What recruits have you seen play?

[DMoney]

We've all seen clips, but what recruits have you seen in person or on TV? Did they impress you?

Here's what I've seen:

Duke Johnson (once live, twice TV)- Everybody knows the deal with this one. Special player. He looks bigger and more physical in person than you'd think.

Keith Brown (once live, twice TV)- Solid player. Not an elite playmaker, but not a bystander either. Just a quality linebacker. Looked to be a good leader, engaged with his teammates and in the game. Very good short-area explosion, forced a fumble with a nasty hit when I saw him live. A little stiff but not bad in coverage. Plays with effort and is physical. Don't see him as a star but a nice piece who improves the makeup of the defense physically and character wise.

Ereck Flowers (once TV)- Pure LT. Everything you want from an athleticism/flexibility standpoint, but what really impressed me was his consistent technique and finishing. He will be here in spring and looks like he has a chance to play early.

Malcolm Lewis (once TV)- The definition of QB-friendly. Quick out of his breaks, instinctual and sure-handed. This, along with his deceptive size, should get him the receiver rotation as a true freshman.

Deon Bush (twice live)- Didn't really do much of anything, but was rarely challenged by a Wing-T offense. Definitely passes the look test. See him as a corner all the way.

Wes Brown (camp)- A camp setting is a tough place to evaluate a running back. With that said, everything Brown showed at our camp was superb. Great size (thick frame, long arms and strong hands) to go along with athleticism that stood out among South Florida athletes. Very smooth and natural with surprising top-end speed. He just made things look easy. Destroyed everyone who tried to cover him one on one and was the best overall player at the camp (including 2013 5* Derrick Henry).

Let's hear your breakdowns.

 

[Larry]

David Thompson(baseball, lulz) - Dude's a stud. I see no reason why that boy can't be a first round baseball draft pick, and I've seen guys like Hosmer and some other SoFla studs up close and personal for years.

Norland boys...Duke Johnson is a stud. Keith Brown is one of those typical SoFla athletes that's not quite a football player yet, but you can see its there...Ereck Flowers is on another level as a tackle in SoFla. Best OL prospect in the area, IMO. Guy just mauls. Teko Powell could move, but he's kinda small.

Jelani Hamilton...just saw him on TV, but I can see him being a stack end that grows into a nice 280+.

Raphy Kirby...saw him on TV a few times...He can run. Not exactly fluid in his change of direction, which can be said of pretty much all of our linebackers, but he can run. He's what I call a "seek and destroy" linebacker.

Rayshawn Jenkins...saw him on TV...he's good.

Miramar boys...I think Lewis can ball. I like Mathis and think we should offer, not as much as I liked Sted, but I like Mathis and would bring him in.

If you told me Tracy Howard wasn't the best corner in the nation, I'd tell you to show me who is better. My guess is I'd convince you otherwise. The same can be said for Duke Johnson at RB. Show me someone better. The only guy on clips that might compare is Keith Marshall from NC. Those two were treats to see because they really are special players. Flowers was possibly the best of the bunch I saw after those two. Like I've said before, he plays like Michael Oher did when the light came on. Just throws kids around.

 

[DMoney]

Some thoughts from other boards (Miami and national)

infinitypanther (Pitt fan)- Yes, Garmon can play. He is a very versatile prospect who can play a lot of different positions at the college level. I could easily see him at RB, WR, OLB, S, or H-back. As a running back he is very fast for his size and can pull away from the defense. He is more north/south running back, not real "shifty". I've also seen him make plays as a defensive back. I can't remember if he was a safety or corner though. So would definitely be a great prospect to land mostly due to his speed and versatility.

The thought was always that he would end up at a Big Ten school until recently. The only B1G school left on his list is Iowa and his lead recruiter, Rick Kaczenski, just left for Nebraska. He seems to like Miami a lot.

ugaboz (Georgia fan)- Raphael Kirby is a good player, wont wow you but would love to have em

Silver_Red (Georgia fan)- Kirby is a classic 4-3 OLB - and, is a very good "football" player. As has been mentioned, he won't wow you w/ any flash, big hits, etc... However, he makes all the plays that he is asked to make. His game is very comparable to that of Sean Spence. He should be a good player for the "U."

rnb2002- I saw Keith Brown, Erek Flowers, Randy Johnson, Reggie Northrup, Malcolm Lewis, Tracey Howard all here in Orlando for the state finals...

Keith Brown: Physically looks ready for college ball, sideline to sideline and fills gaps extremely well, was actually more impressed with Northrup than Brown as a overall prospect.

