Exceptional Talent Floods Grand Valley’s Final Camp
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This may have been the best camp talent-wise I’ve ever attended. Either that or because I’ve done my homework because there were 26 players in attendance on our rankings. Every position had multiple prospects who I have notes on, and…
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Continue ReadingThis may have been the best camp talent-wise I’ve ever attended. Either that or because I’ve done my homework because there were 26 players in attendance on our rankings. Every position had multiple prospects who I have notes on, and each position has multiple prospects I could talk about today. For this article, I’ll be speaking on ten prospects who I watched thoroughly!
RB | Sean Emerson Sean Emerson 5'8" | 180 lbs | ATH Seaholm | 2024 State MI | Seaholm | Hudl
I’ve been pounding the table for Sean for quite some time, and I’m delighted that he showed out at yesterday’s camp. The RB group was stacked, but I can confidently say he came out as a top-3 RB in all of camp. In the many positional/agility drills, Sean showed quick feet, fast reaction time, and explosiveness. I got to watch a few 1-on-1s with linebackers, and he won most of his reps. Now, I know for a fact he’s on the radar of every college that was in attendance yesterday. His abilities aren’t always perfectly showcased with Seaholm’s Triple-Option offense, but I promise you he can do it all! Earlier in the offseason, Sean demonstrated real separation ability and good hands in the passing game. At this point, I would be shocked if Sean didn’t receive an offer in the next few months. Heck, he could get an offer any day at this point.
RB | Jahi Wood | Waverly | Hudl
If I had to name a #1 standout, it would be Jahi Wood. #80 was a monster, as he hands-down had the best athleticism out of all the RBs. It may say he’s ranked as the #23 ATH and #126 overall in the class of 2024, but I now know that’s a criminally low ranking. Drill after drill, he demonstrated his explosiveness and his jaw-dropping ability to make fast cuts. During 1-on-1s, he predictably embarrassed a few of the LBs. Insane camp from Jahi, and I would easily recommend him to any Division 2 schools. If he keeps showing his abilities this fall, there’s a good chance at Division 1 opportunities.
RB/DB | Elisee Kanda Elisee Kanda 6'0" | 200 lbs | DB East Kentwood | 2024 State MI | East Kentwood | Hudl
The first time I watched Elisee was last fall when East Kentwood took on rival West Ottawa. He wasn’t on my radar at the time, but he ended up flying all over the field and making play after play. After that game, I interviewed him, and he stated a goal of earning a pick-6. In the very next game, he achieved it.
Yesterday, Elisee looked significantly bigger and stronger than he did last fall. His Twitter shows a ton of lifting highlights, and it’s obvious he’s taken the necessary time to build his body. He showed that he can be a playmaker on both sides of the ball. He spent most of his time at RB, as he was a top-3 back in terms of athleticism. As a DB, I only saw one rep, but he stuck with the receiver and won the rep. With a lot of athletes as strong as Elisee, you sometimes see a bit of stiffness in terms of athleticism. Not Elisee. He already has a few D2 offers, and I expect a ton more in the next several months.
WR | Mekhi Wingfield Mekhi Wingfield 6'3" | 190 lbs | WR Concord | 2024 State MI | Concord (8-Man) | Hudl
Mekhi is a player I’ve seen multiple times this offseason, and he’s been one of the most eye-opening prospects I’ve ever seen. He’s tall, long, and has incredible athleticism. Seriously, Mekhi has the talent of a Division 1 receiver, but he’s extremely raw in terms of WR skills. I don’t love his change of direction, route-running, or catching, but he runs a 4.5 40 (MHSAA Prospect Camp: Jenison). Someone will take a chance on Mekhi; there’s zero doubt about it.
WR | Gavin Noonan Gavin Noonan 5'10" | 170 lbs | WR Walled Lake Western | 2024 State MI | Walled Lake Western | Hudl
Gavin was the best all-around receiver at the entire camp. During his position drills, Gavin had a few great routes and proved he could explode and make quick cuts. I unfortunately didn’t note seeing him during competition, but I heard his name circulating with the college coaches.
