Rivals Recap: iLLSPEED Playoff won by Orlando regional team

BALTIMORE – Four teams, representing the four iLLSPEED regionals – Orlando, Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta – squared off Saturday in a playoff to see what region would hold bragging rights heading into the iLLSPEED and Quarterback Challenge Finals.

The 12 quarterback finalists paired with the four iLLSPEED regional teams and went through a series of timed events. At day’s end it was Team Swarm, which came out of the Orlando camp, that took the title.

RELATED: Recruiting notes | Rivals Camp Series coverage

The skill position prospects in attendance earned their way to Baltimore based on their speed, so it was impressive to see several taller athletes stand out in this setting. The biggest of the bunch is Oklahoma safety commit Robert Barnes out of Southlake (Tex.) Carroll, who at 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds is a fluid athlete. While defense is where he makes his name, but he showed excellent ball skills while catching passes.

Five-star Joseph Lewis is not far behind at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, but he was just as impressive Saturday and probably made the play of the day when he caught an over-the-opposite-shoulder fade pass.

The final two big athletes that deserve mention are Jeffrey Okudah, the five-star defensive back who rarely fails to impress, and Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake cornerback A.J. Terrell who is a very unique cornerback prospect who combines a 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame and tremendous top-end speed.

Class of 2018 quarterback Trevor Lawrence is a big-framed quarterback who has crisp arm mechanics and throws a beautiful football. That, however, was expected from the five-star. What was maybe less expected was how impressive fellow 2018 quarterback Emory Jones looked. Although not quite as big as Lawrence, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound Jones is still a big-framed quarterback who has the size to stand in the pocket and take hits. What was most impressive about Jones, though, was the talent he has in that big right arm. Jones was tasked with throwing the deep ball for his Team Spotlight and even throwing into the wind the ball jumped off his hand. The Franklin (Ga.) Heard County four-star has a quick and athletic arm motion and the ball jumps off his hand.

Lawrence and Jones putting on a show overshadowed what was a strong showing from another 2018 quarterback, Ole Bridge, N.J., four-star Artur Sitkowski. The winner of the Rocket Arm award at the Columbus Quarterback Challenge, Sitkowski again showed plenty of velocity on his passes, but he also throws a consistent football and could be a sleeper to watch going into Sunday’s Finals.

While several prospects stood out during Saturday’s regional event, others got off to a rough start to their weekends. Kentucky commit Mac Jones was tasked with throwing the deep ball for Team Swarm and had trouble getting his passes to travel into the wind. Meanwhile, Lawrencville (Ga.) Central Gwinnet 2018 passer Jarren Williams just could not get a feel for the football and was erratic through the day. From the iLLSPEED side, Montgomery (Ala.) Jeff Davis’ Zyon Gilbert is undersized and dropped a lot of passes.

While big athletes had impressive showings on Saturday, several smaller stature guys also showed why they had qualified for the iLLSPEED finals. Los Angeles receiver Jamire Calvin (5-10, 165), Auburndale, Fla. athlete Chauncy Smart (5-7, 164), Fort Lauderdale, Fla. receiver Mike Harley (5-10, 153) and Ohio State cornerback commit Marcus Williamson (5-10, 175) lack ideal size, but stood out with their speed even in a group as fast as the one assembled in Baltimore this weekend.