Erek Flowers: HUGE! Great wall of Norland

Randy Johnson: Have been going to these finals since they have been here in Orlando and this kid is the most dominant, elusive, overall exciting prospect I have ever seen. He is small in height, but muscle wise is very defined and cut.

Reggie Northrup: Came away very impressed with his play against Manatee. Has very good size and speed... The only thing I saw that left a bad taste was when First Coast was out of the game, it seemed he didn't give it his all late in the game.

Malcolm Lewis: Would say he is anywhere from 5'11 to 6' in height and is well built for his size. His TD catch was simply amazing for a high school athlete and some of his other catches showed his hands and wiggle. Plant played a very sound game defensively.

Tracey Howard: Looks like a college cornerback. Had a pick on a rollout pass by the Plant QB, other than that pass he wasn't tested much. Howard had a hard time though shedding blocks when plant ran the ball. Plant running back had some big runs on Howards side of the field.

 

[DMoney]

Some more...

CityBoyCane- Jean-Louis didn't impress me at all. Talked alot trash before the game, had to sit out the first half due to disciplinary reasons, then when he did get in the game he didn't do much. They threw his way 3 times. One pass he let our CB make a break on it and slap it out of his hands, another pass he caught and got tackled right away and another pass he simply just quit running his route and let our Safety intercept it. We came away from the game trying to figure out why he was so highly touted. He wasn't big nor fast.

*Deon Bush didn't make a single play in the game I watched against Columbus. He honestly looked like he didn't even wanna be on the field. I'm assuming he'll play CB on the next level because he looked clueless at Safety. He couldn't get off his "spot" and make a play on the ball. He was late breaking on everything and surprisingly he played soft. He wasn't aggressive towards ball carriers or the ball itself. (when it was in the air going his way) He just simply didn't look like he wanted to compete. He even had recruiters on the sidelines saying negative comments about his level of play. (not gonna say names) On a more positive note, I think he can be a stud CB. I've seen his 1-on-1 coverage ability and it's pretty impressive.

*Malcolm Lewis is a good player. Not super fast but very shifty. He can cut on a dime without losing speed. He's a little thicker then you would think, specifically in the lower body. Good hands too. I've never seen him drop a ball.

The most impressive kids I've seen in person...

*John Witt - Kid is an animal.
*Stacey Coley (WR from Northeast)
*Justin Furgeson (WR from Flanagan)
*Jeremy Smith (ATH from Flanagan)
*Gabriel Terry - freak athlete

561Canes- People think we are joking when we say that AJL's youtube sophmore highlights blew him up. Dude didn't do crap his Junior year and his Senior year was down right horrible. Baffles me everyday why he's getting so much attention, while you have other guys way better than him flying under the radar and not getting the love like he is getting from everyone.

I want him to do well but he's not been living up to the hype. Hopefully it's due to him being denied getting transferred to Park Vista High and then denied again when tried to transfer to Glades Day. I'm thinking he shut it down once he got repremainded by his coaches at Palm Beach Central and said ***** the season I am going to UM anyway when he committed early in April. Hopefully he puts it together because he has the talent to do so and kick the knuckle head attitude out the door.

 

[DMoney]

One more...

GOCANES!!!- I got to see alot from tv but try to get out when a few good guys are playing each other...

James Burgess- is fast and a big hitter needs to fill out

Deon Bush- is so physically dominant he gets away with some mistakes and he still has room to grow he will be a big safety by the time he leaves if he commits

Vernon Davis- is like a blanket I have heard he needs some form work but I couldnt see it

Nate Dortch- is so under ranked its not funny when he fills out you will love him

Ereck Flowers- Beast pushes people around right now when he gets to college he will need to use more tech.

Jelani Hamilton- was playing hurt most of the season this year but was still the best player on STA last year I saw him and litterally said please god let this kid go to miami

Larry Hope- he is also under rated just needs to fill out great coverage skills

Daniel Isidora- I like the way he plays hes an old school tough guy it seems

Angelo Jean-Louis- SOOoo fast and cuts on a dime but he shined a little more as a WR when I saw him but I hear we want him at corner

Randy Johnson- if he isn't one of the top 3 backs in this class I would be shocked

Malcolm Lewis- I saw a replay of his state gam on tv with "the catch" he owned alot of really good players in that game

Earl Moore- someone compaired him to John Randle recently and I like the compairison

Reggie Northrup- he is a big strong fast kid can avoid blocks pretty easily but I would say he needs some work getting off blocks

