St. Thomas Prospect Camp: Standouts, Part II
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ST. PAUL– After finishing Part I yesterday of our favorite standout prospects from the St. Thomas Tommies prospect camp on Friday night, we kick the tires into Part II. This list features prospects that already have an offer from the…
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Continue ReadingST. PAUL– After finishing Part I yesterday of our favorite standout prospects from the St. Thomas Tommies prospect camp on Friday night, we kick the tires into Part II. This list features prospects that already have an offer from the Tommies, another prospect I would offer right now, and other prospects that I believe their best football as far as upside, is up ahead of them as they still have growth in their skillsets I see with great sized ceilings. Let’s meet Part II’s standouts.
Keelan showed off a prospect that a plethora of athleticism that he showed off at the Tommies camp on Friday. He also intrigued me with his change of direction within the WR group, which showed off one of the best prospects as far as agility I got to watch live reps out of. Keelan also showed off superb balance from start to finish of every Indy and 1v1 rep he took and that painted a picture even better around the edges of the field. One of the biggest pop out skillsets on tape is Keelan’s blocking ability as not only will this kid throw blocks for his teammates, he has seems to have solid pad-level to pluck and redirect the defender out of the way of the SLP ball carrier. Keelan is also efficent with his instincts as a catch & go wide receiver that has seen some Division II interest come his way as college programs should like the upside of Keelan, as I believe his best football is up ahead of him.
Quentin blew up the testing session with his broad jump of an incredible 10, 1′ as the explosion he showed off from standing right in front of it was as fluid as you can get. Quentin certainly was one of the best cutting wide receivers in the group especially in the Indy drills I got to watch. Another small skillset I caught from Quentin was how hard he competes. Quentin was one of the only prospects I watched that wanted an additional rep in testing to see if he could top his last mark, and he did that in the broad jump as a ATH prospect that is sure-fire competitor as well on the field. Quentin on tape shows off as a kick returned with of course a lot of speed, agility but I love watching the consistency of his speed from start to finish on tape as this kid’s ability to get separation is unmatched regardless on returns or on intermediate or deep routes. Quentin has zero issue even if the secondary is playing off him to show off excellent flow with the speeds he uses to juke them out of their shoes. Quentin also looks smooth on tape with adjusting back to the ball when it is just off-line from his route. One NSIC school has offered Quentin so far, and I would assume the rush will keep brewing there this summer as Quentin would be on my “offer now” list of prospects from the Tommies camp. Quentin is a prime example of a prospect you go outside the measurables threeshold for if you are the FCS level.
Esteban is one of our South Dakota prospects that made the trip from Milbank to St. Paul to camp with the Tommies and I will say upfront I love how much this young man has improved in a short time since our last Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase. He’s gained a bunch with his athletic mobility, as Esteban looked much more fluid with his athletic frame he has groomed together. Many prospects at camps can start, but the question is can they finish that drill with the same juice? That was certainly the case with Esteban. I just missed Esteban in 1v1s, but if his 6’0 205 pound body type keeps growing like it has with three more years of HS football remaining, he certainly shows off a bright football future coming out of little Milbank, SD (pop just over 3000 people).
Anton is a prospect I have covered a handful already this spring and summer, but everywhere I get to watch this young man he leaves his mark with me on my notepad. Anton is a certified workhorse in the trenches as this young man especially in 1v1s was pulled to the top of the group and showed off in multiple 1v1 reps a long running motor with high levels of physicality, excellent pad-level that are all built to last no matter how long a play might be stretched on the run, you can assure that Anton will work his tail off until the whistle blows. I even thought since my last evaluation at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase at Northern State, that Anton has even developed more fluidity within his lower body as for a big man at 6’2 305 pounds, he is super smooth with his footwork. With offers from all over the NSIC and St. Thomas, I would love to see more FCS attention come this young man’s way.
Highlights
Cretin Derham-Hall OL Thomas Graves Thomas Graves 6’3″ | 285 lbs | OL Cretin-Derham Hall | 2024 MN was another one of my favorite offensive linemen at the Tommies prospect camp on Friday. For 6’3 285 pounds, Thomas showed off a strong bend and a athletic base before he even got his hands in the dirt. I liked the physicality in his punch as I thought his hands should smooth traits although I certainly think there is more potential with his physicality of his punch even with his good technique with his pad-level he shows off. I also love watching Thomas’s first step on tape as he’s able to engage leverage within a blink of an eye. He also impresses me with his football IQ on tape, as I like how he works his footwork in transition away from the ball, as Thomas has the instincts to engage quickly to his blocker as the ball quickly comes his way. Thomas is a OL I met of very high character with a 3.85 GPA and a team captain for the Raiders. Thomas certainly should see him recruitment for Saturdays pick up soon.
Highlights
Daniel Grider
Daniel Grider
A new name prospect for me on Friday night was Johnston (Iowa) free safety Daniel Grider who showed off a plethora of skillsets I liked watching from start to finish of the Tommies camp on Friday. He started off by showing how coordinated he is with his balance during Indy drills as Daniel showed off some smooth looking feet when I watched his reps progress thru Indy into 1v1s as well. At 5’10 165 pounds Daniel is not just quick with his feet, he also shows off a quick trigger with his change of direction. I thought from my eyes that Daniel had some of the best hands amongst the 2024 defensive back prospects in attendance. On tape, I love how instinctive Daniel is around the footbal, whether he is clinging to the ball with his instinctive release of his speed, or when he fights his tail off for it off a fumble, this kid has some gamer instincts to watch for in 2023 as a prospect that is under the radar now, but should see some recruiting interest build up into fall.