The first five-stars: Cameron Burrows
They are the best of the best. The players that are wanted by every program and destined to make a big impact at the college level and beyond.
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Rivals.com has identified the first five-star prospects for the 2013 class and is unveiling them this week. Ten prospects have been awarded five-stars but are not ranked at this time and we will profile two each day. The next player to receive the five-star spotlight is Trotwood (Ohio) Trotwood-Madison cornerback Cameron Burrows.
5 stars: Cameron Burrows
Burrows helped lead his team to an undefeated state-championship season in 2011.
HIGHLIGHT REELS
Cameron Burrows, CB, Trotwood (Ohio) Trotwood-Madison
Attributes: 6-1, 195 pounds, 4.46 40
Top schools: Ohio State, Alabama and LSU
Scouting report: Burrows is every bit of his listed 6-1 and 195 pounds. Prospects with that size usually get projected to safety, but Burrows is a lockdown cover corner with great speed and quickness. He played cornerback and saw spot duty on offense as a wide receiver for a Trotwood-Madison team that took home the Division 2 state title this past fall and finished with a perfect 14-0 record. On defense, Burrows finished with 26 solo tackles, 20 assists, 12 pass breakups and four interceptions, including one he returned 80 yards for a touchdown in a state semifinals win. He also added eight receptions for 198 yards and a touchdown.
Analyst's take: "Taller cornerbacks are usually stiffer through the hips, but Burrows suffers from none of the disadvantages his height could cause, and benefits from all of its advantages. He is long and rangy, big and physical. His speed is elite, and he can run with the fastest athletes on the offensive side of the ball. Burrows flips his hips effortlessly and has an overall smooth style playing the game. His size also in an asset in run support, and he can come up and hit like a safety. Trotwood-Madison will sometimes use Burrows at wide receiver and he could legitimately be a Division I prospect at that position. There is no doubt his future is at cornerback, however, and there have been few with his range of abilities to come out of the Midwest in the last decade." - Josh Helmholdt, Midwest Analyst, Rivals.com
Why he's a five-star: "Big cornerbacks are coveted around the nation and at the NFL level because wideouts appear to be getting bigger and bigger. So when you have a prospect like Burrows who has not only height but length in his arms and the ability to cover so much ground easily, he has to be considered an elite prospect. The fact that he's so fluid and athletic at his size is a rarity and he's the type of cornerback who will only add size while maintaining everything else." - Mike Farrell, National Analyst, Rivals.com
His coach says: "His ability to process on the field gives him an advantage because he is such a good student of the game. He takes home two DVDs a week on each opponent. His overall game speed and ability to get in and out of his breaks for a big kid - he is able to sink his hips and settle when they settle. If they try to get him with a double route, he has the ability to flip his hips and get on top of the receiver. He reminds me a lot of Patrick Peterson or Morris Claiborne with his size. Kids who are long and loose, but also with the ability to flip the hips in and out." - Trotwood-Madison coach Maurice Douglass
Odds and ends: Trotwood-Madison head coach Maurice Douglass spent eight years playing defensive back in the NFL, so Burrows has the advantage of gleaning from that knowledge and experience. Burrows is also a standout in the classroom, carrying a 3.5 cumulative GPA and recording a 4.1 GPA in the fall semester. He is considering studying Business or Forensic Science in college. His older brother, Chris, runs track for Arizona State and Burrows himself reached the Ohio state finals in the 4x200 relay as a freshman and the 4x100 relay as a sophomore.
NFL player comparison: Nnamdi Asomugha, Philadelphia Eagles
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