Gabriel Terry- I had never heard of this kid when I saw him but was impressed by his pass rushing skills

David Thompson- Jake Locker clone from washington... he can throw, run, tough runs over kids as a qb [ he should probably stop that some time soon lol]

Herb Waters- only saw him play 7-7 but he has sick range on defense and was open all day on offense

Josh Witt- saw him against STA and was shocked he was the best athlete on the field... honestly if he went to STA he would be a 4-5* no doubt

 

[skyman]

im more critcal then most, if I hear your name bubble around and go check you out and you dont do crap against the mostly 5'7 kid who will never play ball again after high school, I dont see how you will plan to do it against other kids of similar talent but thats just me. With the disclaimer out of the way.

Norland cats- maybe 5-7 times in the last 2 years, Everyone knows duke now, but the first time I think I saw him live was against Sammy Watkins and south ft meyers, dude scored a td in EVERY phase of the game (maybe 2 on O, a INT to the house, and a KR). Sammy did his thing and was also my first time seeing him but that night Duke was the best player on the field (when you take into account Sammy was most likely the best freshman in the nation, hmm). Keith have always kept my eye on him and all the times I have seen him he has made VERY few plays, a kid with his measurables should be KILLING these cats and he just doesnt do it. I think alot of people WANT to see him be that guy but it just hasnt happened. Either way you recruit the kid and hedge your bets with actual football players at said position and just hope the reward pays off. Flowers is just one of those guys who has just exploded going into his senior year , he really took a giant step and hopefully he has the want to to keep it up at the next level.

AJ Leggett- 2 times live. He needs some good weight at the next level but kid is just soo smooth in and out of his breaks, looks really comfortable playing zone (something you RARELY see down here) and would of fit in nice since we play 13 yards off, lol. Technically you cant ask for more from a high school kid, love the way he jumps the ball. Just a natural.

Deon Bush- maybe 3-4 times. Not a safety, another measurable kid who you hedge your bets with more natural players but has a very high ceiling if he hits so you take the chance. BUT at corner, he plays mostly safety for his team and doesnt really have the skills you look for in a safety. If you get him stick him at corner and try to develop him.

Matthew Thomas (not sure if only this year, he is a jr at BTW)3 times- Sometimes you get production with limited upside, or you get measurables but just more potential. Matt is both, you couldnt draw up a recruit better and he performs everytime I have seen him. He gets off blocks, he runs down the line, he hits, he covers ALOT of ground, and on goalline he looks just as good at TE when they throw him the ball. IMPACT player, Cant miss, like Duke should be the foundation of the next class. SICK athlete.

Dalvin Cook- (soph. for Central)3 times- Everyone knows about Yearby and for good reason, but this kid is also special and may have higher upside. A little taller, a little leaner, a little more explosive. I think he ended the year with approx. 900 yrds on like 90 carries. He doesnt really get touches and the central coaches NEVER put them on the field at the same time but kid is special. Plain and simple. Yearby is the workhorse for Central though, he carries more weight on his frame but man Dalvin just makes plays.




Im sure there is more but those are the guys off the top of my head that I have seen live.

 

[ARJB]

One more...

GOCANES!!!- I got to see alot from tv but try to get out when a few good guys are playing each other...

James Burgess- is fast and a big hitter needs to fill out

Deon Bush- is so physically dominant he gets away with some mistakes and he still has room to grow he will be a big safety by the time he leaves if he commits

Vernon Davis- is like a blanket I have heard he needs some form work but I couldnt see it

Nate Dortch- is so under ranked its not funny when he fills out you will love him

Ereck Flowers- Beast pushes people around right now when he gets to college he will need to use more tech.

Jelani Hamilton- was playing hurt most of the season this year but was still the best player on STA last year I saw him and litterally said please god let this kid go to miami

Larry Hope- he is also under rated just needs to fill out great coverage skills

Daniel Isidora- I like the way he plays hes an old school tough guy it seems

Angelo Jean-Louis- SOOoo fast and cuts on a dime but he shined a little more as a WR when I saw him but I hear we want him at corner

Randy Johnson- if he isn't one of the top 3 backs in this class I would be shocked

Malcolm Lewis- I saw a replay of his state gam on tv with "the catch" he owned alot of really good players in that game

Earl Moore- someone compaired him to John Randle recently and I like the compairison

Reggie Northrup- he is a big strong fast kid can avoid blocks pretty easily but I would say he needs some work getting off blocks

Gabriel Terry- I had never heard of this kid when I saw him but was impressed by his pass rushing skills

David Thompson- Jake Locker clone from washington... he can throw, run, tough runs over kids as a qb [ he should probably stop that some time soon lol]

Herb Waters- only saw him play 7-7 but he has sick range on defense and was open all day on offense

Josh Witt- saw him against STA and was shocked he was the best athlete on the field... honestly if he went to STA he would be a 4-5* no doubt

Well this guys seems to be a little bit overly optimistic.

