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Published Jun 29, 2018
The biggest surprises from #RivalsChallenge
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Chad Simmons  •  Rivals.com
Recruiting Analyst
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@ChadSimmons_

Speed’s not all in the South

When you come to any event with prospects from all over the country and there is a speed competition, then many would expect the fastest players to be from the South. Not this year at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge. Out of the players who competed in the Fastest Man Competition, the fastest 40 time went to 2020 defensive back Kelee Ringo (4.56 seconds) out of Arizona. Missouri athlete Jameson Williams (4.57 seconds) was second. The South was well represented, but the fastest guys in this event were from the Midwest and West regions.

Webb is human  

Every time we have seen five-star center Clay Webb, he has been dominant. On Thursday, he was just good. He showed he is not a superhero, but human. When his team needed him in the Lineman Challenge, he stepped up and won the battle to give his team the victory. He struggled some, though, mostly with Virginia commit Jowon Briggs. Webb is still clearly one of the top offensive linemen in the country, however, and will be pursued by Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and LSU, among others.

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South Florida DE dominated  

When we saw Khris Bogle at the first Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas in Miami back in February, he dominated. The No. 3 weakside defensive end was even better Thursday. He was named MVP for the defensive line, and it was not really that close. He looks like a wide receiver on the hoof and showed great quickness off the ball and the ability to win inside and outside. Miami is viewed as the favorite for the local product.

West Coast three-star got noticed  

There were a lot of outstanding, highly ranked wide receivers inside Mercedes-Benz on Thursday, and many had their moments. But McKel Broussard came in somewhat under the radar as a recruit and held his own. He has a 5.5 Rivals rating and offers from Florida Atlantic and Rice, but he outplayed that offer list Thursday. He flashed consistent hands, he was smooth out of his breaks and he had a better performance than many would expect by looking at his offer list.

Constantin has some hands 

After the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp in Mobile (Ala.), linebacker Bryton Constantin moved up to four-star status and a 5.8 rivals rating. After the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, the Clemson commit out of Louisiana will continue to ascend up the rankings. He had three interceptions, helped his team reach the championship game and was the top linebacker in coverage from start to finish. The rising star showed great feet, instincts and reaction throughout the day. See a few of his interceptions below.

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Shamar has some serious speed 

Shamar McCollum was a handful for any offensive lineman he lined up against.His speed off the ball created a buzz inside Mercedes-Benz, especially during the first session. He has a nice offer list with offers from Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina and Oregon, among others. But with his length, quickness and frame, he looked like he deserves more.

Wake Forest got a steal  

Nolan Groulx was at one time committed to Wisconsin, but he is now on the Wake Forest commitment list. A couple of his teammates Thursday called his play “dirty” and “tough.” One compared him to Christian McCaffrey. He runs precise routes, he has sticky hands and he made play after play throughout the day.

Palmer brings versatility    

Trey Palmer is mostly known for his play at wide receiver, but he shined on both sides of the ball Thursday. He may have even played better at cornerback. What he showed was how talented of an athlete he is. Palmer is planning to release a top five next week and we expect home-state school LSU to be on it. Many feel the Tigers are the favorite.

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