My first "official" college camp tour began on Wednesday night to NIU as the Huskies hosted it's first camp of the season with it's NIU Passing Academy Camp. The camp was strictly skill based and included QB/WR/TE along with DB/LB only so no linemen took part in this camp.....NIU will host two separate Big Dawg linemen camp later this month (one of which I'm planning to attend).
NIU had a terrific showing for this camp and the staff admitted that the walk up registration was much bigger than they expected....yet the NIU staff did a great job of handling a big group of campers and the camp ran incredibly smooth. Also of note...Wednesday night was maybe the best weather day ever in the history of NIU....seriously it always seems that NIU is either freezing, windy and/or 100 degrees with 100 percent humidity...and the weather for this camp was ideal.
Thanks as always to NIU head coach Thomas Hammock and the rest of the NIU staff for always welcoming me and making me feel comfortable....NIU continues to be just great host.
So Who Stood Out? (again when it comes to summer camps I generally focus more on the underclassmen group 2024/2025 kids.... but I will also take notes of 2023 who I've either not seen in person or who had a strong showing as well here). I also focus on State of Illinois kids only from these various camps FYI.
Lake Zurich S Tyler Erkman 2023- Erkman no question is a pretty high level athlete who showed some real quickness and twitch here. Erkman ran a strong 40 yard dash and was simply one of the better all around athletes here. Erkman checked in at 6-foot-0, 173 pounds and seems to have the potential of adding a bit more weight and size over the next year or so. Could easily become a FCS/D2 scholarship level player or a very interesting PWO candidate at the higher level.
Simeon WR Cameron Ashely 2023- Cameron Ashley is a pretty consistently strong camp performer and was very solid here as well. Ashley is just a very good overall athlete who has good hands and was able to show his strength in positional drill work. Ashley in my eyes is a potential FCS/D2 level talent who is yet another name I can see getting some PWO interest at say the low D1/high FCS schools this fall and winter.
Sacred Heart Griffin WR Keshon Singleton 2023- Keshon Singleton is another consistently steady performer who I felt had a solid camp here. Singleton is already college ready physically and has impressive ball skills and also took to coaching really well and was able to make quick adjustments.
Vernon Hills QB Nolan Lazor 2023- Big kid physically (6-foot-4, 183 pounds) who impressed me in the testing phase of this camp. Lazor showed some quickness and explosiveness at various testing stations and I can see more schools take a harder look at him this summer.
Favour Okhavhe TE Palatine 2023- I believe this was the first time I was able to see Favour in person and he did not disappoint, Overall was strong in the combine testing portion of this camp. I was also impressed with Favour's physical makeup and he's already in many ways college ready physically. Could become a FBS level name this fall.
Daniel Fitzpatrick QB St. Laurence 2023- Had a very solid showing in the combine testing phase and his overall size, strength and athletic ability was really solid. Unfortunately I didn't get to see Daniel throw it a ton here...but I can see more and more schools getting involved with him this summer and fall.
Kaiden Miller WR Grayslake Central 2023- Bigger, thicker kid at receiver who has really good strength, quickness and just ran and performed well here. Miller had a very productive season in 2021 for the Rams and I filly expect more colleges to take a harder look ay Miller this summer and fall.
Eli Meier QB Sycamore 2023- Eli Meier also ran well and tested well here. Meier has a live arm and was able to throw the football pretty well here. Yet for me, his overall testing numbers and showing in the combine phase was eye opening in a real positive way.
Kyle Thomas WR Marian Catholic 2023- Kyle Thomas was easily one of the top overall performers at this camp. Thomas, who played quarterback for Marian Catholic worked out at receiver here and showed impressive speed, quickness and twitch. Thomas also was able to catch the football consistently well with his hands, has really impressive first few steps and explosiveness. I see Thomas as a sure fire FBS recruit with a chance to develop into a multi-year starter at the college level at receiver.
Brandon Amaniampong TE Downers Grove South 2023- Brandon has added quite a bit of size and muscle and weighted in at 217 pounds and is no question a much bigger and stronger player this summer. Amaniampong was very solid in positional drill work and will be a lower FBS to high FCS recruit.
Anu Ajibulu WR Hoffman Estates 2023- A speedy thicker and stronger inside slot type who was also tested well in the combine phase of this camp. Anu has really good feet and quickness, and seems to be able to get to full speed in a few short steps.
Burke Gautcher QB Sycamore 2025- Might have been one of the top overall performers here at least in the testing/combine phase of this camp. Gautcher is listed as a quarterback and while I didn't see him throw it much here...he's no question a twitchy quick and highly athletic player on the rise in the 2025 class. It will be fun to see how Gautcher develops over the next few seasons at Sycamore.
AJ Palicki QB Willowbrook 2024- Palicki has been on my radar screen for over a year plus and he continues to make nice overall progress on his overall game. Palicki has good size (6-foot-23, 200 pounds) and is a big, strong kid with an impressive arm and upside. Palicki actually ran and tested better than I expected and n improving his overall speed and quickness this off season.
Josh Holst QB Marengo 2023- One of the more interesting names to watch this summer in the 2023 class. Holst is also a good sized athlete who I feel could end up playing QB or say WR/S at a high college level. At 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, Holst will add more good weight and more muscle over the next year plus and his testing numbers matched his upside in a real positive way. I can see say an NIU end up in offering Holst.
