SC products drawing praise
Several South Carolina products turned in strong performances over the weekend at the Rivals 3 Stripe camp presented by adidas in Fort Mill.
Below, PalmettoPreps.com takes a look at the accolades and praise these players were given by Rivals.com's team of analysts.
Named camp DL MVP:
"A year after coming into the Charlotte camp with zero offers and winning the defensive line MVP award, Capehart came back and pulled off a repeat performance. Now committed to defending national champions Clemson, Capehart made easy work of most of his opponents during one-on-ones, showing good strength and quickness. Capehart played both inside and outside, showing the versatility that will only help him get on the field early for the Tigers. Capehart also earned a return trip to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas for his efforts." - Adam Friedman, Chad Simmons, & Woody Wommack
"The Beast" award for "The Friedman Awards":
"This award goes to the guy who may not have the best technique but he beats up his opponents with his size, strength, and plays with reckless abandon. That is exactly what Capehart did on Sunday. The Rivals100 Clemson commit has a huge frame that is filled out well but he doesn’t carry much bad weight. He has a ton of upper body strength and used his big arms to swat the hands of would-be-blockers off of him. On one rep during one-on-ones he connected with an offensive lineman’s shoulder instead of his elbow or wrist and the offensive lineman went flying to the side." - Adam Friedman
"Thoughts from the sideline" recognition:
"Demonte Capehart is the real deal. I saw him last year at this same event, but this year, he was a different player and showed why he is a high four-star defensive tackle. He has a great frame, he competed hard each rep and he was very coachable. He seems like a very good fit for the Clemson Tigers. He was repping the Tigers and, once again, it looks like Dabo Swinney, Todd Bates and the Clemson staff hit a home run on a defensive lineman. Capehart earned his invite to the Five-Star Challenge, and he has made a strong push to be in the Rivals100 after this performance. It looked easy for him at times. As impressive as his performance was, what may have stood out to me most was his attitude, how humble he was and how he soaked up the coaching he was offered.- Chad Simmons"
Named QB camp MVP:
"Garcia caught the eye of fellow campers from the moment he walked into the event, standing at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. It wasn’t long after that the camp’s coaches were buzzing about Garcia as well, as his arm strength was on full display in the windy and sometimes rainy conditions. Garcia is just starting to catch the attention of FBS coaches, most recently adding Charlotte to his list after visiting on Saturday. But once Power Five coaches come to watch him throw in the spring, it would be a shock to not see Garcia’s offer list explode." - Adam Friedman, Chad Simmons, & Woody Wommack
Named to "Five prospects that should emerge this spring" by Rivals.com:
"Garcia is a physical specimen at the quarterback position and may have the strongest arm of anyone in the 2020 class. His recruitment has started to pick up in recent weeks, with several Group of Five programs joining his list, including Miami of Ohio and Charlotte. But once coaches come out and see Garcia throw live in the next month or so, it shouldn't be long until several Power Five schools extend offers. It will be worth watching to see if SEC programs are among them, especially those looking to take more than one quarterback in the class." - Chad Simmons & Woody Wommack
Named to "Prospects now on the radar" by Rivals.com
Garcia stood out as soon as the players were separated into position groups. He is a quarterback at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, so he was one of the bigger quarterbacks competing. Then, once the signal-callers started turning the ball loose, his arm strength immediately drew more attention his way. The ball comes out hot, and on a couple of occasions, Garcia threw some ropes into tight windows that not all quarterbacks can make. He has a handful of offers, but it would be very surprising if his list did not grow substantially in the coming weeks" - Adam Friedman, Chad Simmons, & Woody Wommack
Invited to the Rivals Five-Star Challenge
"Huntley is often overshined by his five-star teammate Jordan Burch, but on Sunday he showed that he’s well worth his Rivals250 ranking in his own right. Huntley continues to improve physically and used a vicious push-pull move to set up offensive lineman and then overtake them in one-on-one reps. With programs such as South Carolina, Oklahoma, Stanford and others jockeying to land his commitment it’s easy to see why he’s a priority for those programs. Huntley earned an invite the Five-Star Challenge for his efforts." - Adam Friedman, Chad Simmons, & Woody Wommack
