Aaryn Parks slowed my progress on this notebook Monday night, but I was able to speak with one of the coaches that helps run the camp last night.
Below is a recap on last weekend's Under Armour Camp in Baltimore.
LB Curtis Jacobs
Penn State Commits
RJ Adams, Golden Achumba, Curtis Jacobs & Dont’e Thornton
- I wrote up my opinion on the four Penn State commits Monday. I don’t have much to add from what I already wrote, but if you missed what I wrote, I posted it below. Adams and Jacobs were the best players at their position. I have no doubts about that.
From the Dont'e Thornton thread on Monday:
All four of the PSU commits were very good. Adams, Jacobs and Thornton were clearly among the Top 10 prospects in attendance. Achumba was probably Top 15 or so. It was a very good camp.
Curtis Jacobs has put on some great weight. He said he's pushing 230 now. He looks great. I'm impressed with how much he's progressed since last summer. He came to PSU to workout at receiver last June. He was never going to play that position in college, but the transformation he's made is impressive.
But out of the four PSU commits, RJ Adams caught my eye the most. He won the Big Man Challenge, which was basically an agility drill, plus what they did during one vs ones. Most Big Man Challenges also involve lifting, but they didn't have that available. Adams was great during the OL vs. DL drill. I didn't see every rep he took, but I can only think of one time that he was beaten. Wish I would've filmed the agility drill during the Big Man Challenge. I was focused on Thornton at the time, but was watching Adams off to the side. The kid can move.
Achumba was as expected. He has the potential, just needs to refine his skills and he's trying to do that. I watched him stay back during break to work with the coaches twice. That probably stood out to me more than anything else. He's working really hard to improve this spring/summer. He's committed to taking his game to the next level and that should have fans excited.
Sunday was my first time seeing Thornton since last year's camp at PSU. The kid just has sooo much length. A lot of guys with that length look uncoordinated at times. That's really not the case with Thornton. That combination is what PSU loves. I'm curious to see how much he continues to grow. He's already a legit 6-4 and he can't even drive a car yet.
If I had to rank the four, I'd probably go with 1) Adams 2) Jacobs 3) Thornton 4) Achumba. These events are much more favorable to WRs than LBs, so you could swap 2 and 3 and I couldn't argue. They're basically even, but in the drills I saw from Jacobs, he was flawless. The coaches used him as the example for nearly every drill. Obviously, I wasn't the only person he impressed. He was one of only three players to leave camp with an invite to the Under Armour All-America Game.
DT Coziah Izzard
2020 Prospects
RBs Jalen Berger & Chris Tyree
- I was able to catch up with Chris Tyree for a few minutes before camp and Jalen Berger a few minutes after camp. To be honest, I didn't get the best of impressions from either.
As I noted in the camp thread Sunday, I think we can all but cross Tyree off the list. The staff will continue to check in on him - he said that PSU was in to see him last week - but Tyree also said that he’s no longer contacting Penn State as much as he once was. He wouldn't rule out visiting State College again, but I think PSU is outside of his top 5. Oklahoma is probably the favorite at the moment.
As for Berger, I have to stress that he's a pretty quiet kid. He's short with his answers, so it's tough to get a feel for what he thinks. He just took unofficial visits to Syracuse, UMass, Pitt, Michigan, Ohio State and Maryland, in that order. The fact that he visited all those schools recently and didn't stop by Penn State is interesting. He has been on campus a few times, but his last visit was in April 2018.
When I asked about potentially visiting Penn State in the coming months, Berger said, “I’m taking a break right now. I just saw a lot of schools, but I’m thinking about getting back up there in the summer. It’s close and I’ve been there a few times already. I’m talking to Coach Seider just about every other day. We have a great relationship."
When myself and others covering the event asked about other schools, he spoke highly of Ohio State and Michigan, so that grabbed my attention. With that said, I’ve had a few colleagues tell me that proximity to home will be important here. There are a few reporters that think Rutgers is going to be a serious contender, too, so we’ll see when he announces his top schools.
