Weekend Visitors & Camps (June 14-17)

[ellitor 33,062]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Bo Nix in Jordan-Hare Stadium pic.twitter.com/DYrqaguKlc

— Benjamin Wolk (@benjaminwolk) June 14, 2018

Bo Nix is good, too. pic.twitter.com/HRbyw6kANI

— Jeffrey Lee (@JLeeAURivals) June 14, 2018

And another one... pic.twitter.com/2C1vGOSeLA

— Jeffrey Lee (@JLeeAURivals) June 14, 2018

[ellitor 33,062]

Ja’Varrius Johnson goes up and gets it. Tight battle here between Thompson + Hewitt — the two teams led by Alabama QB commits. pic.twitter.com/MWH4Br4JXB

— Benjamin Wolk (@benjaminwolk) June 14, 2018

New Auburn WR commit Ja’Varrius Johnson is good. Here he catches a touchdown pass against Thompson. pic.twitter.com/Kb14UJx1ay

— Jeffrey Lee (@JLeeAURivals) June 14, 2018

[Cardin Drake 1,805]

Ok, I'm completely sold now on Ja'Varrius Johnson.  War Eagle!

[ellitor 33,062]

OP updated. Added some stuff.

Edited June 15, 2018 by ellitor

[wareagleguy 1,393]

My nephew is at the camp this weekend. This is his third camp in the last week and a half. 

He was excited to meet some of the coaches and learn from them. 

[ellitor 33,062]

3* DE/DT target Jamond Gordon is on campus per a free post from Keith.

[ellitor 33,062]

 

Quote

 

Top Performers: Auburn 7-on-7 Passing Tournament

ByJohn Garcia Jr

 

AUBURN, Ala. -- Nearly 40 high schools were represented on Thursday at Auburn University, competing in 7-on-7 action from morning until nightfall. In between, there was an offensive/defensive line competition as hundreds of players put in work on a bevy of fields, culminating with the championship game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Phenix City (Ala.) Central would hold on to defeat Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson thanks to a big early lead and late defensive stand on a two-point conversion attempt to claim the crown from Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. Leading up to that point, several college football prospects caught our attention at 247Sports.

Prospects are not listed in any particular order and are listed based solely on Thursday's effort.

Bo Nix - What more can be said about Bo? The Pinson (Ala.) Pinson Valley quarterback led his team nearly all the way to the championship on his future home stadium turf. The four-star Auburn pledge did so with a variety of launch angles and wow plays mixed into his usual, consistent, take-what-the-defense-gives-him mentality. But Nix was willing to take more risks at this event, showcasing more arm strength than often given credit for, and it resulted in a deep run that shouldn't have ended in the semifinal considering his would-be game winner of a throw was dropped by the intended target in the end zone. The future Tiger went over and pulled up the intended target, embarrassed by the mistake, immediately after it went down to encourage him to focus on the next step instead of the previous.

Taulia Tagovailoa - Comparisons to his big brother aside, the Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson star continues to showcase a very strong arm and equally quick release in every setting this offseason. Leading the Warriors to the title game out of a deep field of high school teams from three states, no passer created more buzz than the Alabama commitment on the day. Folks who have seen him for years were impressed just as much as those seeing him in action for the first time with the drive on the ball, touch down the field and ability to fit the ball into tight windows. He also helped some new wide receiver targets emerge for the first time, particularly the guy who probably caught more passes than any other on the day in slot talent Kyle Smoak. The Tagovailoa vs. Nix Iron Bowl preview never materialized, but the duo was best in show once again.

Peter Parrish/Tucker Melton - The group that beat both standout QBs was a combination effort from Phenix City (Ala.) Central High School. The champion Red Devils won it on the 2019 arm, Parrish, as well as the 2020 arm of Melton, who has yet to collect his initial offer despite plenty of arm strength on a 6-foot-3 frame. Parrish was the steadier of the two on the short to intermediate routes, taking what the defense presented, while Melton was trying to push the football down the field (often successfully) at any given turn. Parrish has come a long way in the last year with his throwing motion and accuracy and Melton's big arm was the clincher in the championship run, capped by a dime, over-the-shoulder throw on a wheel route to extend a late lead.

Eddie Williams - Whether it was Parrish of Melton at the helm for Central, the long 2020 wide receiver was their top outside target. He gains ground in a hurry and can high-point the ball on the ideal frame, so it created a lot of space for him to work underneath as the day went on. Williams has room to fill out the 6-foot-3 frame and add strength, but his ability to catch the ball away from his body and route-running consistency has hit another level, part of the reason the semi-local Auburn Tigers jumped in with his most recent SEC offer. Those close to him, including elite class of 2018 Central wide receiver and current Clemson freshman Justyn Ross, think he has the tools to be one of the premiere wide receiver prospects in the 2020 group.

Kamaar Bell - There was a trench talent portion of the day Thursday and although it was shorter, nobody was as consistent as Bell. The big Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County offensive lineman worked exclusively at center and didn't clearly lose a rep while 247Sports was focused on that portion of the day. He is a wide body who few try to attack internally, so he was prepared for and combated those trying to use speed, quickness and sophisticated pass rush moves to defeat him. Bell anticipated spins, fakes and lateral cuts and handled each with power and a solid punch. The senior will play in the SEC at the next level with Alabama, Auburn and Florida dominating the current conversation surrounding his name.

