Legacy RISE: Top Performers (O)

Yesterday, one of the best camps of the winter took place. Just under 400 prospects competed at Legacy RISE, with a very high-volume of underclassmen. At a camp this large, it's impossible to get a decent look at even half of the prospects. I have a lot of homework to do on the full roster, but for now, here are the top standouts I watched on offense.    I'll be honest, going into yesterday, I wouldn't have expected Blake to win WR MVP.   I didn't even go out of my way to watch Blake; his performance was loud enough to catch the attention of everyone in the building. Yes, Blake is a well-above-average athlete, but that's not where he stood out the most. Blake stood out by being the best route runner at camp.   He consistently got open without trying to do anything too flashy. No triple moves, and no crazy releases. Whether it was a slant, post, fade, or corner, Blake did an excellent job of quickly manipulating the DB's feet with a subtle jab or head fake, then decisively planting, changing direction, and running his route. Additionally, Blake came down with a few difficult catches and displayed good ball tracking, body control, and hands.     Baker had a phenomenal performance. He's just as strong, competitive, and fundamentally polished as you'd expect from a Cass Tech offensive lineman.   Out of his stance, Baker immediately gets his hands up, and keeps his shoulders and feet square. If the opposing DT attempts a bull rush or power-adjacent move, Joshua does a great job punching back and anchoring down, eliminating the DT's momentum. When the DT tries to spin or swim, Joshua does an excellent job quickly setting his feet, moving with the DT, and either anchoring him in place or using his momentum to ride him away from the QB.   Joshua may be slightly below ideal height, and there's still room to get stronger. Though you'd be hard-pressed to find a more fundamentally sound OG in the class of 2028.     Murtadha's best performance to date. Compared to in-season as well as last December's Rising Stars camp, Murtadha looks noticably faster and more balanced.   The key here is agility. Yesterday, Murtadha did a much better job of recovering and staying in front of his opponent. His feet have gotten a step quicker, and I can see Murtadha guessing less out of his set. Those reps where he'd normally get beat are now 50/50 reps, while his 'good' snaps have become great. There's still a lot of room to grow- I'd love to see him get even faster.   It was an awesome OL group with a few prospects holding P4 offers. Murtadha earned OL MVP by outperforming the high-offer prospects.     I watched Aidan quite a bit yesterday. Early in warm-ups, Aidan stood out to me because of his size. Legit 6'4", long limbs, and athletic build. During the initial drills, I thought Aidan did a solid job, consistently showing above-average athleticism.   Going into 1-on-1s, I liked Aidan, but I didn't love him. Leaving 1-on-1s, Aidan was one of my biggest standouts.   He's another skill player who consistently won reps by keeping things simple and doing what he does best. Against press, I was consistently impressed with Aidan's release. He's able to quickly chop his feet, pick a direction, and immediately win leverage while barely being touched by the opposing DB. At the top of his route, he was simply decisive. Changing direction, Aidan was able to maintain his same speed, and that usually allowed him to earn an extra step on his DB.   I do think there's room to grow, but this was a very promising performance. Right now, I like him as an X receiver in college. If he's able to bulk and prove himself as a blocker, he could be an in-line TE.     Troy was an incredibly difficult WR to cover all camp. I actually thought he was one of, if not the most explosive receiver in attendance. All afternoon, he did an excellent job of winning at the top of his route. Additionally, Troy made a number of difficult catches downfield, sometimes laying out to catch the football.   I only saw a handful of reps from Troy, but that handful was impressive. I hope to see Troy at more events in the spring.     Quick mention for Fortner, who was another eye test standout. Heading into his sophomore year, Fortner has an impressive frame, great height, and an overall athletic build.   In the initial drills, you can see the potential. Fortner is already a solid athlete, overall and an above-average athlete for the class of 2029. During competition, his routes were pretty hit-and-miss.   I want to stress upside here. Fortner has a lot of tools, he just needs to sharpen those tools over the coming years. Realistically, he could develop into a wide receiver, tight end, linebacker, or even safety if he wanted to. Knowing how well Howell develops the front 7, I personally would love to see what he could do at linebacker.     When Gridiron Academy sends prospects to a camp, they're always a must-watch.   Keli is a middle school prospect with the size and tools to one day develop into an incredible offensive lineman. Legit 6'4", long arms, and a very strong lower-body for his age.   As for performance, Keli held his own against a handful of great D-Linemen. First and foremost, Keli did a great job immediately getting his hands up, and his feet were always moving. Yes, many of the fundamentals are quite sloppy, as Keli struggled to stay perfectly square, he leaned a lot, and was not precise with his hands. Still, Keli's quickness allowed him to recover well and stay in front of his opponent. Plus, he never shied away from a physical fight with an incoming senior. All in all, it was a very promising debut performance from Keli.

Yesterday, one of the best camps of the winter took place. Just under 400 prospects competed at Legacy RISE, with a very high-volume of underclassmen. At a camp this large, it's impossible to get a decent look at even half of the prospects. I have a lot of homework to do on the full roster, but for now, here are the top standouts I watched on offense.