2024 MHSAA Showcases: Brighton PM Impressions

Alex Pallone May 17, 2024 @ 02:50 PM

<p>The PM Session of the Brighton Camp showcased some of the best talent in the KLAA. This camp, in particular, shined light on some new talent while also confirming my opinions about several players I was already familiar with. So, here are five players who I evaluated during the PM Brighton Session. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">WR | [player_tooltip player_id='1298608' first='Christian' last='Gillings'] | Novi | <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristianG86613"></a><a href="https://twitter.com/ChristianG86613">@ChristianG86613</a></h2>   <p>3W (2027)</p>   <p>In a few years time, Gillings could be a phenomenal prospect. He first caught my eye during the positional drills. There, I note that Gillings had great change of direction and footwork for a 2027 prospect. Heading into the 1v1 period, he impressed me even more. His quickness and change of direction earned him several wins against good senior defenders. His hands also looked solid. He'll at the very least be on the 2027 rankings Watch List, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do on Varsity. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">G | [player_tooltip player_id='1298613' first='Samuel' last='Frost'] | AA Pioneer | <a href="https://twitter.com/Sam_Frost74">@Sam_Frost74</a></h2>   <p>108W</p>   <p>Frost was a bright spot in the OL group. An all-region selection in 2023, Forst came in and competed very well against KLAA competition. Unlike other linemen, Frost was able to stay relatively balanced throughout his pass set. His footwork and initial punch could use work, but once the defender engaged with him, he was able to recover and not allow the defender to win the outside. Lastly, Frost did a great job of immediately putting his hands up every pass set. I see a lot of linemen with super sloppy hands, and at least initially, Frost does a good job at keeping his hands in front of him. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">WR | [player_tooltip player_id='1298618' first='CJ' last='Byrd'] | Northville | <a href="https://twitter.com/CJByrd02">@CJByrd02</a></h2>   <p>16W</p>   <p>CJ had himself a good camp. During positional drills, CJ had some of the best change of direction. Running routes on air, I liked his footwork and how low he'd get on his cuts. On top of being a 6'2" 180lb receiver, I absolutely had to watch him in the competition portion. There, CJ did well, but his attention to detail fell off a bit. His routes on air looked good, but his routes against competition became very inconsistent and a bit sloppy. It looked like CJ was trying to play too fast, and he'd benefit from a little more focus on his footwork while he's in a competition situation. Good day, high upside, just some minor things to work on. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">QB | [player_tooltip player_id='601968' first='Devvin' last='Calhoun'] | Canton |<a href="https://twitter.com/devvincalhoun"> @devvincalhoun</a></h2>   <p>67B</p>   <p>Devvin has been someone on my radar for a while, and I made a point to watch several of his reps. To start, he throws a beautiful ball. The ball launches out of Devvin's hand, and it's usually a beautiful spiral. I know he can also run the football, and it's always great to have a dual-threat QB on your team. The one glaring issue is Devvin's accuracy. Yes, the ball comes out great, but his accuracy is widely inconsistent. He overthrew, underthrew, threw in front, and behind of receivers. That's the #1 aspect that Devvin has to work on. You can have all of the athletic traits in the world, but without consistent accuracy, you won't be able to do much. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">WR | [player_tooltip player_id='899436' first='Malek' last='Farha'] | AA Pioneer | <a href="https://twitter.com/MalekFarha12">@MalekFarha12</a></h2>   <p>19B</p>   <p>We've gotten a lot of eyes on Malek in the past several months, and I have a very good idea of the type of player he is. In short, Malek is a well above-average slot receiver. In nearly every aspect, Malek is good, but falls short of elite. His route-running is good. Malek gets low, has little wasted movement, but doesn't have that top-tier twitchiness to reach an elite route-running level. His hands and body control are also great. Malek can track the ball and make good possession catches while sometimes earning great RAC. There are so many great receivers in the class of 2025, but with a few more camp showings, Malek could earn D3 offers. </p>

The PM Session of the Brighton Camp showcased some of the best talent in the KLAA. This camp, in particular, shined light on some new talent while also confirming my opinions about several players I was already familiar with. So, here are five players who I evaluated during the PM Brighton Session.