Published Jun 7, 2016
Southeast: Five predictions for Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge
Rob Cassidy  •  Rivals.com
Recruiting Analyst
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The Southeast is never short on talent. And with that comes plenty of success. This year’s Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour will feature 49 players from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana or Tennessee alone, and it seems likely that many of the region's top players will make a splash.

Below are five prediction on which players from the Southeast will most impact the event.

1. THE DEFENSIVE BACKS WILL SHINE

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Five-star wide receiver prospects Trevon Grimes and James Robinson are national recruits with relatively well-known names. Still, a group of Southeast-based defensive backs led by five-star AJ Terrell looks primed to take over the event. Terrrell is joined by the less-heralded Trajan Bandy, an Oklahoma commit. Class of 2018 prospects Al Blades and Asante Samuel could also be in for big weekends, as the duo has never had much problem keeping pace with older wideouts.

2. OWEN CARNEY WILL SURPRISE

Owen Carney doesn’t come with every SEC offer and was a three-star prospect until just recently. That said, the Miami Central High School product showed he could hold his own at the Miami stop of the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour. Carney has never attended a national camp, so this will be his time to shine against truly elite competition. He is coming off an impressive spring at Central and could be in for a big week in Atlanta.

3. CAM AKERS WILL EARN HIS FIFTH STAR

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Running back Cam Akers has been on the cusp of five-star status for some time now, and a big performance on the big stage would put him over the top. Akers was the MVP of the Rivals Camp stop in New Orleans and nearly earned his fifth star there. Some expect him to be his usual, dominant self in Atlanta. Should that take place, a bump in ranking will be imminent. He certainly has the build and the physical tools. This week will be about him using those against the top players in America.

4. CADE MAYS WILL MAKE SURPRISE PUSH FOR OL MVP

Names like Jedrick Wills and Walker Little are the easy picks to win offensive line MVP. They are two of the highest-ranked prospects at the event, and their five-star status was certainly earned. That said, Mays, a four-star Tennessee commit, looked up to the part of competing alongside them on this year’s camp circuit. This is the chance of the Tennessee-based prospect to prove he belongs with the truly elite linemen in America, and it seems like he could be primed to do so.

5. THE RISE OF K.J. BRITT WILL CONTINUE

Britt had as good an offseason as any player in America. His offer list exploded this offseason, as he took home linebacker MVP honors at the Rivals camp stop in Atlanta. He also added a star and has looked the part of an elite linebacker for some time. Britt hasn’t taken part in many camps until this spring, but now his name is becoming a mainstay on the recruiting circuit. He still has room to rise in the rankings, and odds are he’ll do so after turning in another impressive outing at an elite camp.