“I’m thinking about dropping my top schools before the season and then announcing at the Army All-American Game," said Berger.
The fact that he's in no rush to decide could work in PSU's favor, but I didn't get the best of impressions when I spoke with Berger this past weekend. The staff needs to get him on campus.
Saf. Mordecai McDaniel
I wrote a full update on McDaniel yesterday. If you missed it, Click Here. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to watch him much. He was on the opposite field of Dont’e Thornton. Obviously, Thornton was the player I focused on the most during one-on-ones. However, just learning that PSU is a serious player with McDaniel was one of the big takeaways from the camp. I knew he camped with the staff last summer, but I didn’t know that he took an unofficial visit to PSU in March.
After his first two official visits to Florida and Notre Dame, most of my colleagues believe that the Irish have the lead, but PSU is genuinely in the mix here and that’s something I wasn’t really sold on going into the day. I also confirmed with contacts that he'll take his official June 20-22. McDaniel originally said that he'll arrive June 22.
DT Coziah Izzard
Izzard worked out as a defensive end Sunday. I expect him to play defensive tackle at the next level - he checked in at 6-2 1/2, and over 275 pounds when he visited PSU in February - so I would’ve liked to have seen him match up with some of the guards in attendance. Izzard was excellent during the OL vs. DL drills, but he also didn’t face anyone on his level. Personally, there wasn’t much to take from his workout. When I was watching, he matched up against a few 2022 kids and others that won't be playing at an FBS school.
From a recruiting standpoint, he continues to stress that he wants to take an official visit to LSU. Nothing is set yet, however. I still feel like Izzard should end up a Nittany Lion. I noticed him spending time with Achumba and Jacobs before and after camp. Jacobs also joked that Izzard is just wasting everyone's time and needs to commit already.
DT Isaiah Raikes
For many of the top players at these camps, they just go through the motions, but that's not the case with Raikes. The New Jersey prospect gives 100 percent on every play, which is great to see. I thought he was the best defensive tackle in attendance and he also makes sure that he faces the best opposition as often as he can. Achumba struggled against Raikes a few times, mainly due to Isaiah's quickness off the snap. He also has a very strong swim move already and just gets stronger every time I see him. This was my third time seeing Raikes and every time I leave more and more impressed. I think he’s a bit underrated on Rivals.
When it comes to recruiting, Raikes spoke highly of his Texas A&M visit and wants to return, but he’s also talking about returning to Penn State this summer. I still think PSU has a chance here, but the Aggies are going to provide some serious competition.
WR KeAndre Lambert
Lambert was the more aggressive player I watched Sunday. He mixed it up with a few defensive backs and to some degree it worked. I thought he got better as the day went on. Some guys use smack talk as motivation. He certainly fits that mold.
Personally, I thought 2021 WR Kaden Prather had the best day of any receiver, but Lambert was solid. He’s just a well-balanced player. He runs nice routes and I liked the way he locates the ball and shields the defensive backs with his body. Lambert also said that he was originally talking to Penn State about taking an official visit this summer, but he's now leaning towards using that visit in the fall. He appears to be in no rush to end the process.
CB Joseph Johnson
Johnson visited Penn State last month to watch a spring practice and ended up committing too N.C. State a few weeks later. However, don’t be surprised if he visits PSU again. I didn’t stick a recorder in his face to be respectful of his commitment, but he did admit that he’s still in contact with Terry Smith regularly. I also asked about the chances of him taking an official visit. He smiled and said “we’ll see.”
If he does visit, it probably won’t come until the season, but clearly, his recruitment isn’t over and the Lions are still heavily involved. That’s a good thing because he was the second-best defensive back in attendance, only behind 2021 CB Tony Grimes. He was beaten a few times when playing press coverage, but was excellent when he played a few yards off the receiver. He beat Thornton a few times.
CB Tony Grimes
2021 Prospects
WR Kaden Prather
As I mentioned above, I thought Prather had the best performance of any receiver Sunday. He was the only player that got the best of Grimes. Prather, who left DeMatha after the season and is now at Northwest H.S., is already 6-3 1/2, and pushing 200 pounds. He has excellent hands and was consistently able to create some separation. He's pretty quick, too. I was told he ran a 4.5 during testing. Don't be surprised if his scholarship count takes a big jump between now and the start of the season.
