Rivals Camp Series: Kansas City Notebook
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For SoonerScoop.com's newest writer, Joe DuVall, the Kansas City Rivals Camp was his first major camp to attend and not surprisingly the new staffer came away with a lot to say about his time on the road. He learned plenty about several Oklahoma targets, as well as numerous Oklahoma prep stars, but perhaps most dangerously learned about his fellow SoonerScoop staff members.
Below he offers his thoughts on all of the afore mentioned.
- Even though 2017 Rivals250 Oklahoma LB commitment Levi Draper was unable to attend due to a track injury, his teammate 2017 Collinsville (Okla.) QB Seth Boomer, who holds a Tulsa offer, was in attendance. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound junior had a good day showing off consistent mechanics and an ability to spin it as well as anyone at the camp. Boomer's arm strength and accuracy were above average in a position group that had guys with offers from all of the Power Five conferences.
- Missouri commit DaRon Davis was named the camp's Wide Receiver MVP, and it was well-deserved. The Heritage Prep star showcased a complete skill-set that had the 6-foot-2 receiver beating guys over the top with his speed and consistently winning physically contested match-ups with a reliable set of hands.
- 2017 Oklahoma City Bishop McGuinness star Rubell Goe was not too far behind, though, despite coming off of a recent injury that has hampered him. Goe noticeably grimaced throughout the day, but was still able to create space in short spaces and made multiple acrobatic one-handed catches. The number 10 player in the 2017 Sooner State Rankings has not accrued a single FBS offer thus far - a ridiculous fact that is likely to change as the Goes say they will be hitting the recruiting/camp circuit more frequently and coaches are able to see the strength he was able to add to his frame as a junior.
- 2017 Fayetteville, Ark. QB Taylor Powell took home MVP honors for his position group. At one point during the day, the quarterbacks were having trouble throwing it deep enough to hit receivers in stride on the go routes after their five-step drop. That was until Powell uncorked a toss pushing 70 yards downfield, hitting his receiver in stride, and catching the attention of everyone on hand. The three-star currently holds offers from Maryland, Illinois, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, and Washington State among others.
- 2017 Waterloo (Ia.) West QB Devon Moore is someone who may give Sooner fans fits down the road, as the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Iowa State commitment possesses some dangerous natural tools. While it is true that Moore is clearly unpolished; almost no two reps were exactly the same, the natural arm strength was impossible not to notice. Moore, like Powell, was one of the few quarterbacks on attendance who didn't force receivers to stop and come back on go routes. When his arm was slotted right and his motion polished, Moore displayed he was capable of accurate passes down the field and on the sideline for professional-level throws. If the southpaw can find someone to hone-in his erratic left-handed arm, he has the potential to be a playmaking quarterback down the road due to his size and physical tools.
- 2017 North Little Rock (Ark.) Central Arkansas Christian WR Joshua Johnson was impressive at wide receiver. The Iowa State commit's athleticism popped from the basic drills to the live one-on-ones.
- 2017 Lake Cormorant (Miss.) WR Brandon Smith is a physically gifted pass-catcher at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, that won against nearly every cornerback that was thrown his way. Smith may not have elite top end speed, but with his size, strength, and athleticism, it was more than enough to get over the top and find separation. As of now, Smith only holds offers from Southern Miss, Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, and UT-San Antonio. However, I would expect the smooth receiver to have a big senior season and gain some momentum on the recruiting trail.
- 2018 Oklahoma cornerback offer Jalen Green was so impressive that the sophomore was named the camp's Defensive Back MVP. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound corner's agility, speed, and anticipation kept him in tight coverage for most of the day, and when he was forced to catch up - the rangy Houston-native used his long arms to break up passes. Green also holds offers from LSU, Michigan, Arizona, and Baylor among others, but expect his recruitment to explode over the next year.
- There was a dearth of able-bodied cornerbacks on hand to guard receivers in the one-on-ones, so defensive backs were getting gassed taking so many reps. One guy that continually volunteered himself for action was 2017 Nashville (Tenn.) East Magnet ATH Demarquez Trotter.
- 2018 Allen, Texas athlete Kirby Bennett was literally uncoverable out of the backfield on Sunday. Poor linebackers had no shot in the open-field against the 6-foot-0, 195-pound four-star that also carries the size to handle every down duties.
- On this trip I learned that Carey Murdock enjoys 90s pop, Josh McCuistion is a fan of early 80s new wave music, and Eddie Radosevich knows when happy hour is on Thursday at Hooters.