REDONDO BEACH, Calif. -- A new season of the Nike Football Training Camp circuit got kicked off this past weekend in Los Angeles with a strong showing. It was a large turnout and had some good prospects, including several in the ESPN Junior 300. It is a strong year for quarterbacks out West, and that was on display at Redondo Union High School. The wide receivers and linemen also featured a good deal of talent. Here are the Recruiting Nation NFTC Awards, highlighting the top performers.
QB1
It was a strong collection of signal-callers competing at the NFTC, including two who are within the top 25 of the ESPN Junior 300. One of those was USC verbal commit Ricky Town (Ventura, Calif./Saint Bonaventure), who displayed nice physical upside and very good arm strength as expected. Notre Dame commit Blake Barnett (Corona, Calif./Santiago), a long, lean passer with deceptive athleticism and good touch and accuracy, also had a solid showing. While a few other QBs could garner some recognition, the top performer was Josh Rosen (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco). A cool, confident competitor, he displayed good arm strength and accuracy and was a consistent performer throughout the event. Despite the talent on hand at this position, it was no real shock that Rosen came away with the MVP. We felt he had edged out the rest of the group with his performance.
Mr. Double Duty
Iman Marshall (Long Beach, Calif./Poly), one of the top defensive prospects on hand, put in some work with the offense during the event. An athletic corner with excellent size, the prospect known as "Biggie" went through initial drills with the defensive backs. He looked sharp working at his natural position. displayed quick feet and had a smoothness to him. As the event progressed, he switched over to offense and worked with the receivers. A good-sized target, he displayed speed, impressive hands and the ability to go up and attack the ball at its highest point, all skills that can help him to be an excellent corner. We still feel the ESPN Junior 300 cornerback's best fit is on defense, but the big and athletic Marshall showed he can be a versatile asset.
The Top Catch
There were some talented receivers in attendance, including ESPN Junior 300s Christian Kirk (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) and Cordell Broadus (Las Vegas/Bishop Gorman). Kirk lacks ideal height but possesses a thick muscular build that's more like a running back. He displayed a nice initial burst, soft hands and very good body control, all of which we expected off his film. Broadus is a big target with impressive hands and body control. He performed well. A player who created some buzz with his performance was Trent Irwin (Newhall, Calif./Hart), another good-sized target with very good hands.
Name To Learn, Name To Know
WR Equanimeous St. Brown (Anaheim, Calif./Servite) has one of the more interesting names of the 2015 class, but more importantly he has ability that can make him one of the more interesting receiving prospects in this class. He intrigued us on film, and we were eager to see him in action this past weekend. He didn’t disappoint. A long, lean target, he was a little inconsistent with his hands, but he displayed good ball skills. St. Brown is intriguing because he's smooth for his build, and he can separate from and make defenders miss after the catch.
Disruptive Pass-Rushers
Keisean Lucier-South (Orange, Calif./Lutheran) took home the DL MVP. The long, lean and athletic end made a strong case for that honor. With his length, initial quicks and the ability to quickly redirect, Lucier-South was tough to handle. He told me prior to the event that he will be moving to OLB for his senior season. Depending on scheme and further physical development, he could play DE in college or potentially fit well in a hybrid role. Another top DL prospect in attendance was Rasheem Green (Gardena, Calif./Serra), who had his moments as well. A prospect with impressive size and ongoing physical upside, Green was disruptive in one-on-one battles. He was active with his hands and possesses enough lateral mobility to effectively work double moves. In one rep against OG Tevita Halalilo (Moreno Valley, Calif./ Rancho Verde), the strong and explosive lineman was able to show off his skills, working a swim move and getting Halalilo off balance and finish the big offensive lineman by knocking him past the QB.
Houston, We Don’t Have A Problem
At linebacker, John Houston Jr. (Gardena, Calif./Serra) stood out and took home LB MVP honors. That wasn't surprising. A long, lean ‘backer with a great frame to develop, he is athletic with speed, burst and the ability to change directions well. He needs to keep filling out, but he displays good recognition and was strong when we saw him in coverage drills.
Tough Obstacles
On the O-line, Fred Ulu-Perry (Honolulu/Saint Louis) made the trip worth it by landing OL MVP honors. He lacks ideal height but possesses good bulk and very good playing strength. He did a good job of quickly getting hands on rushers and stayed in front of rushers once he locked on. OT Bar Milo (West Hills, Calif./Chaminade) also caught our attention with a strong performance. A player with a a frame to develop, he was able to set quickly and displayed a kick-step. He was also impressive with his hands.
Tomorrow Is A New Day
Off recent film study, one prospect we were interested to see was Oregon commit Zach Okun (Newbury, Calif./Newbury Park). When we saw him on film, the big physical guard displayed solid playing strength and short-area agility for his size. However,the NFTC one-on-ones were rough for the ESPN 300 candidate. Okun was beat on one rep with quickness and another rep when he set too high and was overpowered. One thing we didn’t see from him at the NFTC in pass protection was his powerful punch, which could have helped lead to better results. On film, Okun displayed the ability to deliver a jarring initial punch. Had he done a better job with his hands, we feel like we might have seen more of the player we expected to see. One key thing to remember is that this was one afternoon in a non-padded drill. While Okun had a bad day, he is not a bad prospect. We hope and would fully expect him to keep working and become a better player after this experience.