Rivals Recap: Satellite camps in Virginia

It has been a busy few days in Virginia for satellite camps. On Wednesday, Virginia Tech hosted a satellite camp at Alexandria (Va.) St. Stephen’s St. Agnes. On Thursday, Old Dominion University hosted a satellite camp on campus with coaches from Penn State, Syracuse, Virginia and many others.

Here are some of the key takeaways from both camps.

There are very few players that have had a better spring than Nykeim Johnson. His offer sheet has grown exponentially and he’s been a standout at a number of camps. On Wednesday at Virginia Tech’s satellite camp, Johnson ran a 4.35 40-yard dash to start the day off and, as usual, dominated the one-on-one session. He is just too fast for defenders. The question is whether he has the size to still be effective in college.

Wide receiver DeMarcco Hellams is already a big name in the 2019 class. He has an impressive offer sheet for a prospect that just finished his freshman year, featuring Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina and others. Hellams is 6-foot-1 and is quickly developing into a physically dominant wideout. He ran very good routes on Wednesday and made some tough catches in traffic, something we haven’t seen much from him previously.

Lineman Tyran Hunt is a very interesting prospect because he could play on either side of the ball in college. He’s about 6-foot-7, close to 270-pounds and moves pretty effortlessly. There is a lot college coaches could do with a prospect that has that frame and moves that well. Hunt worked out as an offensive lineman on Thursday but his skills are still raw. If Hunt develops in college he could turn into a big-time offensive tackle.

Defensive end Ryan Thaxton has developed into a very good prospect. He’s added a lot of good weight since the end of the season and showed how powerful he can be during the one-on-one session. Thaxton is also more athletic and agile than many players his size. He was able to withstand the initial punches from offensive linemen and did a good job keeping his balance.

Running back Ronnie Walker looked very good at the camp on Thursday. He has a very good build for a 2018 prospect and great burst. Walker doesn’t waste steps and has another gear when he can turn the corner.

Offensive lineman Henry Chibueze looks like he could be a big-time recruit in the 2018 class. He has some bad weight to cut but he is very powerful in the lower body and his initial punch knocks defensive linemen off-balance. Virginia Tech, Virginia, Florida State and N.C. State have started to show some interest.