Under Armour Miami Top Performers, Camp Observations
MIAMI -- There's a certain level of expectation at a college football prospect camp in south Florida and the first major event in the area in 2021 didn't disappoint Sunday.
Under Armour's Miami camp stop always provides the latest with the sport's future stars, but the performances often generate their own buzz.
[Related: UA Miami Recruiting Notebook]
Standouts
Nyjalik Kelly - 2022 Defensive End - Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard
Length and bend aren’t just buzzwords when it comes to Kelly’s game and it showed up again on Sunday. He can win with speed and has strong enough hands to stave off a bigger blocker’s punch, but the oohs and ahhs came with his ability to bend and keep his feet without virtually any wasted movement. The Florida State commitment was recognized by the event staff after the standout performance, one that looks more impressive each time we rewind the reps.
Deandre Duffus, 2023 Offensive Lineman, Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna
Coming into his own in the back half of the 2020 season, the momentum continued for Duffus on Sunday against interior defensive line competition. He was the aggressor against smaller defenders and utilized his great extension to neutralize the opponent soon after the ball was snapped. Duffus plays relatively wide, but displayed better change of direction athleticism than his frame suggests, too.
Mario Eugenio, 2022 Defensive Lineman, Tampa (Fla.) Gaither
The Tampa native puts so much pressure on blockers while working the edge, often resulting in his assignment retreating or playing on his heels. On Sunday, the true inside-out arsenal was on display, even against the premiere competition at the event. Eugenio makes his proverbial money with speed and bend, and he won at times with it on this day, but his most impressive rep was an inside move. The emerging recruit capped his head-turning performance, earning him Big Man Challenge honors from the staff, with an inside power move off of his outside foot that left the blocker punching air.
Derrick LeBlanc - 2023 Defensive End - Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola
One of the most coveted rising-juniors nationally, LeBlanc reminded onlookers why with a great combination of snap quickness and hand fighting prowess while coming off the edge. Length, speed and bend are big strengths, and he showed some counter game and lower-body power with inside moves as well.
Trent Ramsey - 2022 Offensive Tackle - Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake
Built like a modern tackle, tall and relatively lean, Ramsey still packs an old-school punch on first contact. It pairs quite well with his wide base and ability to mirror smaller assignments. Finishing power is prevalent on tape and you get the sense that later whistles on Sunday would have helped the Arizona transplant get a few defenders to the turf.
Brandon Inniss - 2023 Wide Receiver - Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) TRU Prep
The most coveted wide receiver prospect in attendance showed onlookers why, as he often does during the football season or offseason circuit. Inniss is effortless off the line of scrimmage with a mature and calculated plan against the press while he can eliminate the cushion against off-man on routine. But where the sophomore really separates himself from the pack is in the intermediate route-running game, where he can win with leverage and power or simply run away from defenders. Each happened Sunday and Inniss is as reliable it gets at the catch point, reemphasizing why all of the Wide Receiver U contenders are heavy after him being a part of their respective next wave.
Santana Fleming - 2023 Wide Receiver - Opa Locka (Fla.) Carol City
If there was a separation award amongst wide receivers Sunday, the Carol City star would have won it. Fleming specializes in the slot, like many of the day’s best, but his combination of speed and fluidity makes him compatible on the outside if need be. The entire skillset was on display during the rising-junior’s first 1-on-1 rep on the afternoon, when he burst off the line, pressed the defender’s hips to get them turned and then decelerating on what looked like an out-breaking route. Instead, Fleming shifted gears to the vertical and left his assignment on skates before pulling in the football on a diving over-the-shoulder catch.
Antonio Robinson - 2023 Defensive Back - Miami (Fla.) Florida Christian
Robinson had one of the better days among the 2023 defensive backs in attendance, especially with the football in the air, where he was hard to miss. Few closed better and played through the hands like he did, something Mississippi State must have seen online considering it offered later Sunday evening. South Carolina and UCF have offered thus far in March, too.
Gregory Gaines - 2022 Wide Receiver - Tampa (Fla.) Tech
A lankier receiver out of the Tampa area, Gaines impressed with swiftness off of the line of scrimmage and through his release as a vertical threat. Not only was Gaines athletic enough for his size to breeze down the field at top gear, but his footwork and hip fluidity are surprisingly clean on the vertical stem, which allowed him to effortlessly turn around and catch quick passes. Gaines took a step back against press coverage when defensive backs could get their hands on him and throw him off the route, but those types of issues are what college strength and conditioning programs are for.
Gemari Sands - 2023 Running Back - Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas
One of the players floating under the radar prior to the camp, Sands provided what could have been one of the most electric plays of the day with a one-handed snag in the back of the end zone. Equipped with an impressive route running prowess and sure hands for a running back, Sands accomplished his goal of making his name more widely known. Overall, Sands elevated himself above the pack in one-on-one drills with linebackers, proving to be the most complete pass-catching back on the field Sunday.
Lymon Marquis - 2022 Defensive Back - Delray Beach (Fla) Atlantic
Possessing a large frame for a defensive back, Marquis consistently utilized his size to win reps against the wide receivers he faced off against. Despite playing safety at Atlantic, Marquis wowed with his coverage skills, primarily his ability to reroute his opposition. Continuously allowing the intended pass-catcher to gain outside leverage with a quick flip of his hips when the ball was snapped, Marquis would force receivers to the boundary, eliminating them from making plays on the ball in bounds.
Cedric Hawkins - 2023 Wide Receiver - Cocoa (Fla.) High School
Silky smooth and sudden: Hawkins was one of the more electric receivers on the field on Sunday thanks to his quickness and ability to change direction effortlessly. Such skills allowed Hawkins to break outside, and up the field, on stutter-step releases and find himself wide open to haul in passes. Hawkins’ hands could use some polishing as seen by a drop and another two uncomfortable catches during the Gauntlet drills, but his fluidity will lead to numerous Power 5 suitors who will look to develop his talent.
