REDONDO BEACH, Calif. -- Thoughts on USC prospects at the Los Angeles Nike Football Training Camp held Sunday at Redondo Union High School:
Ricky Town (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure) came out and was one of the elite players in a very good group of quarterbacks. His delivery is so smooth and he had the added advantage of throwing the majority of reps to one of his favorite receivers, teammate, Lavan Alston (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure). When the QBs gathered for early drills, Town quickly took the first spot in line, something that any coach will appreciate to see from the QB position. The Trojans got a good one.
As has been custom in recent years, the receiver position was loaded. Christian Kirk (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) was the top all-around receiver with good, smooth crisp routes and the ability to get deep. He is very muscular in the upper body and one onlooker said he was reminiscent of Steve Smith from the Carolina Panthers, which was a good comparison.
There were a pair of taller receivers who really caught my eye in Cordell Broadus (Las Vegas/Bishop Gorman) and Equanimeous St. Brown (Anaheim, Calif./Servite). What impressed me the most about Broadus was the use of his hands; he caught everything out front with his huge hands and didn’t let the ball get to his body. Broadus also won several battles for ball that were thrown high -- he was better going up for the ball than going down low to get it. St. Brown is reminiscent of former USC receiver Patrick Turner with his frame, and he was very competitive today. I liked one route that saw St. Brown catch the ball, stop on a dime, and then make a cut to freeze the defender, allowing him to break for long yardage.
Two other receivers to note were Jaylinn Hawkins (Buena Park, Calif./Buena Park) and Trent Irwin (Newhall, Calif./Hart). Hawkins made a couple nice catches in traffic, while Irwin continued his pattern of putting on a show anytime he steps on the field. Irwin has been a fixture on the 7-on-7 scene since eighth grade and is really maturing into his game. His routes are so crisp, and you better not sleep on his speed either. Stanford recently offered Irwin and appears to be the likely destination.
It wasn’t the same kind of star power on the O-line that we saw last year when Damien Mama, Viane Talamaivao and Toa Lobendahn were in attendance (Mama and Talamaivao stopped by the camp today) but there were a couple prospects that stood out. Keenan Walker (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) looks the part; he was pretty strong and the camp coaches praised his work ethic. The MVP at the position was Fred Ulu-Perry Jr. (Honolulu/St. Louis), an interior line prospect who is thick, stout and talented. Ulu-Perry impressed at the Los Angeles NFTC last year and didn’t disappoint this time around.
Flipping it over to defense, Rasheem Green (Gardena, Calif./Serra) looks like a man-child and backed it up with some pretty good play; his upside is very high. Vaimoe Sekona (Encino, Calif./Crespi) received a USC offer last week and looks the part. Jacob Daniel (Fresno, Calif./Clovis North) also passes the eyeball test -- he was in attendance at the camp but did not participate. If the Trojans can choose from this trio for the interior of the D-line they will be in good shape. Defensive end Keisean Lucier-South (Orange, Calif./Lutheran) proved why he’s one of USC’s top priorities by taking home position MVP honors and an invite to The Opening. Another end who looked good was Trevor Howard (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian).
The linebacker group was headlined by the athletic John Houston Jr. (Gardena, Calif./Serra), and it doesn’t take much projecting to see that he’ll grow into the ideal LB size. Houston earned an invite to The Opening with his play, as he moves well and has a quick first step. Another Serra linebacker to watch is Corey Adolphus -- some people at the school compare him to 2014 USC signee Olajuwon Tucker. Ben Humphreys (Santa Ana, Calif/Mater Dei) took home position MVP honors, and Christian Rector (Los Angeles/Loyola) is another good one that USC offered last week. I also liked class of 2016 prospect Lokeni Toailoa (Rialto, Calif./Carter).
The defensive back position might have been the most loaded at the camp. Iman Marshall (Long Beach, Calif./Poly) was as good as advertised early in the day with multiple interceptions before leaving with a minor injury. There is a lot of talk about the possibility of Marshall growing into a safety, but for now he’s one of the best corners out there. His technique is so fundamentally strong -- as it usually is with Poly defensive backs -- and he combines it with solid size for a formidable package. The position MVP was Dechaun Holiday (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills) and he is even taller than Marshall -- Holiday says he is 6-foot-3. Holiday also he knows a position switch to safety might be in the future, but for now he is a corner.
They call Stanley Norman (Gardena, Calif./Serra) “Scrappy”, and it doesn’t take long to understand why he has that nickname. Norman is aggressive and very active as a corner. He didn’t back down from any receiver and was probably the player who improved his stock the most. I also liked Frank Buncom IV (San Diego/St. Augustine), Mike Bell (Perris, Calif./Citrus Hill) and Malik Psalms (Chino Hills, Calif./Ayala). Two underclassmen to watch are Micah Croom (Long Beach, Calif./Poly), a tall safety with loads of potential, and speedy Darnay Holmes (Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park).
There was a strong USC presence at the event. Willie McGinest and Curtis Conway were there to work with the athletes, Pat Harlow was there to watch his son, Cole Harlow (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente), while 2014 signees Adoree' Jackson, Jalen Greene, Talamaivao and Mama were all in attendance as well. New Trojans defensive line coach Chris Wilson was also there, which was allowed since his son, Caleb Wilson (Gardena, Calif./Serra), took part in the camp. Caleb Wilson enrolled as a QB at Serra when his father took the job at USC.