CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour rolled into Mallard Creek High School for the annual Charlotte stop. Some of the best athletes in the Carolinas were joined by prospects from Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, leading to plenty of outstanding performances. Here’s a recap of the days biggest news, notes and events.
I WAS IMPRESSED WITH...
Rivals100 wide receive OrTre Smith was one of the biggest pass catchers in attendance but that didn’t stop him from getting separation all day long. Smith has a flair for the dramatic when it comes to hauling in passes and, just like he did last year at the Rivals Camp Series, he made play after play. But it was his route-running and surprising quickness that earned him wide receiver MVP honors and an invite to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Amour. Smith is considering Clemson, South Carolina, Wake Forest, North Carolina and others.
I WAS SURPRISED BY...
Three-star offensive tackle Mekhi Becton had a very impressive day, outpacing some more highly-touted players to earn MVP honors. Becton tips the scales at more than 300 pounds and, at 6-foot-7, he was also one of the tallest players in attendance. He showed good footwork for a player his size and won his share of reps, whether it was against bigger interior guys or fast edge rushers. Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and others are high on Becton’s list.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
It was a great day at the defensive back position as a trio of players punched their ticket to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Amour. Leading the way at the position was Rivals100 defensive back and Clemson commit LeAnthony Williams, who made the trip up from his Atlanta home to earn the honors. Joining him on the invite list was Rivals100 safety Devon Hunter and Rivals100 Arizona State commit Jermani Brown.
Rivals250 running back Trey Sermon looks fully healthy from the injuries that cut his junior season short in 2015. He showed the defenders in attendance that he was the real deal. Not only was he very impressive in drills, but he took rep after rep during one-on-ones and continually made opponents look silly in space. Sermon was awarded the running back MVP for his efforts. Oklahoma, Oregon, Georgia and others are in the mix for Sermon.
Class of 2018 quarterback Sam Hartman followed in former Rivals100 prospect Will Grier’s footsteps at Davidson Day High School. Sunday, Hartman once again followed Grier, winning quarterback MVP at the Rivals Camp Series. Grier was a winner three years ago and Hartman is hoping he can follow the same trajectory in terms of his recruitment. He’s still waiting on his first offer but has interest from programs like Northwestern and Wake Forest.
The defensive side of the ball was loaded with stars but a trio of surprises took home MVPs. Four-star defensive end Jake Lawler, a North Carolina commit, won defensive line MVP honors after using his speed off the edge to get the best of defenders. Linebacker MVP honors went to 2018 linebacker Alan Tisdale, a prospect who holds just one offer to date, courtesy of Wake Forest. And while Williams, Hunter and Brown all took turns impressing at defensive back, ultimately it was four-star Derrek Pitts who edged everyone out to get the MVP award.