Honorable Mention "Stock Up" performer for "The Friedman Awards":
"Alex Huntley is also in the Rivals250 but isn’t ranked as highly as he should be. His quickness at the snap was very impressive for a defensive tackle and he showed of some advanced hand techniques. Offensive lineman Trai Jones earned an invitation to Sunday’s camp after standing out at the Rivals adizero Combine presented by adidas on Saturday and he didn’t disappoint. He is as strong as they come and did a great job staying patient in his pass set while knocking defenders off balance with his punch. He will be adding a rating soon. Anthony Carter is another offensive lineman that impressed. He moved great for a player of his size and did a nice job of keeping defenders at a distance using his long arms." -Adam Friedman
"Bright Future" award for "The Friedman Awards":
"This award is for a player that is a freshman or younger that looks like a guy that will eventually be a household name. Even casual football fans know who the best quarterbacks are and Raheim Jeter has the physical gifts and skill set to put him on that track. Currently in 8th grade, Jeter already holds an offer from Memphis and they will probably end up looking smart for being the first to offer him. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound quarterback has plenty of arm strength and he delivers accurate passes on a consistent basis." - Adam Friedman
Earned "Gatorade Award" at Charlotte RCS
"Jones' stock has to be on the rise. He earned the invite after a strong combine showing Saturday, and there was no doubt, he belonged. Jones has a handful of offers, but that list will grow in the coming months. He was in the running to the end for the offensive line MVP award, so he didn’t just blend in, but he stood out. Jones is built like a defensive lineman with great strength and he showed the ability to move his feet too. He projects as a guard or center on the next level." - Adam Friedman, Chad Simmons, & Woody Wommack
Named to "Prospects now on the radar" by Rivals.com
"Jones has placed himself as one of the top offensive linemen in South Carolina after his performance this weekend. He competed at the combine to earn his invite to the camp, then was in the running up until the final reps to earn MVP at his position. Jones has good feet, a good base and he is very strong at the point of attack. He plays some tackle for his high school team, but he will be a guard or center on the next level." - Adam Friedman, Chad Simmons, & Woody Wommack
Honorable Mention "Bright Future" award for "The Friedman Awards:"
"Wide receiver Jaleel Skinner caught everybody’s attention when he walked through registration. The freshman from Greer, S.C. is close to 6-foot-6, 200-pounds and his arms are so long he can basically tie his shoes without bending at the waist. He was a really tough matchup for any defensive back he matched up with during one-on-ones. Don’t forget the name Nemo Squire either. This freshman running back is on the short side but he is already muscle-bound and is as twitchy as they come. He gave linebackers fits in the open field." - Adam Friedman
Named to "Prospects now on the radar" by Rivals.com:
"Standing over 6-foot-4 and more than 200-pounds, this freshman wide receiver will have the college football world buzzing soon enough. Skinner is pretty raw but he is the type of receiver that is open even when he is covered. His catch radius is so big that quarterbacks were just throwing the ball up to him and he would go and get it with defensive backs just hanging onto him. South Carolina has already offered the in-state prospect but every school in the country is eventually going to take a look and/or offer him." - Adam Friedman, Chad Simmons, & Woody Wommack
Honorable Mention "The Beast" award for "The Friedman Awards:"
"Darryle Ware holds an offer from Coastal Carolina and some Power Five schools are keeping an eye on him but more offers are in his future if he keeps playing like he did on Sunday. The 6-foot-2 linebacker was almost overly physical during the tackle-fit drills and during the one-on-one portion of the camp, he made a living knocking running backs off their routes, disrupting their timing with quarterbacks. Freshman defensive tackle Kaevon Freshwater has above average size for a player that young but his quickness was really eye-catching. He exploded out of his stance on every rep and ran through the arms of the offensive lineman on multiple occasions." - Adam Friedman
