Thanks to the UA people for running a very well organized camp from a media perspective. Really liked the way they allowed us plenty of access to the players and overall this was just a very solid event on several levels.
Players who stood out? Look....at this stage of the spring between my own events, others camps along with The Opening I've had more than an eye full of several top names. I can tell you that a well known name like Tyrik Henderson and many others had a "very impressive performances" because they always do and did here as well...yet in 100 percent honesty my focus here was to spend my time focused more on kids who I haven't seen in person yet as well as 2019 names as well. With that in mind....some names to pay attention to from Sunday listed below.
All players are 2018 unless otherwise noted.
DB Antwain Walker Oswego East- second time this off season I've watched Walker and ti's the second time I've been impressed. Walker has a bit more length and reach compared to other defensive backs here and can play as a big corner or even back as a safety. Very good quickness and ball skills as well.
RB Geno Hess Peoria- looks a bit bigger than I remember which is a good thing. Hess had a very strong junior season for the state champion Lions and has the tools to become a very solid FCS level type of back in my opinion.
DB Jabari Fitzpatrick Glenbard North- sat behind some big time names in 2016 so this will be Jabari's chance for a breakout year. Has a good nose for thr football plays hard and is very physical. Has a chance to show well this summer and one day camps will be big here.
QB Coran Taylor Peoria- Illinois commit and this was the second camp I've seen him in live this off season. Taylor has all the tools yet I also feel his game is pretty much restricted in these type of settings. Taylor is so much more than just a pocket passer and events like this one really doesn't show his overall value. Taylor was fine here yet I also trust what I've seen live under the lights from Taylor much more than any camp setting this off season.
DB Dominique Reed Simeon- D Reed just shows up and plays. Really watched him closer here and Reed might be a few pounds lighter than schools want but his overall skills and speed is really impressive. Has a chance to fare better this summer in camps.
TE Logan Lee Orion 2019 - was much better than at The Opening and I attribute that to just being more familiar with the while camp circuit deal. Lee has great size/physical tools and is just a high level athlete type. Lee is already drawing Power 5 offers and that will just continue this spring and summer. Also a very impressive young man off the field as well.
DE Jason Bargy Momence 2019- Bargy appeared on the recruiting radar screen last fall when Illinois extended him an early offer. Bargy is just physically mature beyond his years and easily passes all eyeball tests. Bargy at times did well here yet also struggled as expected and also saw/took very limited reps. Bargy no question has a lot of work to do to reach the elite level at these camps including improving his overall technique...yet just the sheer physical makeup along already places Bargy in the higher tier of Class of 2019 names in Illinois. It's going to be fun to watch him progress over the next 18-24 months.
DL Jeff Griffin H-F- saw Griffin at Boom event and Griffin again did well in this setting. Griffin from a recruiting perspective is a tweener yet he just plays hard and very physical. Has D2 level skills and potential and could wind up playing say LB?
DT Denver Warren West Aurora 2020- no kidding but Warren would of gotten my vote as the MVP of the defensive linemen group along with Elijah Teague and Dashaun Mallory. It's really strange for me to cover and hype up Warren...who has only played one season of varsity football (Aurora Christian in 2016 before transfering to West Aurora in the spring). Yet the eyes don't lie and Warren has the size/quickness and overall game to become a big time name down the road.
LB Cortez Hogans Palatine- now I get why schools are getting excited about Hogans here. Seeing Cortez in person you can see that he has great size and length, shows good quickness and change of direction as well. Hogans will moat likely play OLB at the college level and I feel has MAC level potential here. Impressive kid to talk to as well.
DL Terrion Williams Jr. East St. Louis- overall did well here. Competes hard and also showed a bit of a needed nasty streak in one on ones. Will be somewhat of a tweener for schools positionally I feel but eventually will play inside on the defensive line. Has high level tools and motor.
WR Noah Jones Loyola 2019- terrific looking receiver showed good hands/ball skills runs well and made some very impressive catches in traffic here. Has a chance this summerand coming fall to make an even stronger impression.