 

[tjl1388]

Lucas Thompson live at a West Orange game.

Decent range, hits like a truck, great in run support. Shaky on pass coverage.

 

[AllbouttheU]

One more...

GOCANES!!!- I got to see alot from tv but try to get out when a few good guys are playing each other...

James Burgess- is fast and a big hitter needs to fill out

Deon Bush- is so physically dominant he gets away with some mistakes and he still has room to grow he will be a big safety by the time he leaves if he commits

Vernon Davis- is like a blanket I have heard he needs some form work but I couldnt see it

Nate Dortch- is so under ranked its not funny when he fills out you will love him

Ereck Flowers- Beast pushes people around right now when he gets to college he will need to use more tech.

Jelani Hamilton- was playing hurt most of the season this year but was still the best player on STA last year I saw him and litterally said please god let this kid go to miami

Larry Hope- he is also under rated just needs to fill out great coverage skills

Daniel Isidora- I like the way he plays hes an old school tough guy it seems

Angelo Jean-Louis- SOOoo fast and cuts on a dime but he shined a little more as a WR when I saw him but I hear we want him at corner

Randy Johnson- if he isn't one of the top 3 backs in this class I would be shocked

Malcolm Lewis- I saw a replay of his state gam on tv with "the catch" he owned alot of really good players in that game

Earl Moore- someone compaired him to John Randle recently and I like the compairison

Reggie Northrup- he is a big strong fast kid can avoid blocks pretty easily but I would say he needs some work getting off blocks

Gabriel Terry- I had never heard of this kid when I saw him but was impressed by his pass rushing skills

David Thompson- Jake Locker clone from washington... he can throw, run, tough runs over kids as a qb [ he should probably stop that some time soon lol]

Herb Waters- only saw him play 7-7 but he has sick range on defense and was open all day on offense

Josh Witt- saw him against STA and was shocked he was the best athlete on the field... honestly if he went to STA he would be a 4-5* no doubt

Well this guys seems to be a little bit overly optimistic.

Lol thought the same thing.

 

[JHallCanes]

I saw Greg Garmon play.

Its tough because even though he is without a doubt the best player on the field when he plays, the competition aint the greatest. Its not bad mind you, but not much D1 talent comes from the area. He is a big, fast kid, but raw. The reason I say raw is because he gets by on being the best athlete around. He doesnt run all that great at RB but he puts up numbers.

For right now I would classify him as a plus athlete, and also an extremely high character kid.

Going forward I am not sure what position he will play but he is athletic enough to make an impact somewhere and he is gonna work his *** off.

 

[pcitycane]

lots of quality stuff in this thread. thanks fellas.

 

[Canesbball]

The Jake Locker comparison on Thompson is spot on.

 

[3FW]

I saw Witt and he reminds me of Bobby Boucher.

 

[bbcane]

I saw Witt and he reminds me of Bobby Boucher.

As in the waterboy? Wow if so he was special

 

[umhurricane2511]

lots of quality stuff in this thread. thanks fellas.

+1, appreciate all the inputs

 

[DMoney]

paulynix I live here in bucks county and have seen o'donnell play quite a few times the last 2 years. I don't like to be negative, but when a recruit is going to a Div 1 school, that kid should be dominating their competition. The high school scene is not the best and he was a no-show many games that i witnessed. Maybe Al and the staff can coach him up, but i don't see it.


Yea B ...you're right. Wood is exceptional w loads of Div 1 talent as you see. I just meant that against some teams here they play, that i went to watch, he was very average at best. For the size he has and the talent he went against, i just feel he should be a difference maker in the trenches and he really wasn't. hopefully, he goes down miami, proves me totally wrong and puts the time in and works his *** off and it pays off for him!!

 

[C A N S]

The Jake Locker comparison on Thompson is spot on.

The White Russell Wilson.

 

[BigCaneAl]

im more critcal then most, if I hear your name bubble around and go check you out and you dont do crap against the mostly 5'7 kid who will never play ball again after high school, I dont see how you will plan to do it against other kids of similar talent but thats just me. With the disclaimer out of the way.

