Hung around the event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday to catch every top UCLA / Pac-12 target at least a couple times. Here were my notes:
Quarterbacks
-Three-star Chase Garbers - Garbers was kind of the epitome of this entire QB class out West this year on Sunday. He had moments where you'd say, "OK, I see it." And then he'd have moments where you're shaking your head. In the first game I watched him, he went probably something like 12-for-15 for a couple scores. In the second game I watched, throwing against the wind, he had half a dozen bad incompletions and an interception. There's not much wrong with his delivery, his body, or his ball, yet there isn't anything elite about any of it either. Kind of just a high three-star guy in my opinion.
-Three-star Nick Sipe - Sipe was the best QB at this event, although that wasn't saying too much. As always, he showed off his big 6-foot-4 frame and great ball placement. He's accurate and his delivery is nice. He doesn't have much pop on the ball, which has been the knock on him from the get-go. He may have a lower floor than Garbers, but I think his ceiling might be higher. Either way, he hasn't heard a word from UCLA.
-2020 Bryce Young - OK, so a million years away here, but Young is Ground Zero's new QB who lit it up in the one game I saw. He said UCLA is the only school he has eyes for. So if he keeps growing, mark this one down three years from now.
Running backs
-Five-star Najee Harris - Another ho hum brilliant day for him. Coming out of the backfield, he was uncoverable. Ground Zero finally had to throw Deommodore Lenoir on him to even slow him down. He had a few drops, but he's a special talent.
-Four-star Stephen Carr - The gap is closing between Carr and Harris quickly in my opinion. Carr performed just as well as Harris, and he's starting to get some grown-man muscles as well. In any other year, we'd be talking about Carr as a "special talent" at RB too. It's just when you juxtapose him with Harris, it makes the narrative a little harder. Either way, I think he's a five-star. UCLA has stopped recruiting him 'cause he's probably going to USC.
-2018 T.J. Pledger - He didn't do much in the games I watched, which is normal for RBs in this environment. I really like him though. He's short, but he's not small, and he's super quick and shifty.
Wide receivers
-Four-star NorCal wideout Isaiah Hodgins was talented. He's very good at high-pointing the football and he has soft hands with a tall and long body. He's going to commit soon, so UCLA is probably out of the picture here. But I'd take him as the lone WR in the 2017 class.
Tight ends
-Four-star Josh Falo - One of the many coach cliches in recruiting is potential gets you fired. I think Falo represents that cliche well. He looks like four million dollars, standing at 6 feet 4, 216 pounds. But he has below average hands and looks completely disinterested in playing. In the three TMP games I watched, he had two catches. I think he's a three-star.
-Three-star Terrance Lang - He really wowed me on Sunday. He's massive - definitely a future D-lineman at 6 feet 6, 260 pounds - but he was so smooth running and catching. It's no surprise Demetrice Martin just offered him on Tuesday morning. For what it's worth, I think he's USC-bound.
-Three-star Erik Krommenhoek - A poor-man's version of Jimmy Jaggers, I thought he opened some eyes on Sunday as well. He too has a huge 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame, but he moves well. He dropped the one ball I saw thrown at him in the two games I watched, but I think he'd be a really nice TE2 in the 2017 class for UCLA (only if UCLA is really committed to this new pro-style offense).
Linebackers
-Four-star Addison Gumbs - He only took three snaps in the three games I watched of TMP (TMP isn't his real 7-on-7 team, so he didn't know any of the plays), but he hung with Carr well for those three reps. We'll have to wait and see for the Nike NorCal camp to see just how high his ceiling is.
-2018 Anthony Booker - A big Crespi linebacker who moved really well and showed off some nice athleticism playing for TMP this weekend. He's close with the McClures, and I'd expect an offer to come if he has a nice spring / fall in front of Angus.
Defensive backs
-Five-star Darnay Holmes - He only played WR in the two games I watched Pro Way play, but he was the most explosive player on the field. Here's a Vine I shot of him that perfectly displays that:
-Four-star Deommodore Lenoir - He was what he always is: A feisty DB who I don't think has enough fluidity or athleticism to play corner in the Pac-12, but he'd be a great safety prospect. He was the only guy who could hang with Najee throughout the day, but he was grabby and struggled to turn and run with him. With his physicality, though, I'd put him at safety and be happy with him.
-Three-star Trajon Cotton - I just don't see it with Cotton. He has a million offers, but I've now seen him a billion times in Vegas 7-on-7 and on Sunday and he's done nothing to make me think he can be effective in the Pac-12. He has no fluidity at all in his backpedal, and anytime the ball was thrown in his zone at safety, it was a catch because he was constantly back there flat-footed. I kind of got the vibe from interviewing him that he's been trying to commit to UCLA, but they've been telling him to hold off. And now I think you can understand why.
-Four-star Thomas Graham - Graham was good on Sunday. He's very good at pressing at the line and throwing wide receivers off their game. He had several pass breakups in the two games I watched him play. I've been pretty vocal about preferring a few other CBs over him (Holmes, Gates, Johnson, maybe even Hicks), but I do think Graham is a Rivals250 cornerback nonetheless.