Jalen Rogers - 2022 Wide Receiver - Miami (Fla.) Northwestern
His play style can be defined in one word: speed. Noting his speed as his number one strength, Rogers would display the top-tier track skills that he possesses on the field. Finding success with consistency, Rogers would utilize his quick feet to freeze defenders at the top of his route before showing an uncanny burst up the field that very few can contain. Pairing that with soft hands, Rogers was a difficult task for defensive backs despite his quiet status before the event began.
Joseph Kennerly - 2022 wide receiver - Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High School
Another slot receiver type who flashed Sunday, Kennerly doesn’t waste much speed between acceleration and deceleration, getting defensive backs off balance in between. He is a lower-body dominant prospect who played strong at the catch point during the few reps in which he did not create considerable separation. Kennerly, who flashed some leaping ability and ball skills during his best rep, reported a Maryland offer in 2020.
Dylan McNamara, 2022 Quarterback, Naples (Fla.) Barron Collier
One of the more consistent quarterbacks of the group in terms of accuracy, McNamara flashed sufficient zip to the middle of the field on a couple of passes but could have stood to sharpen his anticipation ever-so-slightly in order to be perfect on such passes. McNamara also uncorked a pretty deep ball that fell off of the fingertips of his receiver, who was jammed slightly on the second part of his double-move route, slowing the play down. Although most of the camp’s 2022 signal-callers were undersized, McNamara does offer intrigue at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds.
Observations
- Julian Armella was the talk of the event before it started because of his trim frame, dropping down from 320 pounds to 290 or so. The Miami (Fla.) Columbus offensive lineman created more conversation in working beyond his projected left tackle spot against a good defensive line crop when the 1-on-1 portion of the camp commenced. In fact, one of the nation’s most coveted lineman looked more comfortable working inside at guard and center, flashing some of the most dominant wins while kicked inside. Armella was bested by trench MVP Mario Eugenio, more times than not, while at left tackle Sunday. Perhaps the best reps he took Sunday was an indication of not just versatility, but his likely landing spot at the collegiate level next year.
- Shemar Stewart, likely the best talent to see the field on Sunday, saw limited action at the event due to lingering shoulder and knee injuries he suffered elsewhere. Operating off to the side for the majority of the morning, Stewart was unable to display his talents in a large capacity. However, when he did participate alongside fellow camp goers, Stewart would shine in comparison. Namely, when going through bag drills, the defensive lineman would effortlessly glide through the drill with surprising nimbleness for someone with a bum knee.
- Pearce Spurlin is a unique athlete at 6'6", 220 pounds. He has scholarship offers as a big pass catcher and wing player on the basketball court, alike, averaging 20 points and 9 rebounds per game this season. On Sunday, the Georgia commitment worked at wide receiver, where he held his own as a route runner who makes up ground in a hurry. Spurlin also flashed the ability to make a tough catch, an understatement on the rep that was widely considered the catch of the day (below). Spurlin will look to play both football and basketball in college.
- Tyreak Allen is a 2022 defensive back out of Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee who made sure to get his reps in both on the outside and the inside during 1-on-1s. While he gave up a few receptions, he was always at the catch point and made several successful plays on the football. Well put-together as a potential hybrid cover man, there is no panic in Allen’s game when the ball is in the air and his timing was equally as impressive. This recruitment has yet to take off.
- How about a rising-freshman? Class of 2025 Clearwater (Fla.) Calvary Christian quarterback Davi Belfort displayed above-average ball placement and nice touch on pass attempts down the field in one-on-one drills. Providing viewers with a number of solid passes outside the numbers and towards the sideline, Belfort’s balls consistently found the receiver’s hands. Showing a skillset that is well-above the development curve for someone his age, Belfort hung with the 2022 and 2023 talent on the field, proving he was worthy of the multiple Division I offers from Arizona State and Florida Atlantic he earned during his eighth-grade year.
Notes
- The Under Armour All-American Camp in Miami garnered interest from a number of big-name stars, including Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman and current St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) defensive coordinator Jason Taylor, and University of Miami head football coach Manny Diaz. Jefferson, who set the NFL rookie catch record in 2020, helped coach up the wide receivers in attendance. He concluded the camp in Miami with a speech to the aspiring wide receivers, defensive backs and quarterbacks. Taylor’s presence came alongside St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Roger Harriott to view the multitude of Aquinas athletes, including Taylor’s son Mason, participating. Diaz quite possibly became the first head coach to evaluate talent as part of the recruiting dead period with his presence on Sunday. According to the NCAA, his attendance was permitted as his son was considered a participant in the event.
- Prospects from beyond Sunshine State lines traveled to compete, including some from California, Utah, Mississippi and Georgia. The two Utah participants were both on the offensive line, in Skyridge prospects Tapuvae Amaama and Hunter Moss. Each had successful reps when challenged on the interior, with Amaama getting separate recognition from the on-site staff at the events conclusion.
- A bevy of top defensive back recruits in town, including Jacolby Spells, Trevell Mullen and Daemon Fagan, went through drills but didn't compete during 1-on-1s. Tampa (Fla.) Catholic star defensive back and linebacker Lewis Carter worked out at linebacker, where he was among the best in coverage against running backs.
Zach Goodall and Brandon Carroll contributed to this feature.
More from SI All-American
Top 25 Team Recruiting Rankings
GOAT Recruiting Class Conversation Begins with 2017 Alabama
2021 All-Decommit Team: Offense | Defense
--
Follow SI All-American's college football and basketball recruiting coverage here on SIAllAmerican.com as well as on social media, @SIAllAmerican on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and now on YouTube.