USNFT Combine – Top Performers

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> Prep Redzone Oklahoma was once again on hand in Dallas for the USNFT Combine. We were there from start to finish and saw some fantastic playmakers on Sunday. We also pulled double duty in the DFW area and were also at the True Buzz Invitational 7v7 Tournament. Stay tuned for breakdowns on that as well. For now, check out our top performer breakdown from the USNFT Combine. The combine was broken down to three sessions throughout the day. The first session featured the big boys with the offensive and defensive lines. During the second session, we got a look at the running backs and linebackers. Finally, the third session featured quarterbacks, wide receivers and defensive backs. These three players shined brightest over the weekend. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38697" first="AJ" last="Brown"] - 2022 Defensive Lineman - Jenks</strong></span> Our first top performer was without a doubt the top defensive prospect we saw from Oklahoma throughout the weekend. It didn’t take long for Jenks 2022 defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="38697" first="AJ" last="Brown"] to make a strong showing as the linemen were the first group up on Sunday. Brown went through all of the testing and individual drills but when it was time to go into the 1 on 1 session, that is where he absolutely shined and stole the show. Now, full disclosure, I was moving around trying to catch all the different Oklahoma guys going so I can’t say that I saw every 1 on 1 rep that Brown did. But what I will say is every rep that I did get a chance to see of the Jenks lineman, he not only dominated but he absolutely embarrassed his opponent. Brown mentioned it to us following the camp that most offensive linemen assume that he’s going to be a bull rusher and use his strength only. That’s not what Brown did on Sunday. He used a quick first step and a devastating swim move that often times left opposing offensive linemen beaten immediately. Honestly, Brown looked a lot like Vian 2021 DL [player_tooltip player_id="38502" first="Solomon" last="Wright"], who signed with Arkansas. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="51037" first="Austin" last="Havens"] - 2023 Quarterback - Owasso</strong></span> The first of two quarterbacks that were impressive on Sunday was Owasso sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="51037" first="Austin" last="Havens"]. The young Ram QB won the starting job early in the 2020 season and never let it go, helping Owasso to an unbeaten record and a trip to the semifinals. However, in those semifinals, Havens and the Rams struggled in a dominating performance by eventual champion Jenks. Havens has clearly been at work this offseason to not only improve his game as a passer, but to add other elements to make himself a dangerous player within the Owasso offense. During the 40 yard dash, Havens ran a 4.6 showing that if he gets into the open field, he’s going to be tough to stop. We knew Havens had a good skillset as a passer but him showing off the wheels over the weekend impressed us. Then it was time to go into the 1 on 1 session and Havens was showing off deep ball after deep ball that not only had touch but more importantly had accuracy. The combination of throwing and what he did in the 40 yard dash made Havens the most impressive offensive prospect that we saw on Sunday. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="51055" first="Carson" last="Laverty"] - 2023 Quarterback - Putnam City North</strong></span> The third and final top performer was our second quarterback and another 2023 prospect. Putnam City North’s [player_tooltip player_id="51055" first="Carson" last="Laverty"] was impressive throwing the ball on Sunday. We mentioned this in our USNFT Primer last week that we were interested to see Laverty in person again. The only other time I saw Laverty in person, he struggled in a regular season game against Midwest City. You can’t help but think about the last time you saw a prospect in person and it wasn’t great for Laverty. However, that memory is fading as his performance on Sunday was outstanding. Laverty has gotten bigger over the last six months, which helps questions about his size compared to some of the other 2023 quarterbacks. During the 1 on 1 session, Laverty was spinning the ball and showing that he has just about every throw in his bag. He was airing out a deep ball and also zipping in a slant or an out route. Laverty did an excellent job keeping the ball away from the defender and giving his man an opportunity to make the catch. The PC North signal caller certainly impressed and you can see why he set the school record for completion percentage last fall.