Rivals Camp Series New Orleans: Prospects now on the radar
MORE RCS NEW ORLEANS: Spiegelman Awards | Players weigh in on LSU | Prospects that earned their stripes | Five teams that should be pleased | Sideline thoughts
NEW ORLEANS - The Rivals Camp Series presented by adidas wrapped up its New Orleans stop over the weekend. Here are 12 prospects who were a little unknown coming into the camp but are now fully on the recruiting radar.
We knew Benson had good size and was a big lineman attracting attention in Mississippi, but he is a true prospect that needs to be ranked much sooner than later. Benson was strong at the point of attack and one of the top five offensive linemen on the day. He has a few SEC offers and he showed he can play in that conference.
Linebackers no longer have to be colossal run-stuffers. The new prototype is an athletic player that can also run sideline to sideline, cover running backs and tight ends and can get after the passer. Brown fits that mold. He’s been a part of two state championship victories for Zachary High and caught our attention with his speed and agility during the cat-and-mouse drills in the New Orleans camp, while also impressing in coverage throughout the day.
New Orleans high school football fans know of Ibieta. A three-sport standout, Ibieta was one of the most consistent quarterbacks on Sunday, delivering accurate passes and showing tremendous anticipation. Ibieta was able to look off defensive backs effectively and deliver time and time again. What stands out the most is how easy he made it look. Tulane and Northwestern State have already offered the athletic quarterback, and it’s obvious his stock is on the rise.
Jackson is an early pledge in LSU’s 2020 class on the defensive line. At 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds, Jackson could play tackle for the Tigers, but we switched him over to the offensive line and caught a glimpse of a potential star. Jackson has a huge wingspan and was able to keep edge-rushers at bay in his first few reps. It was his first time lining up in a two-point stance, and while he was green, he showed a ton of upside at offensive tackle. Jackson told Rivals that he is strongly considering working at offensive line and making the switch, which would put LSU in a position to sign a huge piece up front to protect the quarterback for the foreseeable future.
It won’t be long before Johnson’s offer sheet begins to balloon. The camp’s running back MVP measured in at about 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds. He moved very well during agility drills and it translated to one-on-ones, where he ran crisp routes and easily separated from coverage. Johnson has a great set of hands and is explosive after the fact. He’s a true three-down back.
What Baker Mayfield and now Kyler Murray are proving is that quarterbacks do not have be 6-foot-4 to have an impact. Kelly doesn’t possess ideal height, but that doesn’t limit his ability to orchestrate an offense. He’s a smart quarterback who exhibits great patience and great field vision. He made a handful of excellent passes, allowed routes to develop downfield and showed great anticipation. Programs such as Houston, Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette are all keeping close tabs on the state championship-winning passer.
Kenerson has some small offers and is garnering plenty of interest from bigger programs like Houston, and it’s obvious why. Kenerson plays quarterback for Central High School, but worked out at receiver and defensive back and impressed on both sides of the ball. He’s a smaller, explosive slot receiver that also has the ability to cover very well. He’s one of the most steady athletes in Louisiana’s 2020 class that can wear multiple hats for a college program.
Martin is viewed as an athlete by some, but he has improved as a quarterback and he had his moments Sunday. He probably threw better on the move than he did in the pocket. He may not have been as strong as he wanted to be at the end of the day, but for the most of the day, he made nice throws. He threw catchable passes and looked comfortable rolling out.
Martin is a 2021 offensive lineman who anchored well and was strong against some talented defensive linemen. He may have been an underclassman, but he was overpowering his opponent and he showed great lower body strength. His only offer is Nicholls, but that will change.
Mims may have been the surprise of the day. He was in a group with McKinnley Jackson, Jaquelin Roy, Patrick Jenkins and others, but Mims shined. It wasn’t just for a play or two, but for the entire day. Only four programs have offered the 2020 defensive end, but that is going to change soon. Mims won with speed and power, and with his frame, he is going to draw a lot more attention soon.
Pazon punched his ticket to the camp in New Orleans after shining during the Rivals adizero Combine on Saturday. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder clocked a 4.57-second 40 time and the short shuttle in 4.26 seconds. On the field on Sunday, he was a big target in the passing game, showing off great hands in traffic and excellent body control in the red zone drills. Tennessee extended an offer to the soon-to-be junior within hours of his camp performance, and it won't be long before several other Power Five programs follow suit.
West Jr. has already picked up an offer from Colorado and the Buffaloes look smart. The 2021 defensive tackle is powerful and he played with leverage to win most of his reps Sunday. He was tough to slow down off the ball and his power with a lower center of gravity made him very tough to handle.