Ja'Varrius Johnson - The most recent Auburn commitment and Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville wide receiver got to put on at his future home and was the most consistently dominant pass catcher Thursday. Through some nine games he played in, he was able to beat defensive backs in just about every way. Johnson could simply run by most with his 4.4 speed, set up others with double moves as he continues to develop as a route-runner, and also make a slew of contested catches despite his 5-foot-9, 170 pounds or so frame. He is simply a big play waiting to happen and will be a name who continues to turn heads on Friday nights and probably in the recruiting rankings, too.

Javion Cohen - Another Central Red Devil standout, this one comes in the trenches. There was special attention for the 6-foot-5, 275-pound offensive tackle recruit in the 2020 class. He has long arms and stays light on his feet against speed rushers and shows more power than he looks like he could against the bigger bodies he faces. Cohen is still somewhat raw in his technique and will need to add mass moving forward, but it's safe to say his current list of offers -- Troy and Alabama A&M -- won't sit at two much longer.

Omari Porter - The defensive back with the most attention on the day was probably the Auburn (Ala.) High School prospect. The son of Auburn assistant coach Larry Porter, the junior talent washed away all talk of his name being the sole reason he's received a boost in his recruitment this offseason. He is a big secondary standout at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds with room to grow, and he plays a fluid game at that coveted size. The debate on cornerback, where he worked all day Thursday, and safety may well ware on, but not the debate about his potential as a Power 5 prospect. Porter can push his pedal, maintain leverage and play the football at its highest point. Straight-line speed questions could become a part of the dialogue but it wasn't an issue against top competition Thursday.

Kristian Story - Another 2020 standout, the versatile Lanett (Ala.) star plays all over the field for the defending state champions. On Thursday we saw him at quarterback, his bread and butter position, as well as wide receiver, cornerback and safety with his athleticism. Story flashed at all of them, part of the reason he is considered an athlete by 247Sports, but the conversation could begin shifting back to the quarterback position as he progresses. The storng-armed Tennessee commitment was accurate and pushed the ball down the field and beyond the numbers all day long despite yet to really focus on the position in any offseason, something he's going to do for the first time in 2018 complete with a trip to the Manning Passing Academy later this month. His coach and father, Clifford Story, said Tennessee and other SEC programs are considering projecting him solely as a passer now more than ever. Alabama gets him on campus next.

Cortlin Martin - The trench battles were largely won by the offensive line Thursday, but the Prichard (Ala.) Blount front-seven defender more than held his own among all linemen putting in work. He has been an inside linebacker and stand-up pass rusher since starting as a high school freshman, but worked as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive tackle and defensive end Thursday with great success. Martin is compact at 6-foot-1 with great hands, power and technique at 265 pounds or so. When he won reps, it happened in a hurry. Guards were too slow for him and tackles weren't powerful enough for this unique defensive prospect. Martin's projected position could range all over the place, but he's simply a productive football player with a strong motor and physical ability moving forward.

 

 

[doc4aday 1,887]

 

Of Sheffield committing this weekend?

Edited June 16, 2018 by doc4aday

[ellitor 33,062]

24 minutes ago, doc4aday said:

Of Sheffield committing this weekend?

Unlikely. He’s not visiting this weekend 

[doc4aday 1,887]

1 minute ago, ellitor said:

Unlikely. He’s not visiting this weekend 

I thought he was on campus this weekend. Thanks for the update. Do you think we will get any commitments this weekend? 

[ellitor 33,062]

2 minutes ago, doc4aday said:

I thought he was on campus this weekend. Thanks for the update. Do you think we will get any commitments this weekend? 

Maybe. Been discussed in the 2019 Recruiting and Jamond Gordon threads.

[doc4aday 1,887]

compared from this time last year, do we have more commitments at this point or less? I loved our 2018 class and hope 2019 will be as good or better.

[ellitor 33,062]

15 minutes ago, doc4aday said:

compared from this time last year, do we have more commitments at this point or less?

 More. We have nine commits now, 10 when you consider the likelihood of Handy going on scholarship after January  and counting  to the 2019 class. Last year at this time we had six commits. 

[toddc 13,194]

Just now, ellitor said:

 More. We have nine commits now, 10 when you consider the likelihood of Handy going on scholarship after January  and counting  to the 2019 class. Last year at this time we had six commits. 

Probably higher rating too on average!

[doc4aday 1,887]

Gus seems bullish on the 2019 class of which is a good thing. We need to get some quality OL though to make this the class we want. I think once we get some OL commits, things will improve.

[ellitor 33,062]

7 hours ago, toddc said:

Probably higher rating too on average!

Not by much with Ja'Varius being rated so low at the moment,

[wareagleguy 1,393]

So my dad took my nephew to the camp, he said Grimes did a lot of yelling! He said if any player jumped early or slacked, they all had to pay the penalty! 

CGM told them that last year we were close, but this year we're getting over the hump. 

My dad met/talked to CCL and CKS. He also talked to Willie Whitehead. I believe he's now in the ATL area and had brought a couple of guys over.