Top Juniors Compete at Under Armour Future 50 Camp
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hours before some of the nation's top seniors battle on national television as part of the Under Armour All-America Game Thursday, the next wave of top athletes were showcased in the Under Armour Future 50 Camp.
Each position group worked out simultaneously, beginning with individual drill work mixed in with select athletic testing, before breaking into the competitive portion of the camp. Skill position players participated in one-on-one passing drills and eventually half-field 7-on-7 while the trench prospects went through an extensive one-on-one passing drill session.
SI All-American roamed around the field but spent most of its time with the line prospects Thursday.
Maason Smith (video above) was the most consistent performer of the group. How good? In between missing a few go-rounds while getting re-taped in the locker room, the Houma (La.) Terrebonne defensive tackle went a clean five for five during competition. At least by our count, the powerful prospect was the only undefeated linemen in the field because of his combination of strength and quickness. No wonder two dozen programs, including LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Penn State, Oklahoma and others, have already joined the offer list.
While Smith certainly flashed along the way, his wins were very workman-like in nature. Good leverage and technique, less flash. On the other end of the spectrum among defensive tackles, Jamesburg (N.J.) Bergen Catholic's Tywonne Malone may have flashed the most. His initial move worked out to perfection at least three times, creating plenty of space between he and the blocker assigned to him. More than two dozen programs have offered.
On the edge, Floridian Cade Denhoff and Texan Landon Jackson looked similar both on the hoof, each standing 6-foot-5 or so, and after the snap. Denhoff bent well and Jackson had a strong counter move inside after threatening the speed rush he could win with. The most active pass rusher may have been in-state Florida pledge Tyreak Sapp, who is as polished and versatile as an underclassman can hope to be.
On the offensive side of the ball, where there were less bodies available while top prospects Amarius Mims (knee) and Tommy Brockermeyer (labrum) sat out, the group was overall strong. The other Brockermeyer, James, worked at center and won more reps than any other offensive line prospect. He plays with a strong base and gets on his defender quicker than most. Few redirected as well as he did in the limited showing.
On the edge, Clarkson (Mich.) Garrett Dellinger looked like a classic Big Ten talent. He played patient in getting depth but was often the aggressor thereafter. Armed with more than a dozen offers, he got a pair of pass rushers on the ground with his punch and timing. Michigan commitment Giovanni El-Hadi started the event on the slow end but recovered well through the rest of the competition portion to finish with more wins than otherwise.
Skill Position Notes
- A pair of Florida natives at wide receiver stood out within the wide receiver group all afternoon long in Agiye Hall and Mario Williams. The compare and contrast between the 6-foot-3 Hall and 5-foot-10 Williams, who may be end up as the top two prospects at the position in the state for the 2021 class, isn't going away any time soon.
Williams excelled with his start-stop ability in drills and flashed explosion when the ball was in the air. Hall may have scored the most "touchdowns" on the day, finding the hole in zones during the 7-on-7 portion while using his long frame to play vertically during one-on-ones.
Agiye Hall following the Under Armour Future 50 Camp
John Garcia, Jr.
The group emerging for Hall's recruitment, set to end in March, is LSU, Alabama and Clemson. He's visited all but LSU but plans on being in Baton Rouge this spring. Williams has a similar group of programs in the mix like Oklahoma, LSU and Alabama among others.
- Three of the other wide receivers in the bigger-body mold stood out at different points. Ohio State commitment Marvin Harrison, Jr. (yes, that Marvin Harrison's son), Clemson commitment Decari Collins and the undeclared Isaiah Brevard (Southaven, Miss.) turned heads. Harrison, Jr. has the length and quickness to create separation early or late in the route. Collins' combination of length and polish just lends itself to what Clemson has long done at the position. Brevard may have the quickest change of direction among the bigger bodies at the event.
- Notre Dame tight end commitment Cane Berrong looks like he can do a bit of everything the position demands. On this day, of course, it was about his ability as a pass-catcher and he made a strong impression. The junior comes out of his stance on a good plane and gets to top speed relatively quickly. But what separates Berrong from other young tight end prospects is his route-running and strong hands. He can stick his foot in the dirt and track the ball like a wide receiver at the top of the route.
- Among the smaller quarterback group, Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga dual-threat Caleb Williams impressed with his consistency. He appeared to have the strongest arm at the event and at least two of the receivers on hand mentioned as much. USC commitment Jake Garcia competed with Williams most closely in the footwork drills and appears to have added some mass to his 6-foot-3 frame.
- At least when SIAA peeked at the 7-on-7 portion of the camp, no defender affected the football quite like Tony Grimes did. The uncommitted Virginia Beach (Va.) Princess Anne standout checks the physical boxes with an ideal cornerback frame in the 6-foot, 185-pound range but pairs it with great instincts when the ball is up for grabs. Grimes took chances and undercut some throws while getting plenty vertical to hit the apex on others.
- Florida defensive back commitment Clinton Burton, Jr., out of prospect factory Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy, also flashed in the secondary. One of the coaches on hand noted the future Gator's footwork and hips being a bit ahead of the pack on the afternoon. Burton also proved fluid in his transitions and tracked the ball well.