Standouts from the NCEC Camp

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the NCEC Camp at Winton Woods High School. There was plenty of talent to go around. Today I highlight some of the players who stood out. [caption id="attachment_134322" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Evan-Unruh-2-crop-1338x879-1619144428.jpg"><img class="wp-image-134322 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Evan-Unruh-2-crop-1338x879-1619144428-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="126476" first="Evan" last="Unruh"][/caption]QB [player_tooltip player_id="126476" first="Evan" last="Unruh"] 6’1 180 Lima Central Catholic (C/O 2022)-- Unruh is a dual sport athlete as he also excelled on the basketball court for the Thunderbirds. Sunday he showed himself off as a dual threat QB, posting the fastest forty yard dash time of the camp running a 4.50. While he can run like the wind, he also showed that he can spin it as well. He’s a great fit for a college offense that’s looking to utilize the Quarterback as a runner and a thrower. Beyond his athletic ability one thing that was very noticeable is Evan’s leadership abilities and his outgoing and genuine personality. He’s going to make a great addition, on the field and in the locker room, to whatever football program signs him.I think he falls somewhere in D2-FCS-Low D1 Mid-Major range. [caption id="attachment_134328" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Nolan-Lucas-2-crop-1627x1069-1619145435.jpg"><img class="wp-image-134328 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Nolan-Lucas-2-crop-1627x1069-1619145435-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Nolan Lucas[/caption] <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Nolan-Lucas-2-crop-1627x1069-1619145435.jpg">QB </a>Nolan Lucas 6’3 210 West Clermont (C/O 2022)- Lucas actually got out of baseball to come to the camp today and I was glad he did. Nolan was simply on point with every throw I saw him make. He has what I like to call easy arm strength. His mechanics and arm strength are so strong that he makes all of the throws look easy. He really drives through his throws with his hips and gets great whip action with his arm motion. He led his receivers putting the ball in places where only his receiver could get it. Nolan is a QB who can win from the pocket. Talking to Nolan’s QB coach West Clermont was a run heavy team in 2020. In 2021 they’ll be looking to open it up and Lucas should be a direct beneficiary of that move. I’m really looking forward to seeing Nolan flourish this fall in the Wolves new offense. Like Evan, based on Nolan’s abilities I see him in the D2-FCS Low D1 Mid-Major range. [caption id="attachment_134336" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Damarion-Stone-2-crop-1875x1232-1619146394.jpg"><img class="wp-image-134336 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Damarion-Stone-2-crop-1875x1232-1619146394-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Damarion Stone[/caption] OT Damarion Stone 6’5 308 Winton Woods (C/O 2022)- They call him "Big Baby". Damarion Stone is a self described old soul and one of few words. Winton Woods coach Chad Murphy told me he’s made as much of a jump in development as any player he’s ever coached. Stone hasn’t even fully focused on football until the last year. In his previous years he was focused on basketball and his AAU team. The ability to dunk a basketball at his size is a testament to his big time athleticism. Damarion didn’t lose any of the 1 v 1 reps I saw him compete in. Again his athleticism and balance are on display in his pass set, but even more impressive to me is how advanced he is with his punch and hand placement. There’s no doubt Damarion is still raw, he will need some developing, but the sky is the limit with him. With a freshman redshirt and a D1 training table and weight program, there’s no doubt in my mind that he could compete to start at a power 5 school in the future. [caption id="attachment_134349" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Cameron-Calhoun-2-crop-1416x930-1619147448.jpg"><img class="wp-image-134349 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Cameron-Calhoun-2-crop-1416x930-1619147448-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Cameron Calhoun[/caption] CB Cameron Calhoun 6’2 175 Winton Woods (C/O 2023)- Cameron Calhoun is a young man that I really expect to develop into one of the top cornerbacks in the country before he’s done at Winton Woods. That’s not a comment I make flippantly. His athleticism, his feet, his hips, his length, his fluidity, they all scream "future star". The big thing Calhoun needs to work on right now is simply adding strength. If he can make gains in the weight room and continue to develop the ability to consistently jam receivers at the line of scrimmage, with his coverage skills he’s going to be a big-time shut down corner. Throughout the drills during the day the talent was easy to see, but it wasn’t until 1 v 1’s where I finally saw a fire in his belly. He got challenged by a wide receiver and he rose to the occasion. It’s what you look for in cornerbacks, that internal confidence to come back after getting beat. Cam has "it", and I see him as a high end power 5 athlete. [caption id="attachment_70743" align="alignleft" width="141"]<img class="wp-image-70743" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/11/Tywan-January-198x300.jpg" alt="" width="141" height="214" /> [player_tooltip player_id="123251" first="Tywan" last="January"][/caption][player_tooltip player_id="123251" first="Tywan" last="January"] 5’10 275 Springfield (C/O 2022)- Tywan is a talented DT. His combo of get off, rush moves, low center of gravity, and strength just make him a difficult block. Beyond all of that talent what makes him special is that he brings it, and he brings it 100% of the time. He doesn’t want to lose 1 rep, or 1 play. He rarely makes a mistake with his hands, which along with his great release makes him a problem for anyone trying to block him. Tywan has a big summer ahead of him. With the dead period finally coming to an end and the ability to go to camps this summer, I expect his D1 interest to take off.   [caption id="attachment_134379" align="alignright" width="117"]<img class="wp-image-134379" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/Seven-Blue-123x300.jpg" alt="" width="117" height="286" /> Seven Blue[/caption] Seven Blue 6’0 225 Winton Woods (C/O 2022)- Seven is a compact, but athletic linebacker. I project Seven to a 3 down inside linebacker at the college level. He has the speed to run down hill and thump, the athleticism to blitz and get to the QB, and the hips to drop and cover. He’s what a top shelf Mike linebacker is in 2021. Like others I expect Seven to have a strong camp season and find his way onto D1 recruiting radars. [player_tooltip player_id="123253" first="Evan" last="Tengesdahl"] 6’4 280 Wayne (C/O 2024)- Evan put together another solid performance. He’s just so fundamentally sound. His footwork and his hands, all of it. Add to his fundamentals that he’s a really good athlete as evidenced by one of the best shuttle times of all of the big men at the camp. He’s also an accomplished wrestler, which shows his hand fighting ability as well as very good functional strength. Tengesdahl pretty much worked over whoever he took on in the 1 v 1’s. I project him to the guard position in college where he’ll have the athleticism to pull and and the ability to get downhill and block on straight ahead power plays.