The annual Rise and Fire Camp took part on Sunday as the Class of 2022/2023 Top QB's took the field at Wheaton St. Francis High School. The Rise and Fire Camp is the creation of QB Coach Greg Holcomb and this was the last of several camps held over the past weekend. Rise and Fire held a Youth Level camp along with a 2024/2025 player camp as well separate from Sunday's event. The Rise and Fire camp has been highly successful on several levels. Holcomb is a very hands and very personable coach and teacher and this camp is no question very quarterback focused. The overall talent level is always impressive and this camp draws various quarterback from Illinois and beyond. The positions here includes QB/WR/LB and DB and all of the positions have several top coaches and lots of teaching and instruction goes on besides one on ones.
I was at this campo from 930AM until roughly 1PM and had to leave a bit earlier than I expected due to a family obligation (Fathers Day) but felt I had more than adequate time to see and evaluate all in attendance, and in particular I focused heavily on the QB position.
My Take: Rise and Fire Sunday 2022/2023 Top QB's
So Who Stood Out?
Wide Receivers
0 Cameron Ashley Simeon 2023- Didn't know much about Ashley going into this camp but he's an interesting name to watch this summer and fall. Ashley has very good size/strength and also caught the football consistently well. Could be a multi-positional player just from his sheer athletic upside.
5 Camron Jackson Naperville North 2023- Not a real big kid but he's more of a slot back type. Jackson has really good strength and speed and has a bag full of moves in the open field. It will be interesting to see if he hits the varsity level this season and he could become a major game breaker type.
6 Eddie Kasper Wheaton Academy 2022- Steady Eddie here. An excellent route runner with decent quickness and excellent hands. Always seems to make a hard catch look easy and he just plays with a high level of confidence.
14 Malik Armstrong Minooka 2022- The NIU commit is just starting to scratch the surface of what his game can become at the college level. Armstrong is a long and athletic kid with impressive speed and quickness. Armstrong has also greatly improved catching the football with his hands and his overall strength and size will just continue to improve.
22 Charlie Newton Payton Prep 2023- Charlie is another consistently strong receiver who has very good size and strength. Newton also runs very good routes, has good speed and feet and is another name who could end up drawing recruiting looks at say WR/S.
29 Trevor Hudak Minooka 2022- I was impressed with Hudak this past spring season and he was very good here as well on Sunday. Hudak has decent size, runs hard and just seems to raise his game in one on ones. Hudak was a big time target thisspring season who just made big play after big play and has FCS/D2 level ability in my opinion.
31 Blake Lawson St. Francis 2022- Lawson just caught my eye in positional work and in one on ones. Has very good hands, is a consistent route runner and his overall game helped separate him from the pack at this camp on Sunday.
Defensive Backs and Linebackers
2 Red Justin Taylor Nazareth Academy 2023- Justin Taylor is always at any major camp and he's been switching between defensive back and receiver. Taylor is a very high level athlete who excels at either position. Taylor runs well, can flip his hips, plants then explodes out of his breaks naturally. Taylor also has good overall instincts, knows when to gamble and break on the football and has very good hands and ball skills and awareness. Next up for me regarding Justin Taylor is seeing it on the field starting this fall, but right now I feel he has a chance to play at a high level in college. How high? Check back again this fall.
8 Shea Gaffney Glenbard North 2022- It's just something about GBN defensive backs who just seem to want it more. Gaffney had a strong camp here in my opinion. He plays with a high motor, showed good overall tols and technique. He looks like more of a safety at the college level but in this setting he was able to play the football well and was physical all day here.
30 Ross Dansdill Wheaton South 2023- Big strong Wheaton kid who I feel could also end up playing as a rush end at the higher levels in college. Dansdill has impressive size (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) and let;'s face it being an ILB at these passing events is a disadvantage. Yet Dansdill competed, made some nice plays and improved his overall cover skills. Looking forward to seeing his development over the next year plus.