Quarterbacks
-Three-star Chase Garbers - Garbers was kind of the epitome of this entire QB class out West this year on Sunday. He had moments where you'd say, "OK, I see it." And then he'd have moments where you're shaking your head. In the first game I watched him, he went probably something like 12-for-15 for a couple scores. In the second game I watched, throwing against the wind, he had half a dozen bad incompletions and an interception. There's not much wrong with his delivery, his body, or his ball, yet there isn't anything elite about any of it either. Kind of just a high three-star guy in my opinion.
-Three-star Nick Sipe - Sipe was the best QB at this event, although that wasn't saying too much. As always, he showed off his big 6-foot-4 frame and great ball placement. He's accurate and his delivery is nice. He doesn't have much pop on the ball, which has been the knock on him from the get-go. He may have a lower floor than Garbers, but I think his ceiling might be higher. Either way, he hasn't heard a word from UCLA.
-2020 Bryce Young - OK, so a million years away here, but Young is Ground Zero's new QB who lit it up in the one game I saw. He said UCLA is the only school he has eyes for. So if he keeps growing, mark this one down three years from now.
Running backs
-Five-star Najee Harris - Another ho hum brilliant day for him. Coming out of the backfield, he was uncoverable. Ground Zero finally had to throw Deommodore Lenoir on him to even slow him down. He had a few drops, but he's a special talent.
-Four-star Stephen Carr - The gap is closing between Carr and Harris quickly in my opinion. Carr performed just as well as Harris, and he's starting to get some grown-man muscles as well. In any other year, we'd be talking about Carr as a "special talent" at RB too. It's just when you juxtapose him with Harris, it makes the narrative a little harder. Either way, I think he's a five-star. UCLA has stopped recruiting him 'cause he's probably going to USC.
-2018 T.J. Pledger - He didn't do much in the games I watched, which is normal for RBs in this environment. I really like him though. He's short, but he's not small, and he's super quick and shifty.
Wide receivers
-Four-star NorCal wideout Isaiah Hodgins was talented. He's very good at high-pointing the football and he has soft hands with a tall and long body. He's going to commit soon, so UCLA is probably out of the picture here. But I'd take him as the lone WR in the 2017 class.
Tight ends
-Four-star Josh Falo - One of the many coach cliches in recruiting is potential gets you fired. I think Falo represents that cliche well. He looks like four million dollars, standing at 6 feet 4, 216 pounds. But he has below average hands and looks completely disinterested in playing. In the three TMP games I watched, he had two catches. I think he's a three-star.
-Three-star Terrance Lang - He really wowed me on Sunday. He's massive - definitely a future D-lineman at 6 feet 6, 260 pounds - but he was so smooth running and catching. It's no surprise Demetrice Martin just offered him on Tuesday morning. For what it's worth, I think he's USC-bound.
-Three-star Erik Krommenhoek - A poor-man's version of Jimmy Jaggers, I thought he opened some eyes on Sunday as well. He too has a huge 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame, but he moves well. He dropped the one ball I saw thrown at him in the two games I watched, but I think he'd be a really nice TE2 in the 2017 class for UCLA (only if UCLA is really committed to this new pro-style offense).
Linebackers
-Four-star Addison Gumbs - He only took three snaps in the three games I watched of TMP (TMP isn't his real 7-on-7 team, so he didn't know any of the plays), but he hung with Carr well for those three reps. We'll have to wait and see for the Nike NorCal camp to see just how high his ceiling is.
-2018 Anthony Booker - A big Crespi linebacker who moved really well and showed off some nice athleticism playing for TMP this weekend. He's close with the McClures, and I'd expect an offer to come if he has a nice spring / fall in front of Angus.
Defensive backs
-Five-star Darnay Holmes - He only played WR in the two games I watched Pro Way play, but he was the most explosive player on the field. Here's a Vine I shot of him that perfectly displays that:
-Four-star Deommodore Lenoir - He was what he always is: A feisty DB who I don't think has enough fluidity or athleticism to play corner in the Pac-12, but he'd be a great safety prospect. He was the only guy who could hang with Najee throughout the day, but he was grabby and struggled to turn and run with him. With his physicality, though, I'd put him at safety and be happy with him.
-Three-star Trajon Cotton - I just don't see it with Cotton. He has a million offers, but I've now seen him a billion times in Vegas 7-on-7 and on Sunday and he's done nothing to make me think he can be effective in the Pac-12. He has no fluidity at all in his backpedal, and anytime the ball was thrown in his zone at safety, it was a catch because he was constantly back there flat-footed. I kind of got the vibe from interviewing him that he's been trying to commit to UCLA, but they've been telling him to hold off. And now I think you can understand why.
-Four-star Thomas Graham - Graham was good on Sunday. He's very good at pressing at the line and throwing wide receivers off their game. He had several pass breakups in the two games I watched him play. I've been pretty vocal about preferring a few other CBs over him (Holmes, Gates, Johnson, maybe even Hicks), but I do think Graham is a Rivals250 cornerback nonetheless.
