Rivals Camp Series Miami: Prospects shine in South Florida
HIALEAH, Fla. - The top prospects from south Florida showed up in droves for the first Rivals Camp Series event of the year. At the day’s end, a college of well-known and up-and-comers earned their recognition after outstanding performances among their peers. Take a look at the MVPs, Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge invitees and other standouts from the event on Sunday.
MORE RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Miami Combine attracts 1,000 | 2020 schedule
QUARTERBACK MVP
There were a couple quarterbacks that stood out but most were hot and cold throughout the day. Rizk was one of the most consistent and did a good job dealing the strong gusts of wind that popped up without warning. The 2023 prospect was mechanically sound and had a good sense of timing despite throwing to receivers had very little experience with. A few programs are already pretty familiar with Rizk but he’ll need to develop more physically before any major programs pull the trigger on an offer.
RUNNING BACK MVP
Hankerson has plenty of major offers but he has yet to make a big name for himself on the camp circuit. On Sunday he did a really good job consistently catching the ball in the windy conditions. Some of the linebackers tried to grab Hankerson to slow him down but he knew how to break away from them and get into the open field. He also had plenty of speed to leave defenders in his dust. Florida, Florida State and Georgia are just a few of the offers Hankerson has already accumulated.
WIDE RECEIVER MVP
The receiver position was the deeper than any other and a couple other players could have won this award but Brown had the most complete day. He plays much bigger than the 6-foot-2 he is listed at but moves so well for his size. Brown is a skilled route runner with a filled out frame than has no problem playing through contact. He had one of the highlights of the camp when he beat the cornerback on a stop-and-go route and made a beautiful one-handed catch. Michigan, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Penn State and Louisville have done a good job recruiting Brown so far.
OFFENSIVE LINE MVP
Seymore out-performed some of the other heralded lineman to win this MVP award but it was very close. The Miami commit did a great job keeping defensive linemen out of the backfield. Seymore’s first punch sent most defenders backwards and he did a nice job resetting his feet and hands to stay in front of them. There is still room for him to fill out his frame but he has time to take care of that before he graduates.
DEFENSIVE LINE MVP
Expectations were high for Sapp coming into the event and he didn’t disappoint. The Florida commit could pretty much push around any offensive lineman he went against. Sapp had a few difficult reps against Clemson commit Marcus Tate but outside of that, Sapp won reps with outside moves, inside moves, and power moves. He is currently listed as a strong side end but he could end up playing more defensive tackle in college if he continues to get bigger.
LINEBACKER MVP
Lewis continues to impress in camp settings. He has good speed in the open field and showed a great sense of timing when trying to knock down passes. Lewis didn’t seem like he was 100-percent healthy but still played through some bumps and bruises to shut down plenty of running backs and tight ends. The former Florida commit is considering Nebraska, Clemson, Ole Miss, LSU, Miami and the Gators.
DEFENSIVE BACK MVP
The younger brother of former Clemson star Trayvon Mullen and current Indiana standout Tiawan Mullen, Travel had some big shoes to fill coming into the camp on Sunday. In a loaded group of defensive backs, Mullen, a 2022 prospect, had the most consistent day. He’s all the 6-feet he is listed and has a long frame. Mullen played with good patience and knew when to break on passes so he could knock down the ball. Oregon, TCU and Indiana are some of the major programs to offer Mullen but more are surely on the way.
MEAN STREAK AWARD
Armella is fairly agreeable and mild mannered in non-football settings, so the dichotomy that came with him spending Sunday afternoon spiking people’s heads off the turf was striking. Armella finished blocks as well as any lineman at the event, as most reps concluded with his opponent lying on the ground. The class of 2022 offensive lineman is wildly powerful and seems to get a little better from a technique standpoint with each passing month.
MAN ON A MISSION AWARD
Skinner spent the days leading up to Sunday’s event talking about earning an invite to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge. He went out of his way to make sure all eyes were on him for every rep and rose to the occasion after doing so, winning his one-on-ones with a variety of routes and making a handful of impressive grabs. The long, rangy Skinner had a laser focus on Sunday and achieved his goal because of it.
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN AWARD
Sunday’s event was overflowing with elite talent, so it was difficult for younger players to stand out from the pack. Inniss (2023) and Stewart (2022) had no such problem. Both were in the discussion for MVP honors at their positions and won most one-on-one reps with relative ease. Each should have his pick of any college in the country when decision day arrives.
SHAPESHIFTER AWARD
Tate carried some bad weight heading into his junior season but those days appear to be over. The Rivals100 offensive lineman showed up to camp looking lean and agile and his game has improved because of it. Playing basketball in the offseason helped Tate shape up and left him looking like a different prospect despite the fact that he actually weighs a little more than he did a year ago.
BRIGHT FUTURE AWARD
Nolton is a young, lean and quick defensive end with sky-high potential. He lands on this list because of his upside, which remains incredible. The class of 2022 star already lists offers Tennessee, Auburn and others. His stock will soar further in the coming months if he can keep on his current upward trajectory and add size.
TALK AND WALK AWARD
Stellato did a lot of talking on Sunday, but the quick wideout backed up his words with action. The four-star prospect made a handful of highlight worthy plays and then let the defensive back that gave up said plays hear about, starting a small scuffle on one occasion. Stellato has some swagger about him, which serves him well as he has no problem backing it up with athleticism and skill.
SURPRISE, SURPRISE AWARD
One of the day’s most pleasant surprises, Miller had a solid day at camp, winning multiple 1-on-1 reps. The class of 2022 center carries some bad weight but he has plenty of time to reshape his body and become more athletic. That said, he’s light-footed for his size and packs incredible power in his lower body, Miller also comes with a solid level of versatility as he can play multiple spots along the line. His future is as bright as he makes it in the weight room.