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Carson Conklin
Carson Conklin

Conklin was another name to keep an eye on coming into the camp on Sunday and he proved to be one of the better passes in the group. There were moments when he really shined during the drills session. He was on point when throwing towards the sideline and on crossing routes but during 1-on-1s he had more mixed results. Conklin does a nice job throwing the ball on a line when needed but he'll continue to focus on putting the correct amount of touch on passes.

Grade: B-

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Splitting time with Conklin at Corona (Calif.) Centennial, Carter was more of the dual-threat option in that fast-paced offense but that’s not really something he could exploit in a camp setting. Stll, Carter showed off excellent control and precision in the pocket, has a nice arm and plays the position with a lot of poise and confidence.

Grade: B-

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Lateef sat behind standout Logan Gonzalez at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran this past season but the future is very bright for the 2025 quarterback. He has good size, a very live arm, he can definitely sling it and he plays with a lot of confidence for someone who hasn’t been thrown in the fire yet.

Grade: B-

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