I have a lot of numbers written down here but am still in the process of identifying some of these guys so for now, I'll give you some quick thoughts on what I observed from the players that I did know that participated in the second West Virginia one-day camp of the summer.
--First of all this was a smaller group but there were some players that stood out. It was a very hot day today, which of course the forecast called for rain and I wore a rain coat that basically served as an additional heater.
--I was impressed with what Loxahatchee (Fla.) King's Academy 2023 quarterback Will Prichard brought to the table at the position. He's got a very strong arm and was accurate for the most part on his tosses throughout the day. I haven't spoken with him yet, but would be very surprised if he didn't receive positive feedback for what he did out there. He's pretty well put together for a 2023 prospect as well and while he's not the most mobile option he can certainly throw the ball.
--Knoxville (Tn.) Knoxville Catholic athlete Tommy Winton was here on an unofficial visit and was receiving a lot of attention from the coaching staff. He didn't work out but I do think he's a guy to keep in mind moving forward as the Mountaineers put together their class. He certainly seemed to be having a good time.
--Rancho Santa Margarita (Cal.) defensive lineman Hero Kanu, Uppsala RIG Academy 2023 defensive lineman Thomas Collins or Uppsala RIG Academy 2023 tight end Theo Melin didn't work out and I can confirm that Kanu and Collins were there although I personally didn't see Melin. It's easy to see why so many programs are all over them because they look the part of a division one athlete now and coming from the PPI group you know they have their fundamentals down as well. Kanu received some major attention as well and it will be interesting to see if this is just another stop on the road for some of these guys or if they have any legit interest. The Mountaineers have done well with PPI in the past.
--One player that did work out was Potsdamn Royals tight end Philip Okonkwo and he certainly has excellent size and moves pretty well at it. He is very strong, but at times doesn't realize how strong he is. He received a lot of instruction from Travis Trickett and is a player that I think will certainly be on the radar for the Mountaineers moving forward.
--Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha 2023 cornerback Dante Lovett really stood out to me on both sides of the ball. He moved well and made some fantastic catches down the sideline as a wide receiver, while showcasing solid coverage skills as a defensive back. He was one of the players that really caught my attention in one-on-ones.
--Knoxville (Tn.) Webb School of Knoxville 2024 wide receiver Brandon Winton competed in the camp and I thought was impressive at times. He runs solid routes and was able to get open. He didn't run a blazing 40-time but is somebody I'm keeping an eye on moving forward.
--2022 Virginia defensive back Avery Dixon impressed during the camp and ran well during the 40-portion although I didn't get the time. He got a lot of reps in the one-on-one portion and really sort of emerged out of nowhere to me today.
--Orlando (Fla.) Olympia quarterback CJ Brooks was another signal caller that stood out to me as he made a number of nice throws during the event including some pin-point deep balls. He doesn't look like the biggest signal caller but he displayed a good arm with solid touch throughout. He doesn't have a cannon but places the ball well down the field.
--A player that caught my attention was Bluefield 2024 running back Amir Hairston. He has good size considering his class and moved well. He has a chance to be a good one.
--Again, there's a lot of other numbers right now that I'm working to identify but here's a brief report from what unfolded.
--First of all this was a smaller group but there were some players that stood out. It was a very hot day today, which of course the forecast called for rain and I wore a rain coat that basically served as an additional heater.
--I was impressed with what Loxahatchee (Fla.) King's Academy 2023 quarterback Will Prichard brought to the table at the position. He's got a very strong arm and was accurate for the most part on his tosses throughout the day. I haven't spoken with him yet, but would be very surprised if he didn't receive positive feedback for what he did out there. He's pretty well put together for a 2023 prospect as well and while he's not the most mobile option he can certainly throw the ball.
--Knoxville (Tn.) Knoxville Catholic athlete Tommy Winton was here on an unofficial visit and was receiving a lot of attention from the coaching staff. He didn't work out but I do think he's a guy to keep in mind moving forward as the Mountaineers put together their class. He certainly seemed to be having a good time.
--Rancho Santa Margarita (Cal.) defensive lineman Hero Kanu, Uppsala RIG Academy 2023 defensive lineman Thomas Collins or Uppsala RIG Academy 2023 tight end Theo Melin didn't work out and I can confirm that Kanu and Collins were there although I personally didn't see Melin. It's easy to see why so many programs are all over them because they look the part of a division one athlete now and coming from the PPI group you know they have their fundamentals down as well. Kanu received some major attention as well and it will be interesting to see if this is just another stop on the road for some of these guys or if they have any legit interest. The Mountaineers have done well with PPI in the past.
--One player that did work out was Potsdamn Royals tight end Philip Okonkwo and he certainly has excellent size and moves pretty well at it. He is very strong, but at times doesn't realize how strong he is. He received a lot of instruction from Travis Trickett and is a player that I think will certainly be on the radar for the Mountaineers moving forward.
--Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha 2023 cornerback Dante Lovett really stood out to me on both sides of the ball. He moved well and made some fantastic catches down the sideline as a wide receiver, while showcasing solid coverage skills as a defensive back. He was one of the players that really caught my attention in one-on-ones.
--Knoxville (Tn.) Webb School of Knoxville 2024 wide receiver Brandon Winton competed in the camp and I thought was impressive at times. He runs solid routes and was able to get open. He didn't run a blazing 40-time but is somebody I'm keeping an eye on moving forward.
--2022 Virginia defensive back Avery Dixon impressed during the camp and ran well during the 40-portion although I didn't get the time. He got a lot of reps in the one-on-one portion and really sort of emerged out of nowhere to me today.
--Orlando (Fla.) Olympia quarterback CJ Brooks was another signal caller that stood out to me as he made a number of nice throws during the event including some pin-point deep balls. He doesn't look like the biggest signal caller but he displayed a good arm with solid touch throughout. He doesn't have a cannon but places the ball well down the field.
--A player that caught my attention was Bluefield 2024 running back Amir Hairston. He has good size considering his class and moved well. He has a chance to be a good one.
--Again, there's a lot of other numbers right now that I'm working to identify but here's a brief report from what unfolded.
