Our staff has spent the past 10 weeks on the road scouting college football prospects on the spring camp circuit.
COVID-19 restrictions led to a lot of shortened or even canceled high school football seasons, so this in-person platform allowed our team an invaluable opportunity to evaluate prospects.
Whether it’s a prospect who backed up the elite level seen on film, an emerging yet underrated prospect or a young player who caught our eye with promise, here is a list of five prospects who stood out.
2022 WR Armani Winfield
Lewisville High School (Texas)
March 2021 camp: Dallas
ESPN 300 ranking: No. 123
Winfield answered any questions pertaining to his pass-catching skills. Currently the No. 13-ranked wide receiver in the Class of 2022, we would stack his skills up against any wide receiver prospect we saw this spring. Simply put, he doesn’t have many lapses and earned MVP at the Dallas Under Armour Camp.
#ESPN300 #UAALLAMERICA WR & Texas #Longhorns commit Armani Winfield w/ a smooth run thru the gauntlet at Dallas UA camp @armani_winfield #Hookem @AllAmericaGame @TomLuginbill @DemetricDWarren @HamiltonESPN @TheUCReport pic.twitter.com/8f7lKyh5yp
— Craig Haubert (@CraigHaubert) March 14, 2021
His polished skill set coupled with a blazing 4.59 laser-to-laser 40 time make him a confident deep threat who catches everything. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Winfield also posted a 4.4 shuttle after growing two inches over the past two offseasons. He made leaping grabs and also separated with quickness underneath.
The Texas verbal commitment is a nice new piece of the puzzle for Steve Sarkisian’s scheme in Austin.
2022 OLB/DE Anto Saka
Loyola Blakefield High School (Maryland)
May 2021 camp: Baltimore
Class of 2022 rating: Three stars
Saka still had some questions to answer after a limited junior season. Was he fast and fluid enough to impact the college game at linebacker? Did he possess enough burst and power to rush the passer? Well, he answered those.
Saka put on a show in Baltimore, first with his testing and then with his play. He weighed in at 230 pounds and ran a 4.62 40-yard dash. He demonstrated his lower-body explosiveness with a broad jump that neared 10 feet as well. He was quick and agile through bags and space drills, then used speed-to-power abilities to beat offensive tackles in the one-on-one pass rush segment.
Currently outside of our ESPN 300 as three-star, Saka will work his way at our next ranking update with his ability play with his hand on the ground and off. Visits are set for Penn State, Northwestern, Michigan and USC.
2023 QB-DT Dante Moore
Martin Luther King High School (Michigan)
April 2021 camp: Ohio
Moore’s verified measurables more than matched up with his impressive passing skills, which includes an ultra-quick release in person. He grew an inch and gained 20 pounds from last year, now standing at 6-2, 195 pounds, and already has big hands at 9.8 inches.
Each time we see Moore, he gets more impressive physically and performs at a very high level. At Under Armour Ohio, he threw with rhythm and accuracy and was mobile in agility drills. Moore should continue to physically develop and be one of the hottest commodities on the college camp circuit in June once the dead period is lifted.
Yes, Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning are the big names at quarterback right now, but don’t sleep on Moore, whom we ranked the No. 11 prospect regardless of class earlier this month. The young signal-caller already has over 20 offers, including from Michigan and Notre Dame.
2023 ATH/CB Cormani McClain
Lake Gibson High School (Florida)
April 2021 camp: Orlando
McClain solidified what we saw on tape and will be one of the more highly rated prospects in our initial ESPN Jr. 300 ranking, which will be released over the summer. He’s is a terrific talent, and for a sophomore, he tested off the charts this past April at the Elite Underclassmen Camp in Orlando.
He’s 6-2, smooth and fluid in his movements and is a natural playmaker. Though laser-to-laser times in a combine setting can be unforgivingly accurate, he impressed by posting a 4.58 40-yard dash, as well as a 4.39 shuttle time.
He matched up extremely well in one-on-one drills and owned the jump balls. His length is a huge asset, as he can cover so much space with his wingspan and shut down tall, physical wide receivers.
McClain already has offers from many of the elite programs in college football, including Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Miami.
2023 CB Justyn Rhett
Bishop Gorman High School (Nevada)
May 2021 camp: Los Angeles
Bishop Gorman has produced multiple FBS players, including three Class of 2022 prospects. Another name is emerging in Rhett, whom the Gorman staff sees a blend between two former Gael defensive backs: Miami’s Bubba Bolden and Stanford’s Kyu Blu Kelly.
In the two times we saw the 2023 defender this spring, he drew our attention. In addition to possessing a great blend of height (6-1, 190 pounds) and length (71-inch wingspan), he posted impressive testing numbers. He showed off his excellent body control with a 121-inch broad jump and his change of direction with a blazing 4.11 short shuttle and 6.83 L-drill.
Those translated to his play, as he displayed quick feet and a strong ability to close on the football. Rhett, one of the top performers at the camp, has picked up several Power 5 offers this year, and with the recruiting dead period ending next week, that list will surely grow.