CELEBRATION, Fla. – The second stop of the Rivals Camp Series presented by adidas took place in the Orlando area this weekend, as athletes from Central Florida and beyond were granted an opportunity to make a mark. Below, Rivals.com hands out a list of wide-ranging awards that go beyond the usual MVPs.
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PHYSICAL SPECIMEN: Shayne Brennen
Brennen showed up at Saturday’s Rivals adizero Combine as a relative unknown and his 6-foot-7, 305-pound measurements were enough to get him invited back the next day. In camp, Brennen showed he was more than just a big body. The sophomore tackle moves well for a prospect of his hulking size and has room to add even more muscle to his already massive frame. There are undoubtable scholarship offers in his future.
MOST BOISTEROUS: Kingsley Equakun
Miami commit Kingsley Equakun certainly has the Hurricane swagger down to a science. He was in the running for MVP honors early on and never let his opponents forget if he won a rep. At one point, Equakun ripped a defensive lineman’s shirt over his head and threw up “The U” hand gesture while jawing at his disheveled rival. Honorable mention goes to Lakeland (Fla.) High School defensive end Tre Huntley who also kept the energy level up and didn’t mind mixing it up verbally.
MOST BUZZED ABOUT PROGRAM: Miami Hurricanes
For the second straight week, Miami led the camp chatter and the Hurricanes came up in interviews more than any other school. UM’s 10-win season and top-five recruiting class has helped the program further compound the momentum it started to build a year ago. If the overwhelmingly positive buzz at the first two camp stops is any indication, the Hurricanes will continue to amass impressive classes for years to come.
TOP UNDERCLASSMAN: Fred Davis
A class of 2020 prospect, Davis holds a number of major offers so the fact that he earned defensive back MVP honors didn't shock anyone. He was far and away the most consistent underclassman at Sunday’ camp and used the opportunity to cement his standing as one of the top 2020 prospects in the Sunshine State. Davis earned an invitation to this year’s Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas.
COMPETITIVE SPIRIT: Leonard Manuel
The night before the camp, Manuel emailed to say he wouldn’t be working out due to a shoulder injury but planned to show up to the event to watch from the sidelines. Once he arrived at the field, however, that plan went out the window. The Miami commit went through every drill and fought through pain to earn an invitation to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge. A top 2020 prospect, Manuel was hindered by his injury but still created massive separation on nearly every route he ran.
SURPRISE OF THE DAY: Simon Dellinger
At camp full of touted Florida-based athletes, it was a skill position player from Indiana of all places that took home MVP honors at the tight end/wide receiver position. Dellinger, who earned his way into the camp through Saturday’s Rivals adizero Combine, didn’t waste his opportunity. Coaches and reporters alike were wowed by Dellinger all afternoon, as his impressive combination of size and athleticism was apparent from the day’s onset.
PLAY OF THE DAY: Joseph Hodge's catch over Brendan Gant
Wide receiver Joseph Hodge may lack in size, but it didn’t stop him from getting an impressive win against Alabama commit Brendan Gant. The rep saw Hodge create separation before adjusting to an underthrown ball and snatching the pass out of the hands of the much larger Gant. The catch, which can be seen below, elicited a loud reaction from spectators and fellow campers.
CAMP MVP AWARDS
Below are the traditional MVP awards that were handed out to the top player at each position following Sunday’s camp.
QB – Chayil Garnett
RB – Caziah Holmes
WR/TE – Simon Dellinger
OL – Chris Akporoghene
LB – Rian Davis
DL – Raymond Cutts
DB – Fred Davis