23 Kahlil Tate Kenwood 2023- Easily the top dog here. Tate in many ways is the real deal in my opinion. tate has very good size and speed, runs well and is again just a very high level athlete. Tate was able to close on the defender quickly, has good overall technique and was able to outfight the receiver for the football more times than not. Tate has the potential to become a Power 5 level cornerback and he just seems to get better each time I see him in person.
I was at this campo from 930AM until roughly 1PM and had to leave a bit earlier than I expected due to a family obligation (Fathers Day) but felt I had more than adequate time to see and evaluate all in attendance, and in particular I focused heavily on the QB position.
My Take: Rise and Fire Sunday 2022/2023 Top QB's
So Who Stood Out?
Wide Receivers
0 Cameron Ashley Simeon 2023- Didn't know much about Ashley going into this camp but he's an interesting name to watch this summer and fall. Ashley has very good size/strength and also caught the football consistently well. Could be a multi-positional player just from his sheer athletic upside.
5 Camron Jackson Naperville North 2023- Not a real big kid but he's more of a slot back type. Jackson has really good strength and speed and has a bag full of moves in the open field. It will be interesting to see if he hits the varsity level this season and he could become a major game breaker type.
6 Eddie Kasper Wheaton Academy 2022- Steady Eddie here. An excellent route runner with decent quickness and excellent hands. Always seems to make a hard catch look easy and he just plays with a high level of confidence.
14 Malik Armstrong Minooka 2022- The NIU commit is just starting to scratch the surface of what his game can become at the college level. Armstrong is a long and athletic kid with impressive speed and quickness. Armstrong has also greatly improved catching the football with his hands and his overall strength and size will just continue to improve.
22 Charlie Newton Payton Prep 2023- Charlie is another consistently strong receiver who has very good size and strength. Newton also runs very good routes, has good speed and feet and is another name who could end up drawing recruiting looks at say WR/S.
29 Trevor Hudak Minooka 2022- I was impressed with Hudak this past spring season and he was very good here as well on Sunday. Hudak has decent size, runs hard and just seems to raise his game in one on ones. Hudak was a big time target thisspring season who just made big play after big play and has FCS/D2 level ability in my opinion.
31 Blake Lawson St. Francis 2022- Lawson just caught my eye in positional work and in one on ones. Has very good hands, is a consistent route runner and his overall game helped separate him from the pack at this camp on Sunday.
Defensive Backs and Linebackers
2 Red Justin Taylor Nazareth Academy 2023- Justin Taylor is always at any major camp and he's been switching between defensive back and receiver. Taylor is a very high level athlete who excels at either position. Taylor runs well, can flip his hips, plants then explodes out of his breaks naturally. Taylor also has good overall instincts, knows when to gamble and break on the football and has very good hands and ball skills and awareness. Next up for me regarding Justin Taylor is seeing it on the field starting this fall, but right now I feel he has a chance to play at a high level in college. How high? Check back again this fall.
8 Shea Gaffney Glenbard North 2022- It's just something about GBN defensive backs who just seem to want it more. Gaffney had a strong camp here in my opinion. He plays with a high motor, showed good overall tols and technique. He looks like more of a safety at the college level but in this setting he was able to play the football well and was physical all day here.
30 Ross Dansdill Wheaton South 2023- Big strong Wheaton kid who I feel could also end up playing as a rush end at the higher levels in college. Dansdill has impressive size (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) and let;'s face it being an ILB at these passing events is a disadvantage. Yet Dansdill competed, made some nice plays and improved his overall cover skills. Looking forward to seeing his development over the next year plus.
23 Kahlil Tate Kenwood 2023- Easily the top dog here. Tate in many ways is the real deal in my opinion. tate has very good size and speed, runs well and is again just a very high level athlete. Tate was able to close on the defender quickly, has good overall technique and was able to outfight the receiver for the football more times than not. Tate has the potential to become a Power 5 level cornerback and he just seems to get better each time I see him in person.
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