Local Stars & More Breakout at the #PRZTN Showcase

It was hot on Saturday at the #PRZTN Showcase in Murfreesboro but it wasn’t just the weather, it was the prospects who were hot as a lot of guys performed at a high level and put up some numbers that should make them wanted recruits somewhere in the near future. Over 120 prospects embarked on Oakland High School yesterday to kick off their summer camp season and a lot of prospects not only impressed but put themselves on the map for future college offers. It was a good mix of upper and underclassmen with guys coming to the Middle Tennessee area from multiple states around the South but it was the local prospects who stole the show. The first upperclassmen that stood out yesterday was LaVergne (TN) defensive back [player_tooltip player_id="301351" first="Javon" last="Drake"]. The Wolverines defender came into camp as a known guy by me and someone with offers already from Eastern Ky and SEMO but his performance on Saturday will garner bigger interest going forward. Drake clocked a 4.42 forty during testing then proceeded to dominate during 1 on 1 action where he picked off several passes while being in the mix stopping others. This guy is every bit of 6’2 with a great frame and long arms. Drake has the size, speed and athleticism that translates well to the D1 level and expect those coaches to be hot on his trail sooner than later. Another senior prospect that broke out on scene yesterday at the #PRZTN Combine was Ensworth hybrid linebacker/safety [player_tooltip player_id="345073" first="Sammy" last="Taylor"]. The Tigers track star was impressive the moment he stepped on the field with his height, length and frame but then blew everybody away when he ran his forty. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-344831" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/20220521_140416-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" /> Taylor clocked a 4.47 on his 1st run then came back for his second and bested that number with a 4.4 flat. This dude is a very intriguing prospect that brings a lot of athleticism and speed to the field and someone who is a diamond in the rough that can be molded into a future star. Both Drake and Taylor impressed big time but they weren’t the only guys who ran great times yesterday. Rising juniors [player_tooltip player_id="228387" first="Breon" last="White"] from Northeast High School and FCS wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id="149160" first="Brock" last="Montgomery"] had dominating performances on Saturday and it all started when they ran their forties and put up big numbers during testing. White checked in with a 4.47 forty and looked smooth when doing so. He then took that speed into testing and 1 on 1 action where the Eagles junior safety showed off his smooth transitional hips, recovery speed and ability to play the ball at its highest point. This is a future D1, possible Power Five guy that should see his recruitment pick up soon. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-344841" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/20220521_171047-e1653234555220-300x281.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="281" /> Montgomery has put together a strong offseason thus far and it continued on Saturday where he clocked a 4.43 forty and was basically unstoppable during 1 on 1’s where defenders had a hard time keeping up with the Middle Tennessee product. We all know that to play on the highest level of college football, you must be able to run and all four of the guys listed above proved they have burners, so I’d expect to see Drake, Taylor, White and Montgomery to see a spike in recruiting soon and eventually become household, possible national names. Moving over to the trenches, the Offensive and Defensive line prospects that were attendance at the #PRZTN Showcase put together strong showings and displayed a variety of skills that college coaches would love to work with and have on their teams. This area saw a good mix of upper and underclassmen perform against each other with a few guys coming from out of state that impressed many in attendance but the line MVP’s happened to come from the Middle Tennessee region. Taking the honor of MVP on the O-line was Oakland (TN) senior [player_tooltip player_id="153479" first="Zach" last="Turk"] while the D-line MVP came from current FCS offered and MBA senior [player_tooltip player_id="226009" first="Eriq" last="George"]. Both of these guys had impressive days in the trenches and both should see a spike in recruiting soon as both are talented and great fits for the football locker room. Turk is a big dude that has reshaped his body and developed further his athleticism and mobility. He was the best overall blocker on Saturday and a guy that has enhanced his pass blocking, which showed up big during the combine. Turk holds an offer from Cumberland but I expect more interest to come his way as the summer months go along. George is a physically impressive guy with a broad upper body and arm length that causes problems for opposing O-linemen. He was a tough guy to control on Saturday as was consistently in the backfield during 1 on 1’s and he did so from a variety of spots. George is an edge guy that can slide inside and give a pass rush from the middle, so he is an interesting talent that can do multiple things across the D-line. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-344850" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/20220521_170029-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" /> Those two weren’t the only ones who had stellar performances on Saturday. A few other trench monsters who impressed was (DE) [player_tooltip player_id="102320" first="Luke" last="Scott"] from Daniel Boone, (OL) Kanye Sawyer from USJ, Signal Mountain D-lineman [player_tooltip player_id="257169" first="Malik" last="Aljack"], Versatile (OL) [player_tooltip player_id="317191" first="Raymond" last="Poirier"] from Hardin Co., O-line Mississippi native Hayden Dozier, 2024 CPA (DE) [player_tooltip player_id="285345" first="Rocco" last="Abaggnaro"], rising junior [player_tooltip player_id="149299" first="Ryan" last="Robinson"] from Father Ryan, 2024 D-lineman [player_tooltip player_id="119385" first="Caleb" last="Turner"] from Knox. Halls, Bluegrass State native Isaiah Hare from Bullitt East and Middle Tennessee area junior O-lineman [player_tooltip player_id="323147" first="Spence" last="Tankersley"] from Forrest High School. All the guys listed above will be college players. It just depends on which level but I know each of these guys took a step in the right direction towards achieving their goals of playing on the college gridiron.   