Road revelations: Mid-South region
Advertisement
Marcel Southall's stock is on the rise.
Southall saw his stock skyrocket in the spring after college coaches began making their way to town for spring drills and his video began to circulate. The offers quickly arrived as coaches were able to get a firsthand look at his talents.
Over the last few weeks, Southall has also impressed at different camps. He has worked at defensive end as well as defensive tackle and has shown he has legitimate size and a quick first step.
He may have been under the radar for a little while, but that is certainly not the case any longer.
Stock dropping
ILB Deontre Hardwick, Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside
Hardwick's tape shows how physical he is and man does he ever take it to his opponent. There is no denying he is a big hitter and a guy opponents of Northside will remember.
That said, he is about 5-foot-11 or 6-foot right now instead of his listed 6-foot-1, and he has a lot of weight on his frame. His lateral quickness needs improvement and he is also a bit stiff.
He is still a very good player who can definitely lower the boom on opponents, but his range and overall quickness needs some improvement.
Analyst's take
Should out-of-region teams be allowed to hold camps in talent hot beds?
Jim Harbaugh was the subject of some criticism over satellite camps.
Satellite camps have been a big topic of discussion over the last few weeks, with the NCAA taking a long long look at outlawing the practice.
New Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh received plenty of attention with the Showtyme Camp in Dallas. Coaches from Nebraska, Oregon State, Colorado, Utah, Iowa State, Arizona State, UCLA and others have also been in the region working camps and they have done it for years.
College programs in Texas hold several camps in different areas of the state, and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State work camps in Texas as well. Schools in Louisiana are also hosting satellite camps in places like Shreveport and New Orleans.
This is not something new, and there are definitely benefits to everyone involved.
The satellite camps will never bring out all of the top prospects in an area, but they do allow programs to find underclassmen earlier than they have been able to in the past. They allow athletes the chance to work with top college coaches and get a feel for their coaching style without having to leave their backyard. They provide chances for exposure for everyone. Colleges grow their brands while prospects hope to turn heads.
Even the smaller schools who host camps with bigger schools benefit. They attract prospects who normally would not give a second glance at the camp because prospects hope to impress the bigger schools working the camp.
I see nothing wrong with them. If colleges are willing to set up the camps and work the camps, and prospects are willing to show up and work out, then it is a win for everyone involved.
Jason Howell
Mid-South Recruiting Analyst
Click Here to view this Link.