Florida prospects had a big opportunity to shine this past weekend with a pair of NFTC events taking place in the state. The packed weekend kicked off on Saturday in the Orlando area with a talented group that included two top-10 ESPN Junior 300 prospects. The action moved south Sunday for the Miami NFTC, which featured a strong group of skilled prospects. There were many good performances throughout the weekend, and here are the Recruiting Nation NFTC Awards highlighting some the top and most notable performers.
The punisher
An unexpected, but pleasant addition to the Orlando NFTC was ESPN Junior 300 prospect Derwin James Jr. The big, physical safety worked out with both the defensive backs and later ran routes with the receivers, where he showed off his good ball skills. On film James’ physical and aggressive nature is very evident, and while the NFTC is a non-padded event, that aspect of his play was still noticeable. Working against the receivers in press drills, the aggressive Florida State commit used his size and strength to often make it tough for receivers to gain any ground up-field. Even at wide receiver, he possesses good top-end speed while still using his size and physical nature to help create space and get open.
All business
Among the top D-Line prospects in the 2015 class, Byron Cowart came to compete at the Orlando NFTC, and in our eyes, put forth the best performance among the defensive linemen. The ESPN Junior 300 prospect took care of business and said he studied some of the OLs who would be in attendance. Between his preparation and natural ability, he had an MVP outing. Checking in at 255 pounds, with a lean muscular build and good physical upside, Cowart is an explosive and strong defender who proved tough to handle in one-on-ones. He took reps on the edge and had some success with a relentless style and active hands. He also took reps inside where he was pretty much unstoppable, creating mismatches with his quickness and strength. Cowart, a good, physical, tenacious football player, didn’t disappoint.
Leaders of the pack
The Miami event offered a strong group of WRs, but Da’Vante Phillips and Calvin Ridley led the way. The lengthy Ridley, a top-five receiver in the ESPN Junior 300, displayed quick strong hands with the ability to consistently extend and pluck the ball from the air. Phillips, who landed the position’s MVP, is a big, physical receiver with good speed. He was tough to cover throughout, consistently using his size and athleticism to get open and make plays.
The big catch
California featured a good group of receivers at last week’s NFTC, but the Sunshine State managed to top it. George Campbell, an excellent athlete with a tall, lengthy frame and outstanding speed, stood out in Orlando, working with the receivers where he likely projects in college. He has shown he can be inconsistent with his hands, but he presents a tough matchup. On Saturday, he did a good job of catching the ball, hauling in most everything thrown his way. Another talented athlete who performed well amongst the receivers was Deon Cain. The ESPN Junior 300 prospect plays QB for his school but is likely to play another position at the next level and displayed some ability at receiver. With solid height and length, he showed good hands as well as body control to make some nice catches. Florida commits Tristan Payton and Deondre Farrier, who took home the WR MVP, also performed well. In Miami, John Burt, a tall, lean receiver with good hands performed well.
The wow factor
The weekend also featured some promising 2016 prospects, including wide receiver Dionte Mullins. Already a prospect on the radar for the next class, Mullins made sure that anyone in attendance at the Miami NFTC who didn’t know who he was left well aware of his talents. He made some tough catches, including a spectacular one-handed grab along the sideline in “routes on air” drills. While he had some wow moments, he consistently displayed great hands and very good body control. Sam Bruce, Nate Craig and Tavares Chase were some other promising underclass WRs competing over the weekend.
Monster back
Standing out among the Orlando NFTC running backs, both physically and ability wise, was ESPN Junior 300 prospect Jacques Patrick. A big back, Patrick was easy to spot amongst his position and his size can allow him to be a tough physical runner in pads. At the NFTC though, he displayed his good speed for his size as well as good ball skills, demonstrating the tools to be a big and well-rounded RB.
The question
Torrance Gibson, who is one of the top athlete prospects in the 2015 class, was in attendance in Miami. A long, lean, wiry and versatile athlete, Gibson displayed excellent ability at receiver, with the tools to be a big-play threat in that role fairly quickly. At the event, the top-15 ESPN Junior 300 prospect worked at QB where he plays in high school. A lefty, with a strong arm, Gibson made some good throws but was also erratic and inconsistent throughout. With a lengthy build, he has a long and tense delivery and needs to keep making strides with his mechanics. There is no question that Gibson is a very talented prospect with big-play ability when the ball is in his hands, but can he best utilize his abilities at QB position or WR? At this stage, it seems he could make a bigger and more immediate impact at receiver.
Shut down
The Miami NFTC featured some good defensive back prospects including tall corner Tarvarus McFadden, but the top performer from that group was Tyrek Cole. The Florida State commit looked sharp in drills and was tough and consistent in one-on-ones. A savvy and competitive corner, he displayed good speed, quick feet and fluid hips.
Big ability
The O-line prospects in Orlando were led by Martez Ivey. A top-10 prospect in the ESPN Junior 300, Ivey is a physically impressive OL, with great height, outstanding wingspan and a nice frame to develop. Flexible and athletic for his size, he demonstrates great upside. In pass pro, he presents a tough obstacle to work around with his frame and long arms. In one-on-ones, he put that reach to good use delivering a nice punch. He is certainly athletic enough to protect the edge, but when he got in trouble it was because of technical error. Ivey needs to just keep developing. Another promising big man in attendance was Abdul Bello. With limited experience at the game, this was his first camp outing, and it showed at times. The 2015 OT has great size and displayed good tools to work with. He has a nice upside.
Encore
At the Elite 11 on Friday, Deondre Francois was the top performer in our eyes. The undersized, but strong-armed QB, was back in attendance on Saturday to compete again. Consistency has proven to be a strength for the talented signal-caller, and that showed with a strong, MVP performance at the NFTC. It’s shaping up to be a strong year for quarterbacks out West, but Francois is proving to be someone to keep an eye on at the position in the Southeast. Florida State commit De'Andre Johnson and promising 2016 QB Feleipe' Franks were two other E11 participants back in action at the NFTC, and both performed well once again.