Chattanooga/Cleveland Area Prospects Showed Up & Showed Out A good group of players hailing from the Southeast Tennessee region came up to Murfreesboro on Saturday and put on a show. It was a hot day that took time for prospects to adjust to but they did and several guys took advantage of the combine setting to take their stocks to another level. Cleveland (TN) two-way athlete [player_tooltip player_id="301352" first="Rodney" last="Broadnax"], Jr was the most impressive talent to me coming out of this region as a guy that has big time athleticism along with the size and physical traits the college coaches drool over. Broadnax, Jr is a raw athlete that is still learning the game of football but has huge upside as either a tight end or edge guy inside the college game and he proved his athletic worth by running a 4.65 forty during testing. This is a big guy that can move and someone that I feel could break out into a D1 guy as he continues to perform during college camps this summer. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Here are two <a href="https://twitter.com/CHSRaidersFBall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CHSRaidersFBall</a> senior studs who had a strong performances today at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PRZTN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PRZTN</a> Showcase <a href="https://twitter.com/rodbroadnax23?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rodbroadnax23</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Djadams2023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Djadams2023</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueRaiders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueRaiders</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastTN23?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EastTN23</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSS</a> <a href="https://t.co/njISo0gbYC">pic.twitter.com/njISo0gbYC</a> — Chris Smith (@CSmithScout) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSmithScout/status/1528179203601997825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> His teammate at Cleveland in [player_tooltip player_id="215069" first="D.J." last="Adams"] was another impressive athlete that worked out at receiver but has the versatile upside to excel on defense as well. He has good size at 6’2 170 pounds along with nice length and smooth moving hips that translates well to either side of the ball. Keep an eye on this guy going forward as I could see him add several new offers over the coming months. East Hamilton receiver [player_tooltip player_id="328654" first="David" last="Cole"] was one of the more impressive, physically looking prospects in attendance as he is every bit of 6’5 with very long arms and someone that clocked a 4.65 forty during testing. He has a nice frame to add on more weight along with a physically imposing presence that could cause damage to defenders within the red zone. New Ole Miss offered prospect and Bradley Bears junior safety [player_tooltip player_id="149391" first="Tito" last="Williams, Jr"] had an up and down day but showed on several occasions why he is a Top 30 overall rated prospect by PRZTN and a guy that will continue to see his recruitment spike as more coaches lay eyes on him. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> C/o ’24 <a href="https://twitter.com/BradleyBearsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BradleyBearsFB</a> safety <a href="https://twitter.com/TitoWilliams21?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TitoWilliams21</a> do the L-Drill at today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PRZTN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PRZTN</a> Showcase Williams had a strong day & showed why he recently added a big offer from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OleMiss?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OleMiss</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneTN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Lemmingscouting?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lemmingscouting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/wolfpack7on7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wolfpack7on7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NCEC_Recruiting?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NCEC_Recruiting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSS</a> <a href="https://t.co/8JOkfUByNP">pic.twitter.com/8JOkfUByNP</a> — Chris Smith (@CSmithScout) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSmithScout/status/1528174600978370563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Two of the best, most consistent performers on Saturday to me were McMinn Co. senior athlete [player_tooltip player_id="102289" first="Jayden" last="Miller"] and Polk Co. rising junior athlete [player_tooltip player_id="277774" first="Damian" last="McWilliams"]. Both guys surprised me yesterday with their athleticism and ability to make plays all around the field. Miller is a quarterback for his Cherokees team but his college future sits at either Receiver/H-Back or over on defense at linebacker where his athleticism, deceptive speed and high football IQ can be utilized in the best ways. McWilliams is a big time athlete that can seriously run. He clocked a 4.5 flat during testing and then was almost unguardable during 1 on 1’s where his speed and quick twitch was hard for defenders to keep up with.   #PRZTN Showcase Brings Out Solid QB Play It was a small group of quarterbacks yesterday in Murfreesboro but that didn’t stop those in attendance from having strong days on the field and continuing to develop in the right direction. The best overall quarterback on the day and in attendance was 2024 Independence signal caller [player_tooltip player_id="148864" first="Cody" last="Pagach"]. The Eagles rising junior is such a smooth thrower that when he spins it, the ball comes out with ease and is placed in the right spot for his receivers to make plays. Pagach holds offers already from Pittsburgh and Toledo but I expect many, many others to come his way very soon. Another top in-state rising junior quarterback who had a strong day was Hardin Co. passer [player_tooltip player_id="207322" first="Carter" last="Smith"]. Ranked within the top QB’s by #PRZTN for the ‘24 class, Smith has a cannon right arm that see’s the ball explode out of his hands and gets to the receiver in a hurry. He does need to keep working on his timing but the tools and size is there for Smith to become a college offered prospect in due time. Two other in-state junior quarterbacks who flashed on Saturday was Liberty Creek passer [player_tooltip player_id="258674" first="Brian" last="Rager"] and DeKalb Co. signal caller [player_tooltip player_id="306693" first="Briz" last="Trapp"]. Rager sports good size and mobility along with developing mechanics and arm strength that will improve over the coming months and year. Trapp is a clean throwing lefty that see’s the ball explode out of his hand. Both of these guys have college traits and can get to the next level with continued work and development. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/BallHawkU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BallHawkU</a> teammates connecting here at today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PRZTN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PRZTN</a> Showcase ’24 Liberty Creek (QB) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianRager?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrianRager</a> to ’24 FCS (WR) <a href="https://twitter.com/brockmonty6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brockmonty6</a> More to come from these two as both Rager & Montgomery had stellar days (Especially Montgomery who dominated!) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneTN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzone</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSS</a> <a href="https://t.co/O55NMhN5lT">pic.twitter.com/O55NMhN5lT</a> — Chris Smith (@CSmithScout) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSmithScout/status/1528202925985746944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> More Player Reports - (LB) [player_tooltip player_id="102335" first="Hayden" last="Smith"] - Westview: After landing his 1st college offer recently from Bethel, Smith came to the #PRZTN Showcase on Saturday to continue his progression and boy did he ever. The Chargers stud middle backer ran a 4.65 forty and proved the guy can run along with chasing down the ball, which he displayed greatly during 1 on 1 action. Smith is one of the top producing tacklers in this state and by showing off his speed at yesterday’s combine, he took his stock to another level. - (DB) [player_tooltip player_id="302337" first="Darvon" last=""Dj" Vincent Thomas Jr"] - Newman (La): This Bayou State defender came all the way up to the Middle Tennessee area and was one of the best defensive back prospects on the day and someone that is vastly underrated in recruiting at the moment. Thomas stands about 5’10 while having a nice physical frame that handled receivers very well during 1 on 1 work while also performing well during testing. This is a talented guy that should see his college recruitment spike over the next few months. - (S) [player_tooltip player_id="102334" first="Gavin" last="Smith"] - Father Ryan: This Fighting Irish defender has been on my radar for a while now but yesterday was a great opportunity for me see him work up close and personal and he did not disappoint. Smith is a tall, long and rangy safety that proved during 1 on 1 action that he moves well and can cover and run at the line of scrimmage. His work yesterday earned him an offer from Bethel and I bet with more work next month in college camps, Smith will continue adding to his offer sheet. - ‘24 (RB) [player_tooltip player_id="150281" first="Ty" last="Clark III"] - FRA: The RB group wasn’t that big on Saturday but that didn’t stop Clark from dominating his position and walking away with camp MVP honors. Well built physically with a strong lower base, Clark is an impressive talent that I feel is headed for a big, breakout junior season with his Panthers squad. If he keeps performing like he did yesterday, Clark will turn himself into one of the top running back prospects in this state for the ‘24 class and someone that could add his 1st college offers sooner than later. - (LB) Devin Geer - Bowling Green (Ky): This guy walked into camp yesterday and quickly established himself as one of the better physically impressive looking prospects in attendance and he backed up that look with strong play in the field, walking away as MVP for the linebackers. Geer looks the part of a college player and someone that has yet to fully transition to the linebacker position, so watch out for this guy going forward as he has the size, skills and mindset to make it into the college game. - ‘24 (Ath) [player_tooltip player_id="150297" first="Zac" last="McDonald"] - Jackson Christian: Hailing from the West Tennessee region, McDonald came to Murfreesboro looking to start his camp season off with a bang and he did just that by doing well during testing then proceeding to look smooth and smart when 1 on 1 action cranked up. McDonald is a two way talent that is still developing his overall game and body but traits are there to excel at either running back or safety on the next level. Look for McDonald to breakout this Fall and become one of his teams top go to guys and producers on both sides of the ball. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-344823" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/20220521_170219-e1653233902748-300x277.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="277" />