TE | Paul Hartman III Paul Hartman III 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE Springfield | 2024 State IL | Springfield (Illinois) | Hudl
I knew a few of the Tight Ends at camp, but the biggest standout was someone completely unknown to me. Coming from Springfield, Illinois, Paul Hartman III Paul Hartman III 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE Springfield | 2024 State IL made his trip worthwhile. He looked very athletic for his tall and relatively skinny 6’5″ frame and surprisingly solid during blocking drills. When running routes, I was very impressed with his hands alongside footwork. He had few wasted steps and was consistently able to ride the sideline and avoid going out of bounds on out-routes. He was also able to go over the top on some balls, demonstrating a big catch radius. I unfortunately did not take any notes on reps with actual coverage, but the way he moved on air makes me confident he’d be a major mismatch against most coverage.
Digging a bit deeper into Paul, it seems our scouts at Prep Redzone Illinois are also high on him. Just three days ago, Paul was mentioned in an article by one of our most well-renowned Scouts, Mark Johnson. Mark notes that Paul is a former QB with a recent switch to TE. The most shocking part of Mark’s evaluation is that Paul has 0 offers! There were multiple other TEs in attendance with D1, D2, and D3 offers. I can confidently say that Paul outperformed all of them.
OL | Landon Bockelman | Liberty Center (Ohio) | Hudl
I heard Landon’s name circulating throughout camp, and I was impressed when I watched a few drills and saw a 1-on-1 rep. During earlier drills, he proved to be one of the more agile linemen at camp. During his 1-on-1 rep, he won against a very skilled defensive lineman. That rep showed good agility and footwork as Landon had to shuffle a few yards to his right while staying upright.
OL | Jacob Bellinger Jacob Bellinger 6'4" | 260 lbs | OL UofD Jesuit | 2025 State MI | UofD Jesuit | Hudl
I’ve been anticipating seeing Jacob in person after watching his film and ranking him quite high in the latest 2025 update. I noted that although his film didn’t blow me away, I was confident he’d improved as he’s been touring several camps, even picking up an offer from Marshall. His 1-on-1 reps showcased significantly improved pass sets than I’ve ever seen with his film. He still has a few fundamental issues, but he doesn’t lean or catch himself off balance nearly as much, and his hand placement was great from the reps I saw. This affirms my position on Jacob’s ranking, and I am much more confident he’ll break out this Fall!
DL | Jaylin Mcclaire | Edwardsburg | Hudl
Mcclaire was a name that quickly circulated throughout the camp. Of course, Edwardsburg is known for having great defensive fronts, and Jaylin is the embodiment of what the Eddies stand for. He’s a very muscular, dense defensive tackle at 6’0″ 245lbs, and predictably sports great power. He moves way better than nearly all guys I’ve seen his size. Jaylin is quickly becoming one of my favorite interior D-Line prospects, as he’s gained a ton of steam lately! Jaylin has offers from Lawrence Tech and Saint Francis, though I expect Division 2 schools to take notice soon.
DB | Isaac Poot Isaac Poot 6'1" | 190 lbs | DB Rockford | 2025 State MI | Rockford | Hudl
I had watched Isaac compete earlier in the day at a 7on7 that included Rockford, East Grand Rapids, DeWitt, and West Catholic. During that event, Isaac solidified himself as Rockford’s vocal leader on defense. He was in charge of echoing plays called by his coaches, and he was great at commanding the defense. I thought his actual pass defense was solid as well. He had 1 pass breakup from what I saw, and he could have done much more if he was just a step more reactive.
Later in the day, I got to see Isaac again during the GV Showcase. Isaac was the best athlete out of any 2025 DB in attendance. He has very quick feet, loose hips, great lateral movement & backpedal. I got to see a few 1v1 reps with him and a receiver, and he locked them up both times. Isaac is patient, can change direction on a dime, and has incredible instincts showcased on film. Rockford’s coaching staff is very excited about Isaac’s Junior Season, and I expect him to perform extremely well.