OL Hunter Woodard Tuscola- second time seeing the Oklahoma State commit live. Very strong player looked very solid here. Showed good feet and strength and handled pass pro better than I expected for a kid coming out of a mainly run program.
TE Luke Ford Carterville- Little Gronk. Plays with a high motor and also has a high level of athletic ability. Has swagger embraces a challenge and just goes hard on every rep. Also just a great personality kid who just loves the game and isn't afraid to express that to others. Was invited to AA All American game and rightfully so.
DE Devin O'Rourke LW East- O'Rourke just doesn't do very many of these things so it was a nice surprise top see him on Sunday. P'Rourke for me really hasn't skipped a beat from a season ago and Devin seems to just be progressing at a steady pace as a player. Can be dominant at times and has very good quickness and leverage for his size and also has plenty of strength. Still has some work to do on his overall moves and can use his hands a bit better...yet overall this remains one of the state's top names in 2018. Also added a AA Game invited as well.
DT Dashaun Mallory Bolingbrook- another strong camp performance here from Dashaun. Just seems a way to separate himself for the blocker and just gets upfield on all plays and reps. Very good leverage/hands and quickness here. Only real issue keeping major Power 5 offers here is Dashaun maxed out physically? Otherwise? Major Power 5 level player here in my opinion.
OT Jordyn Slaughter Althoff- finally got a chance to see Slaughter (great name FYI). Slaughter is a definite tackle...has long arms and length. Shows very good quickness and feet and has very good overall balance. Seems to have improved his overall strength and seems much more aggresive here compared to his junior video. In a class that is extremely light on OT bodies...I'm sorta shocked more Power 5's haven't at least taken a more harder look at this kid.
DT Will McCabe Fremd- first real time seeing Will in person and Will is a much bigger kid on the hoof than I expected which is a positive. Showed good strength and power in one on ones and moves well for his size. Could improve his overall speed quickness/hands yet will continue to draw a ton of looks this summer. Could McCabe play DE or stay at DT at the next level? Another big question schools will be looking to answer this spring and summer.
Players who stood out? Look....at this stage of the spring between my own events, others camps along with The Opening I've had more than an eye full of several top names. I can tell you that a well known name like Tyrik Henderson and many others had a "very impressive performances" because they always do and did here as well...yet in 100 percent honesty my focus here was to spend my time focused more on kids who I haven't seen in person yet as well as 2019 names as well. With that in mind....some names to pay attention to from Sunday listed below.
All players are 2018 unless otherwise noted.
DB Antwain Walker Oswego East- second time this off season I've watched Walker and ti's the second time I've been impressed. Walker has a bit more length and reach compared to other defensive backs here and can play as a big corner or even back as a safety. Very good quickness and ball skills as well.
RB Geno Hess Peoria- looks a bit bigger than I remember which is a good thing. Hess had a very strong junior season for the state champion Lions and has the tools to become a very solid FCS level type of back in my opinion.
DB Jabari Fitzpatrick Glenbard North- sat behind some big time names in 2016 so this will be Jabari's chance for a breakout year. Has a good nose for thr football plays hard and is very physical. Has a chance to show well this summer and one day camps will be big here.
QB Coran Taylor Peoria- Illinois commit and this was the second camp I've seen him in live this off season. Taylor has all the tools yet I also feel his game is pretty much restricted in these type of settings. Taylor is so much more than just a pocket passer and events like this one really doesn't show his overall value. Taylor was fine here yet I also trust what I've seen live under the lights from Taylor much more than any camp setting this off season.
DB Dominique Reed Simeon- D Reed just shows up and plays. Really watched him closer here and Reed might be a few pounds lighter than schools want but his overall skills and speed is really impressive. Has a chance to fare better this summer in camps.
TE Logan Lee Orion 2019 - was much better than at The Opening and I attribute that to just being more familiar with the while camp circuit deal. Lee has great size/physical tools and is just a high level athlete type. Lee is already drawing Power 5 offers and that will just continue this spring and summer. Also a very impressive young man off the field as well.
