Stars shine bright at the Rivals Camp Series in Miami
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Top prospects from the Southeast showed up for the Rivals Camp Series on Sunday at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. At day’s end, a long list of players earned recognition for outstanding performances. Here’s a look at the MVPs from the event.
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QUARTERBACK: Michael Clayton II
The deep quarterback group had a number of MVP candidates but Clayton pulled away from the pack during the showcase portion of the camp. The Rivals250 prospect showed off his big arm but it was his accuracy that really stood out. Clayton’s strong mechanics and footwork allowed him to throw consistently accurate passes to every part of the field. He was especially accurate on intermediate passes towards the sideline and on deep routes down the middle of the field.
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RUNNING BACK: Derreck Cooper
Cooper could play on either side of the ball at the next level but he lined up at running back on Sunday and could not be stopped. He has the speed, agility and explosiveness to run away from pretty much any linebacker that tries to keep him in check. Cooper also made some acrobatic catches, leaping and reaching over defenders to haul in the pass. The 2026 top-100 prospect still has time to figure out if he’ll pursue running back in college but, based on what we saw today, he could be one of the best in his class if he continues to develop at a consistent rate.
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RECEIVER/TIGHT END: Vernell Brown III
The receiver position was the deepest and hardest to sort out when it came time to select a MVP. Multiple receivers won every one-on-one rep they took but, in the end, it was Brown’s well-rounded skill set and his undefeated record in one-on-ones that gave him the edge in the MVP race. He made explosive plays all over the field on Sunday and has success on a variety of routes. Brown ran short, intermediate, and deep routes from the outside and the slot and defensive backs were unable to keep him in check. It was particularly impressive to watch Brown’s advanced route running skills cause defensive backs to hesitate and lose ground while he blew by them for a long catch.
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OFFENSIVE LINE: Max Buchanan
Buchanan’s overall consistency gave him the edge over the rest of the offensive linemen in the MVP race. He measured in at 6-foot-4, 296-pounds with a 78-inch wingspan and that length helped him make it a very long day for defensive linemen. Buchanan showed off impressive strength and technique at his guard position. He was able to shock many defensive linemen with his initial punch and then redirect then with his strong hands. Buchanan’s lateral quickness and patience as a pass blocker helped him keep defensive linemen in front of him throughout the day.
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DEFENSIVE LINE: Javion Hilson
Hilson was the favorite to win the MVP award before the camp started and he proved those high expectations correct with outstanding reps from start to finish. The Florida State commit brings a great combination of strength and quickness to the table. Hilson understands how to attack offensive linemen and knows when to try a speed rush and how to counter with a strong move inside. He has a very lean build despite weighing in at 229-pounds so he has plenty of room to fill out when he reaches the next level.
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LINEBACKER: Adam Balogoun-Ali
Playing linebacker in the camp setting is always a difficult task but Balogoun-Ali did a really good job of limiting the big plays by running backs and tight ends. The Rivals250 prospect kept nearly everything in front of him and was able to force quarterbacks into bad throws on multiple occasions. Balogoun-Ali was challenged by the running backs throughout the day but he consistently performed at a high level and made sure the backs weren’t able to make big plays down the field.
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DEFENSIVE BACK: Hylton Stubbs
There were at least four defensive backs who could have claimed the MVP award but the contest came down to the showcase portion of the camp and Stubbs came out on top. The USC commit used his long arms and anticipation skills to get his hands on the ball on multiple occasions. Stubbs had the length to keep receivers from creating separation and it made quarterbacks force passes into tighter coverage than they realized. He projects as a safety at the next level but he really held his own in man coverage against some of the best receivers in the nation.