AUSTELL, Ga. – High-profile standouts were on-hand for last week's Atlanta stop of the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas, but so were a number of prospects who were flying under the radar. Several of those lesser-known prospects took advantage of their opportunity to raise their profile.
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Camp should see his stock rise in the coming months. He is an athletic lineman who worked at defensive tackle Sunday and showed good quickness. Tennessee Tech is the only program that has offered, but Georgia has recently started to show interest and others will too once they see him in spring practice. We saw him live for the first time over the weekend and he impressed.
Hill stood out for most of the day in Atlanta. He was lined up at cornerback and, while his future is likely at safety, his performance was strong. Hill is a natural athlete at 6-foot, 189 pounds, and he really flashed quickness and awareness. He should see new offers roll in over the next few months.
Hayes is listed as an athlete because he has played both sides of the ball for years, but he is a defensive back on the next level. Some think safety, some think corner, and some think he could be a combo guy in college. Hayes was good in cat and mouse drills early, then carried that momentum into coverage against some talented wideouts. He had a few pass break-ups and performed well in wet conditions.
Toney may be small but he is exciting. We have seen on film that he is cat quick and tough to contain in space, so seeing him Sunday was another chance to evaluate him. Toney plays with big confidence and he was competing hard Sunday. Some college program is going to get a playmaker in Toney. Size will hurt him with some of the bigger schools, but he can be a real weapon in the slot and on special teams.
A class of 2020 prospect, Griffin actually made his first Rivals Camp Series appearance two years ago as an eighth grader. He has developed nicely over the years and is quickly emerging as a name to watch in his class. The 6-foot-2 prospect was in the mix for quarterback MVP and did a nice job despite the adverse weather conditions. Louisville was the first school to offer but he will likely be adding more in the coming weeks and months.
A versatile prospect who plays both defensive back and running back, Ford made a name for himself on Sunday with his competitive spirit. He took rep after rep in both the open field tackling drill and in receiving one-on-ones, and might have walked away with MVP honors if it weren't for a few passes slipping through his hands on the wet day of action. Ford is still waiting on his first offer.
One of the more polished and experienced passers in attendance, Yates showed good arm strength and anticipation while fitting the ball into tight windows. He also drew praise from the event's coaches, who had him in the mix for MVP consideration. Yates is a dual-threat prospect who already has double-digit offers so he's on the radar to an extent, but is still waiting on his first Power Five offer. North Carolina, where his uncle T.J. Yates was a star, could be the school to watch.
Already ranked as a three-star, Farmer is on our radar, but with the showing he turned in on Sunday he should be on the radar of several more college programs. Farmer is a long, physical defensive back who showed great instincts in the open-field tackling drill and then backed it up with excellent coverage skills during one-on-ones. Oregon, West Virginia and Virginia Tech are among his most notable offers and it wouldn't' be surprising to see schools turn up the heat on him once they get a chance to see him camp in person later this spring.
One of the youngest prospects in attendance, the class of 2021 standout played well against some of the more veteran prospects he faced at the event. Williams already has an excellent base of fundamentals as a coverage man and he showed good anticipation when breaking on the ball. The young brother of Clemson defensive back and former four-star LeAnthony Williams, Williams will get his share of offers.
A 2020 wide receiver who put up big numbers last fall at Atlanta-area powerhouse North Gwinnett, Downs is a shifty slot receiver who was tough for defensive backs to keep up with on Sunday. He's a sharp route-runner with consistent hands and he didn't let the rain impact his performance. Downs already has a number of offers, including Kansas State and NC State, but could see an uptick in interest if he continues to show out like he did this weekend.