NIU had a terrific showing for this camp and the staff admitted that the walk up registration was much bigger than they expected....yet the NIU staff did a great job of handling a big group of campers and the camp ran incredibly smooth. Also of note...Wednesday night was maybe the best weather day ever in the history of NIU....seriously it always seems that NIU is either freezing, windy and/or 100 degrees with 100 percent humidity...and the weather for this camp was ideal.
Thanks as always to NIU head coach Thomas Hammock and the rest of the NIU staff for always welcoming me and making me feel comfortable....NIU continues to be just great host.
So Who Stood Out? (again when it comes to summer camps I generally focus more on the underclassmen group 2024/2025 kids.... but I will also take notes of 2023 who I've either not seen in person or who had a strong showing as well here). I also focus on State of Illinois kids only from these various camps FYI.
Lake Zurich S Tyler Erkman 2023- Erkman no question is a pretty high level athlete who showed some real quickness and twitch here. Erkman ran a strong 40 yard dash and was simply one of the better all around athletes here. Erkman checked in at 6-foot-0, 173 pounds and seems to have the potential of adding a bit more weight and size over the next year or so. Could easily become a FCS/D2 scholarship level player or a very interesting PWO candidate at the higher level.
Simeon WR Cameron Ashely 2023- Cameron Ashley is a pretty consistently strong camp performer and was very solid here as well. Ashley is just a very good overall athlete who has good hands and was able to show his strength in positional drill work. Ashley in my eyes is a potential FCS/D2 level talent who is yet another name I can see getting some PWO interest at say the low D1/high FCS schools this fall and winter.
Sacred Heart Griffin WR Keshon Singleton 2023- Keshon Singleton is another consistently steady performer who I felt had a solid camp here. Singleton is already college ready physically and has impressive ball skills and also took to coaching really well and was able to make quick adjustments.
Vernon Hills QB Nolan Lazor 2023- Big kid physically (6-foot-4, 183 pounds) who impressed me in the testing phase of this camp. Lazor showed some quickness and explosiveness at various testing stations and I can see more schools take a harder look at him this summer.
Favour Okhavhe TE Palatine 2023- I believe this was the first time I was able to see Favour in person and he did not disappoint, Overall was strong in the combine testing portion of this camp. I was also impressed with Favour's physical makeup and he's already in many ways college ready physically. Could become a FBS level name this fall.
Daniel Fitzpatrick QB St. Laurence 2023- Had a very solid showing in the combine testing phase and his overall size, strength and athletic ability was really solid. Unfortunately I didn't get to see Daniel throw it a ton here...but I can see more and more schools getting involved with him this summer and fall.
Kaiden Miller WR Grayslake Central 2023- Bigger, thicker kid at receiver who has really good strength, quickness and just ran and performed well here. Miller had a very productive season in 2021 for the Rams and I filly expect more colleges to take a harder look ay Miller this summer and fall.
Eli Meier QB Sycamore 2023- Eli Meier also ran well and tested well here. Meier has a live arm and was able to throw the football pretty well here. Yet for me, his overall testing numbers and showing in the combine phase was eye opening in a real positive way.
Kyle Thomas WR Marian Catholic 2023- Kyle Thomas was easily one of the top overall performers at this camp. Thomas, who played quarterback for Marian Catholic worked out at receiver here and showed impressive speed, quickness and twitch. Thomas also was able to catch the football consistently well with his hands, has really impressive first few steps and explosiveness. I see Thomas as a sure fire FBS recruit with a chance to develop into a multi-year starter at the college level at receiver.
Brandon Amaniampong TE Downers Grove South 2023- Brandon has added quite a bit of size and muscle and weighted in at 217 pounds and is no question a much bigger and stronger player this summer. Amaniampong was very solid in positional drill work and will be a lower FBS to high FCS recruit.
Anu Ajibulu WR Hoffman Estates 2023- A speedy thicker and stronger inside slot type who was also tested well in the combine phase of this camp. Anu has really good feet and quickness, and seems to be able to get to full speed in a few short steps.
Burke Gautcher QB Sycamore 2025- Might have been one of the top overall performers here at least in the testing/combine phase of this camp. Gautcher is listed as a quarterback and while I didn't see him throw it much here...he's no question a twitchy quick and highly athletic player on the rise in the 2025 class. It will be fun to see how Gautcher develops over the next few seasons at Sycamore.
AJ Palicki QB Willowbrook 2024- Palicki has been on my radar screen for over a year plus and he continues to make nice overall progress on his overall game. Palicki has good size (6-foot-23, 200 pounds) and is a big, strong kid with an impressive arm and upside. Palicki actually ran and tested better than I expected and n improving his overall speed and quickness this off season.
Josh Holst QB Marengo 2023- One of the more interesting names to watch this summer in the 2023 class. Holst is also a good sized athlete who I feel could end up playing QB or say WR/S at a high college level. At 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, Holst will add more good weight and more muscle over the next year plus and his testing numbers matched his upside in a real positive way. I can see say an NIU end up in offering Holst.