DE Jason Bargy Momence 2019- Bargy appeared on the recruiting radar screen last fall when Illinois extended him an early offer. Bargy is just physically mature beyond his years and easily passes all eyeball tests. Bargy at times did well here yet also struggled as expected and also saw/took very limited reps. Bargy no question has a lot of work to do to reach the elite level at these camps including improving his overall technique...yet just the sheer physical makeup along already places Bargy in the higher tier of Class of 2019 names in Illinois. It's going to be fun to watch him progress over the next 18-24 months.
DL Jeff Griffin H-F- saw Griffin at Boom event and Griffin again did well in this setting. Griffin from a recruiting perspective is a tweener yet he just plays hard and very physical. Has D2 level skills and potential and could wind up playing say LB?
DT Denver Warren West Aurora 2020- no kidding but Warren would of gotten my vote as the MVP of the defensive linemen group along with Elijah Teague and Dashaun Mallory. It's really strange for me to cover and hype up Warren...who has only played one season of varsity football (Aurora Christian in 2016 before transfering to West Aurora in the spring). Yet the eyes don't lie and Warren has the size/quickness and overall game to become a big time name down the road.
LB Cortez Hogans Palatine- now I get why schools are getting excited about Hogans here. Seeing Cortez in person you can see that he has great size and length, shows good quickness and change of direction as well. Hogans will moat likely play OLB at the college level and I feel has MAC level potential here. Impressive kid to talk to as well.
DL Terrion Williams Jr. East St. Louis- overall did well here. Competes hard and also showed a bit of a needed nasty streak in one on ones. Will be somewhat of a tweener for schools positionally I feel but eventually will play inside on the defensive line. Has high level tools and motor.
WR Noah Jones Loyola 2019- terrific looking receiver showed good hands/ball skills runs well and made some very impressive catches in traffic here. Has a chance this summerand coming fall to make an even stronger impression.
OL Hunter Woodard Tuscola- second time seeing the Oklahoma State commit live. Very strong player looked very solid here. Showed good feet and strength and handled pass pro better than I expected for a kid coming out of a mainly run program.
TE Luke Ford Carterville- Little Gronk. Plays with a high motor and also has a high level of athletic ability. Has swagger embraces a challenge and just goes hard on every rep. Also just a great personality kid who just loves the game and isn't afraid to express that to others. Was invited to AA All American game and rightfully so.
DE Devin O'Rourke LW East- O'Rourke just doesn't do very many of these things so it was a nice surprise top see him on Sunday. P'Rourke for me really hasn't skipped a beat from a season ago and Devin seems to just be progressing at a steady pace as a player. Can be dominant at times and has very good quickness and leverage for his size and also has plenty of strength. Still has some work to do on his overall moves and can use his hands a bit better...yet overall this remains one of the state's top names in 2018. Also added a AA Game invited as well.
DT Dashaun Mallory Bolingbrook- another strong camp performance here from Dashaun. Just seems a way to separate himself for the blocker and just gets upfield on all plays and reps. Very good leverage/hands and quickness here. Only real issue keeping major Power 5 offers here is Dashaun maxed out physically? Otherwise? Major Power 5 level player here in my opinion.
OT Jordyn Slaughter Althoff- finally got a chance to see Slaughter (great name FYI). Slaughter is a definite tackle...has long arms and length. Shows very good quickness and feet and has very good overall balance. Seems to have improved his overall strength and seems much more aggresive here compared to his junior video. In a class that is extremely light on OT bodies...I'm sorta shocked more Power 5's haven't at least taken a more harder look at this kid.
DT Will McCabe Fremd- first real time seeing Will in person and Will is a much bigger kid on the hoof than I expected which is a positive. Showed good strength and power in one on ones and moves well for his size. Could improve his overall speed quickness/hands yet will continue to draw a ton of looks this summer. Could McCabe play DE or stay at DT at the next level? Another big question schools will be looking to answer this spring and summer.
