College Camp Season Standouts (Part II)

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">As we are still in the month of July, college camps are still happening, which means opportunities are there for prospects to step forward and stand out. Here are ten more prospects that have taken full advantage of camp season and pushed their stocks forward. </h2>     ‘26 (QB) [player_tooltip player_id='492553' first='Hudson' last='Tucker'] - Briarcrest Christian   - Recently ranked as the 6th best quarterback from the #TN2026 class, Tucker is a cerebral ball player with excellent mechanics and good arm strength that was put on full display this summer at college camps. The Saints junior signal caller had a strong off-season campaign where he continued to stack good day after good day while continuing to enhance his skill set. Where Tucker stood out among his peers this summer in camps was his ability to read the play, make a quick decision and deliver the ball with confidence and power. His performance this summer definitely boosted his stock and I expect the offers to start arriving in the Fall after coaches look over new junior film, so keep an ear out for Tucker and explosion on recruiting scene.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/HudsonTucker12/status/1803092081734217913 </div></figure>   - - - - -    (RB) [player_tooltip player_id='219342' first='Tegan' last='Avera'] - Sevier Co.    - It seems like Avera has been fighting the uphill battle to be seen but things started moving in a positive direction this summer where the Smoky Bears running back put together several strong performances throughout camp season. He was able to land a solid offer from FCS participant Western Illinois and several others are showing interest, so his stock is rising but I think he can rise ever further in the coming months. Avera is an athletic ball carrier with excellent vision and good enough speed to get around defenders. Coaches are probably waiting to see early senior film before pulling the trigger on an offer but they certainly received a good taste of his skill set this summer to put him higher on their lists. It will be interesting to see where his recruitment goes from here because Avera is talented and can definitely run the ball.    - - - - -    (OG/C) [player_tooltip player_id='800806' first='Chris' last='Barnett'] - Blackman   - This Murfreesboro area O-lineman needed a solid summer camp season to push his stock higher and he did just that and then some. Barnett had a strong showing at multiple camps this summer where he displayed athleticism, power and the ability to handle several O-line positions. Those performances led to a few offers and I think Barnett can land more with a strong start to his senior season. What I and coaches like about this guy is the possibility to handle both guard positions and possibly center on the college level. He has done a great job of working on his body and getting into better shape to help his athleticism shine brighter. I don't think Barnet is done landing opportunities, so expect to continue hearing about this interior O-lineman as the Fall season rolls along.    - - - - -    ‘26 (OT/G) [player_tooltip player_id='866469' first='Austin' last='Hoane'] - Cookeville   - The Cavaliers have a stud on their hands and an O-lineman that will eventually move into Power Four status sooner than later. Hoane was an absolute beast at just about every stop he made throughout the off-season and established himself as a Top 5 O-lineman for the #TN2026 class. Consistency is the biggest thing that stood out to me about the Cavs big man. Everywhere he went, Hoane put forth strong performance after strong performance, showing off his active feet, great hand work and agile lower base. He shows the possibility of playing right tackle in college but could definitely excel at guard. Memphis is the biggest offer to date but that will change in time as Hoane is too talented to slide under the radar too much longer.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/austin_hoane22/status/1801064668569493549 </div></figure>   - - - - -    (DE/LB) [player_tooltip player_id='848818' first='Gabe' last='Lovorn'] - South Gibson   - Going into the summer camp season, Lovorn was already considered one of the best defensive prospects from the West TN region and did nothing but back that up and even boost his stock further. Due to his strong performances this summer, Lovorn obtained several big offers, including ones from Marshall, Memphis, MTSU, Ole Miss and others. Those offers came due to Lovorn displaying good overall athleticism, increased speed and explosion along with a beautiful looking body and frame. The Hornets senior product has shown this off-season that he is a legit D1 guy with the upside to develop even further on the college level. This coming Fall season could help push his stock further and make other Power Four programs take notice and get involved.    - - - - -    ‘26 (DT) [player_tooltip player_id='1281457' first='Tobja' last='Walters Jr'] - Oak Ridge   - Walters, Jr started making a name for himself at our Prep Redzone Tennessee spring combine where he won Def. MVP and he continued that momentum into college camps. The Wildcats junior had a strong off-season where he displayed potential for the D1 level as an 3-tech interior pass rusher with some of the best hand work from the #TN2026 D-line class. Athleticism and technique are two strong traits that stand out immediately when watching this East Tennessee product. O-linemen had a hard time dealing with Walters, Jr due to his fast get-off and active hands but also his understanding on how to get into the backfield in a variety of ways. Imagine how good this guy can be with continued growth and maturity, so watch out for Walters, Jr to continue boosting his stock and turning himself into one of the better D-Tackle prospects from our junior recruiting class.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/tobja_walters/status/1796923501472895367 </div></figure>   - - - - -    (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1267272' first='Jack' last='Watts'] - Ensworth   - Playing within a top tier trio of linebackers at Ensworth, Watts needed to hit the camp scene hard and work at building his stock further and I believe he did that. Sporting good size and high football intelligence, Watts showed off a variety of skills throughout camp season, including his ability to read and react quickly but also his potential to play in space. Watts is athletic enough to play on the edge if needed but his upside in college fits best at inside linebacker where he can use that athleticism but aggressiveness to compete versus the run. As we write this piece, the Tigers defender has yet to see the offers come his way but I think that's just a matter of time before they do. Watts has a great chance to take his summer momentum into the Fall season and take his stock to even bigger heights.    - - - - -    (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='353388' first='Blake' last='Owen'] - Cookeville   - Hitting the rounds this off-season at camps as a linebacker was the right move for Owen as he not only added a few offers but boosted his stock towards D1 schools looking harder at him. The Cavaliers senior two-way talent is one of better physically looking inside backers we have from the #TN2025 class but this summer at camps, Owen needed to display his ability to move in space and he did just that. Looking through our senior backers, Owen could be one of the best coverage guys in this class, which to me pushes his stock higher as this Mid-TN product could do a variety of things on the playing field. The upcoming season will determine a lot for Owen as he could play his way into D1 status or remain on the FCS level.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BlakeOwen3/status/1797434617269477794 </div></figure>   - - - - -    (DB) [player_tooltip player_id='1136682' first='Jalen' last='Anderson'] - Blackman   - Possibly nobody from our senior class has put in more time, effort and work this off-season than Anderson to push his game to another level. His dedication this off-season has been outstanding but his work during college camp season might have been the most beneficial. Every stop along the way, Anderson was all business as he was looking to turn some heads and he did that by obtaining offers from Butler and Davidson. Where I think Anderson boosted his stock the most for college coaches was his increased speed as well as his versatility to handle several roles in the secondary. He will need to continue stacking good performances together this Fall to see his recruiting continue to expand but Anderson has definitely put forth the effort to become a future college ball player.    - - - - -    ‘26 (DB) [player_tooltip player_id='492562' first='Justin' last='Hopkins'] - Ensworth    - Athletic with position versatility, Hopkins is one of the fastest risers within our #TN2026 class and I think you will continue to see his stock go up this Fall after a strong summer camp season in front of college coaches. The Tigers junior defensive back became one of the hottest recruits throughout the spring and summer months due to his natural athletic abilities and he did nothing but back that up during camp season. Hopkins showed off in camps his ability to handle several positions in the secondary, even possibly cover corner on the college gridiron. He brings a lot of value to the playing field and Hopkins is still growing into his body while maturing along the way, so his best football days are certainly ahead of him.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/jhopkins.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-1324970" style="width:427px;height:auto" /></figure>