Rivals Camp Series L.A.: Prospects shine in SoCal

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. - Top prospects from the West region showed up for the Rivals Camp Series on Sunday at East Los Angeles College. At day’s end, a long list of players earned recognition for outstanding performances. Here’s a look at the MVPs, Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge invitees and other standouts from the event.

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There were a ton of really impressive quarterbacks at the camp and a case could have been made for at least two other players to get this award but Garcia had a more consistently strong performance then the others. The USC commit had the best combination of arm strength and mechanics and threw a very catchable ball. Garcia threw the ball accurately to routes at various depths and did a nice job driving the ball through the gusty and cooler conditions on his way to an invitation to the Five-Star Challenge.

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There was no one as thrilling to watch or explosive as Brown as he set up linebackers all day and then burned them down the field for catches. The 2022 prospect is not physically imposing but he has incredibly fancy feet, creates separation and he’s a dynamic playmaker who has unstoppable qualities. Oklahoma is considered a frontrunner but USC, Michigan, LSU and many others are involved early.

The Oregon commit has excellent size on the outside to leap over defensive backs and make catches and he also has good speed to beat them deep when that’s called for. All day, Ware-Hudson made tough catches especially when the ball was thrown behind him or he was off-balance and the four-star has done it time and again. The Ducks are getting a good one who continues to develop physically each time we see him.

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Greene is good and he knows it. The 2022 offensive tackle who has position versatility is strong, he’s tough, he likes to mix it up and the Bosco standout has the makings of one of the best offensive linemen in his class. Greene handled inside moves with ease and did an impressive job with the speed to the edge as well. Texas A&M just offered and Oklahoma, USC, Oregon, Michigan and others interest him.

Dimitris was in a close competition with Gracen Halten and others for this award but the three-star defensive end won it because of his speed to the edge. Not many offensive tackles had an answer for Dimitris’ outside move as he dipped his shoulder, gained the advantage and didn’t look back. When offensive tackles guessed that Dimitris was going outside, he was smart enough to sell it and dip inside. Colorado and a host of others are involved.

Bailey has picked up a lot of hype very recently and he lived up to it. He showed patience and quickness in the cat-and-mouse drill and great speed in coverage during 1-on-1s. Bailey had no problem keeping up with the running backs and tight ends in the open field. He showed the ability to close on the receiver when the ball is in the air and he has a great sense of timing when trying to knock down passes.

The race for this MVP award was closer than any other position. Kirkwood had more success on Sunday than the many other very talented defensive backs. He is more of a safety than a cornerback but had plenty of speed to be able to any of the receivers in attendance. Kirkwood’s has a number of major offers but more top programs should be joining the race soon enough.

Nelson has developed a big-time reputation in California even though he’s a 2023 quarterback since he’s landed offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, USC and others already. He showed Sunday why he’s so highly coveted. Nelson had pinpoint precision on his passes, he delivered the ball with accuracy and pace and there were almost no misfires all day long. When we’re talking about the best 2023 quarterbacks nationally, Nelson’s name will be in the conversation.

Branch has been coming to camps for years so it’s no surprise he performed well on Sunday, but the 2022 prospect is now so physically developed and he’s using it to his advantage all over the field. He can muscle receivers at the line of scrimmage, he doesn’t let them get into his body and then he has the speed to turn and run and make it difficult once the ball gets there. Branch has a chance to be really special with two more years of high school ball left. Pac-12 programs along with Oklahoma and others are in the mix.

Thompson was one of the many impressive quarterbacks at the camp and he didn’t come into the day starstruck by some of the other big names on the field. Thompson threw with a natural fluidity that some of the other major recruits don’t have and the ball really jumps off his hand. At least in the camp setting, Thompson looked like he has the size, mechanics, arm strength, and accuracy to play at any school he wants.

There many not of been a player at any position that took more reps or played with more enthusiasm than Suliafu. As soon as the ball was snapped he was all over the offensive lineman and always had a countermove. Offensive linemen had a really hard time moving left and right fast enough to keep Suliafu out of the backfield. Tennessee was the first team to offer him but more should be coming this offseason.