Norland cats- maybe 5-7 times in the last 2 years, Everyone knows duke now, but the first time I think I saw him live was against Sammy Watkins and south ft meyers, dude scored a td in EVERY phase of the game (maybe 2 on O, a INT to the house, and a KR). Sammy did his thing and was also my first time seeing him but that night Duke was the best player on the field (when you take into account Sammy was most likely the best freshman in the nation, hmm). Keith have always kept my eye on him and all the times I have seen him he has made VERY few plays, a kid with his measurables should be KILLING these cats and he just doesnt do it. I think alot of people WANT to see him be that guy but it just hasnt happened. Either way you recruit the kid and hedge your bets with actual football players at said position and just hope the reward pays off. Flowers is just one of those guys who has just exploded going into his senior year , he really took a giant step and hopefully he has the want to to keep it up at the next level.

AJ Leggett- 2 times live. He needs some good weight at the next level but kid is just soo smooth in and out of his breaks, looks really comfortable playing zone (something you RARELY see down here) and would of fit in nice since we play 13 yards off, lol. Technically you cant ask for more from a high school kid, love the way he jumps the ball. Just a natural.

Deon Bush- maybe 3-4 times. Not a safety, another measurable kid who you hedge your bets with more natural players but has a very high ceiling if he hits so you take the chance. BUT at corner, he plays mostly safety for his team and doesnt really have the skills you look for in a safety. If you get him stick him at corner and try to develop him.

Matthew Thomas (not sure if only this year, he is a jr at BTW)3 times- Sometimes you get production with limited upside, or you get measurables but just more potential. Matt is both, you couldnt draw up a recruit better and he performs everytime I have seen him. He gets off blocks, he runs down the line, he hits, he covers ALOT of ground, and on goalline he looks just as good at TE when they throw him the ball. IMPACT player, Cant miss, like Duke should be the foundation of the next class. SICK athlete.

Dalvin Cook- (soph. for Central)3 times- Everyone knows about Yearby and for good reason, but this kid is also special and may have higher upside. A little taller, a little leaner, a little more explosive. I think he ended the year with approx. 900 yrds on like 90 carries. He doesnt really get touches and the central coaches NEVER put them on the field at the same time but kid is special. Plain and simple. Yearby is the workhorse for Central though, he carries more weight on his frame but man Dalvin just makes plays.




Im sure there is more but those are the guys off the top of my head that I have seen live.

I've been saying it since I saw Central this year...watch out for Dalvin Cooke. Kid is going to be a beast. He's faster than Yearby.

 

[Bennubird]

Stephon Diggs - He was the most explosive player on the field. He played receiver and CB the night I saw Good Counsel play Manatee. I would give him a A for his offensive performance and a C- for his play at CB. He has a small build, but he played much bigger than his size as he did not hesitate to come up and really put a hat on ball carriers. Surprisingly, he did not cover that well. He got beat for a critical TD near the end of the game, hence the C-. As a receiver, he had a huge long pass reception for a TD (80 yards) and then caught a 20 yard pass for a TD in overtime that helped to pull out a tough victory. He demonstratedexplosive quickness and great top end speed as he ran away from the Manatee defenders on that 80 catch and run. Had he a better QB, I think he would have looked a lot better on offense. Manatee's defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage most of the night and made it really tough for GC's offense.

Wes Brown - I've written about this in another thread and over at Scout so I'm going to be really brief here, but that night against Manatee Brown had 77 yards rushing and he earned every one of them. He really didn't stand out as particularly explosive. But admittedly Manatee's defense played really well for most of that game, and I felt they keyed on Brown.

This is just my opinion, but when I watch high school sports, kids that have elite talent really stand out. Lamar Miller was like that in high school, for example, and Duke is like that. Had you never heard of Duke Johnson before going to see Norland play this year you would have left after seeing him play saying that kid is a special, special talent. In short, their talent really jumps out at you and separates them from the other players. I felt Stephon's talent jumped out, but that Brown's did not. To be fair, that was one game, and I am NOT a college football scout. LOL And to be clear, I think Brown is a very good back, but based on the small sample size I saw I would not categorize him as a game changer in the same way I would have, say, a Lamar Miller coming out of Killen or Duke coming out of Norland. The best players play their best on the biggest stage. So, I'm looking forward to what Brown does in the UA game.

SFBayCane saw the same game and came away with a slightly different take than mine on Diggs, but I think we felt about the same about Brown.

 

[VaderCane]

Thanks all for the info.