COATESVILLE, Pa. - One of the most valuable aspects of the Rivals Camp Series is finding under-the-radar and younger prospects who have yet to emerge but made a big statement on the field.
Here is a look at some of those prospects from Sunday’s camp outside Philadelphia.
*****
MORE RCS PHILLY: Analyst predictions | Teams that should be pleased | Biggest surprises | Rumor Mill | Friedman Awards | Positional MVPs | Standouts impress at the Rivals Combine Series in Philadelphia
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info for 2022 series
*****
You could make the argument that Gemma was the biggest winner from Sunday’s camp. The 2023 defensive tackle has already committed to Army but his performance should garner a lot more interest from the Power Five level.
The massive interior lineman measured in at 6-foot-1, 296 pounds with a 6-foot-3 wingspan. Gemma was much quicker than offensive linemen expected and he played with the strength of a college player.
Army is getting a really good player if it is able to hold onto him through the end of the process, but that could be a tall task given his performance from Sunday.
*****
There’s a lot to like about Harris‘s game at such an early age. At 6-foot-3, 221 pounds, Harris has the quickness of a more physically mature prospect. He had no problem handling many of the offensive tackles that he faced in 1-on-1s, using a variety of speed and power moves. Harris already knows a fair amount of hand techniques and that helped him shed contact quickly but his repertoire will grow as he gets older.
*****
Wilson was a prospect that has been poised to break out this spring but this was really his first major event. He holds early offers from Maryland and Notre Dame but the 2025 prospect is bound to pick up many more high-end Power Five offers.
Wilson has great size (6-foot-2, 270 pounds with a 6-foot-8 wingspan) and a frame that can hold plenty of additional solid mass. What was really impressive was his combination of quickness and playing strength.
*****
Jenkins has the makings of a national prospect but he is extremely raw. He has the strength and quickness to push around most offensive linemen he'll face at the high school level but, playing in one of the most difficult high school conferences in the country, Jenkins will be forced to develop the finer points of his game.
Playing defensive tackle looks very natural to him but plenty of coaches will look at him as an offensive lineman too.
*****
Coleman already has an offer from Boston College but he’s just an incoming freshman. He's a pretty big back for his age (5-foot-11, 196 pounds) with impressive quickness and route running skills.
Coleman seems like a very fluid back and had plenty of explosiveness when he gets out of his breaks. Expect college coaches to pursue him heavily as high school career gets underway.
*****
Weaver wasn’t exactly unknown coming into the camp on Sunday but he really put himself on the radar as a Power Five prospect. He is physically maturing and his arm strength and timing have improved.
The ball comes out of his hand well and receivers didn’t have a hard time catching the pass. It’ll be interesting to see how quickly it picks up but this season should be his first as a full-time starter.
*****
Heard has already gotten some headlines because West Virginia offered him earlier this offseason but there’s no denying that the seventh grader has legitimate Power Five talent. As a receiver, he has no problems breaking press coverage and running crisp routes against older and more physical defensive backs.
Heard does a nice job catching the ball with his hands instead of letting it get it to his body and he has the speed to make plays after the catch. Look for Heard’s recruitment to steadily pick up the pace over the next couple of years as he enters the high school ranks.
*****
There were a number of impressive receiving prospects at the camp on Sunday and we’ve seen Jock do well in camp settings before but his performance on Sunday was the best one yet. Boston College seems to think so; the Eagles offered him earlier this week. Physically, Jock has a little ways to go because there’s not a lot of muscle mass on his lean frame but his length and natural pass catching abilities make him intriguing as a flex tight end prospect.
*****
Sunday was one of the first times this offseason when Coates was able to face off against top in talent in a camp setting and he made the most of it. The interior defensive lineman has an aggressive playing style and does a great job getting into the backfield using a combination of quickness and hand techniques.
Coates has gotten better and better this offseason with every event that he’s gone to and Power Five coaches seem to be taking notice as well. He has a number of Group of Five and FCS offers already but expect more Power Five teams to extend offers to Coates as he continues to hit the camp circuit and visit colleges over the next few months.
*****
At 6-foot-2, 311 pounds, Evans put on a pass blocking clinic on Sunday. He only holds a couple of FBS offers at this point but that should be changing relatively soon. A 2023 prospect, Evans projects as a guard or center at the next level.
He used his 6-foot-4 wingspan to keep defensive linemen from getting around him and he had the quickness to slide laterally when the defender tried a countermove.
