The Roadies: Florida State Camp
Advertisement
Parks was one of the first prospects to arrive on Wednesday and turned heads before he ran through a single drill. There's not an ounce of bad weight on Parks, who is all of 6-foot-5 and carried a lean 260 pounds. The fact that he hasn't played a down of his junior season makes his frame all the more impressive.
Strongest
OL Navaughn Donaldson (2017), Miami (Fla.) Central
Donaldson made waves with his build and aggressiveness during Friday's session. He also looked solid in one-on-one drills. He was able to drive defenders backwards with some vigor and also showed a knack for combating speed rushers. Despite lining up at tackle during camp, Donaldson has the body of an impressive guard and may play that spot in college.
Biggest Surprise
DB Val Mayes, Miami (Fla.) Norland
Mayes isn't a total unknown by any stretch. He carries offers from both Louisville and N.C. State. Still, he surpassed expectations on Thursday. He used his extremely long frame and solid ball skills to impress anyone watching. So while he isn't the most athletic defensive back in the country, his size and instructs allowed him to make a splash against high-level receivers. Mayes will likely play safety in college, but it good enough to stick with most targets in man coverage.
Raised Stock
LB Vandarius Cowan (2017), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Cowan had a big week in Tallahassee. He performed well enough on Wednesday to earn a scholarship offer from Florida State and committed on the spot. It was his size, combined with his quickness and ability to move well laterally, that impressed the FSU coaches and anyone else that had a chance to see him work out. Cowan is an unrated member of the class of 2017 for the time being, but that is set to change.
Deep Threat
Kemore Gamble (2017), Miami (Fla.) Southridge
One of the stars of the event's first day, Gamble was hard to cover in one-ones but also looked especially quick during agility drills. Most of the plays he made against live competition were longer than 25 yards, as he used a quick burst to create separation down field. Gamble is as much a tactician as he is an impressive athlete.
Best Quarterback
QB Feleipe Franks, Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla
Franks showed up with his team for Saturday's 7-on-7 tournament and lived up to his lofty rating. The LSU commit was the most well-rounded passer on display all week. He threw a number of deep touchdown passes in his team's first game and showed off touch to go along with incredible arm strength. Franks has every single tool a college looks for in a quarterback. The knock on Frank has been consistence, but he shined on Saturday and avoided lapses.
Strong Arm
Jake Fromm, Warner Robins (Ga.) Houston County
His arm may not be quite as live as Franks', but Fromm can turn heads with velocity nevertheless. That much was clear by the way the ball jumped out of his hand on Thursday. There are some things the four-star prospect needs to hone -- namely footwork and touch -- but the arm strength is there in spades. A handful of fellow campers remarked on how hard Fromm threw the ball, and the FSU staff seemed interested in seeing how he develops. Class-of-2018 quarterback Joey Gatewood also showed off an extremely strong arm during camp.
Most Accurate
Jake Allen (2017), Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas
Allen is quickly developing quite a reputation for accuracy. Days after winning the inaugural Rivals Quarterback Challenge, he picked up an offer from Florida. A day after that took place, the Fort Lauderdale product drove to Tallahassee and impressed everyone in attendance. Allen made only a few poor throws all afternoon, which is made doubly impressive because he's thrown so often in the past week.
Underclassman Achievement
DB Al Blades (2018), Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) University School
Blades is getting longer by the week and he's still putting on muscle. He's already developed impressive coverage skills and has better-than-average speed. Blades will almost certainly posses a safety's build eventually, but he covers like a cornerback. He was nearly unbeaten during Thursday's one-on-one session and showed off some athleticism after drills by stringing together some celebratory front flips.
Best Hands
TE Isaac Nauta, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Nauta dropped roughly one pass during Friday's workout and was dominant in one-on-one drills. His new, leaner frame has provided extra quickness and agility, which Nauta used to make some athletic catches during camp. Not so long ago, Nauta was known as a brute that relied on power to make an impact. These days, he's added versatility and some impressive dexterity.
Hot Flashes
ATH Jamel Cook Miami (Fla.) Central
Cook is a bit of an enigma. The Miami Central High School athlete looks polished and smooth at times but struggles to complete simple tasks at others. Cook made some of the day's most impressive plays at both receiver and cornerback, but he also was responsible for a couple major lapses. Cook is at his best when he is aggressive and physical but tends to get timid and passive at times. He certainly has the athleticism and the frame to be a special player in time. His battle is with consistency.
Rob Cassidy
Southeast Recruiting Analyst
Click Here to view this Link.