CB Tony Grimes
Learning McDaniel’s interest in PSU was probably the biggest recruiting tidbit that I took away from camp. Learning how high Penn State is on Grimes’ list was a close second.
I’m going to type up a full story on Grimes tomorrow, but from talking to his father, Princess Anne assistant coach Deon Glover, I got the impression that Penn State is on pace to make his top five. Glover gushed about Terry Smith and the plan that they have for Tony. They visited last month and were genuinely blown away by the visit.
I really believe he’s a five-star quality player. He just has it all. He can press, he can catch and he can run with just about anyone. He’s already very smooth and polished and still has two years to go.
OL Landon Tengwall
Tengwall has been very consistent at these camps and that was the case again this past weekend. He has everything you want from a size perspective - he's a lean 6-6, 315 - but on top of that, Tengwall has a great slide step, keeps his base low and centered and just knows how to use leverage to his advantage. I think he could be a five-star.
The Good Counsel prospect also confirmed that he’s headed back to Penn State May 18 for a junior day. That’s shaping up to be PSU’s next big recruiting event. He hasn’t announced his top schools yet, but it’s becoming clear that Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame all sit in a good position. Notre Dame should also get another visit later this month or in June. Tengwall is in no rush to make a move, however, as he's planning to use his official visits next spring. He earned an invitation to the Future 50 camp.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison also earned an invite to the Future 50. Again, I thought Prather and Lambert were the top two receivers. Harrison and Thornton were probably the next two that caught my eye. Harrison is very smooth with his routes and knows how to high-point the ball. He went up and over a few defensive backs.
He still needs to work on creating separation, but that’ll come. I’m curious to see how Kyle McCord’s commitment to Ohio State impacts Harrison Jr. The two are pretty close friends and he joined McCord on both of their visits to Columbus this spring. Harrison and the entire St. Joseph’s squad will be back at Penn State in June for the 7-on-7 tournament.
Other Players to Note
- 2021 OL Tristan Leigh had an up and down day. He mainly just needs to be quicker off the snap. For the most part, everything else is there. Leigh confirmed that he'll also be at Penn State May 18 for junior day. It'll be his first visit with Franklin and his assistants.
- 2021 DL Monkell Goodwine had a good day. For his size - he's already pushing 270 pounds - he was very quick off the edge. Considering he's only a sophomore, I could see him growing into a defensive tackle. If he’s able to add good weight and keep his quickness off the snap, he could be a force. Goodwine said that Penn State, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee and Texas A&M are the five schools currently standing out the most.
- 2021 LB Demeioun Robinson is another player to keep an eye on. He’s pushing 220 pounds now and clearly still has some room to grow, so I wonder if he could potentially grow into a defensive end. PSU just offered about a week ago and he said he wants to get on campus this summer.
- 2022 LB Shawn Murphy has the potential to be a five-star. He has to grow into his frame still, but he may have been the most athletic linebacker in attendance. Murphy wasn’t able to visit Penn State this spring but said he wants to get on campus this summer.
Below is a recap on last weekend's Under Armour Camp in Baltimore.
LB Curtis Jacobs
Penn State Commits
RJ Adams, Golden Achumba, Curtis Jacobs & Dont’e Thornton
- I wrote up my opinion on the four Penn State commits Monday. I don’t have much to add from what I already wrote, but if you missed what I wrote, I posted it below. Adams and Jacobs were the best players at their position. I have no doubts about that.
From the Dont'e Thornton thread on Monday:
All four of the PSU commits were very good. Adams, Jacobs and Thornton were clearly among the Top 10 prospects in attendance. Achumba was probably Top 15 or so. It was a very good camp.
Curtis Jacobs has put on some great weight. He said he's pushing 230 now. He looks great. I'm impressed with how much he's progressed since last summer. He came to PSU to workout at receiver last June. He was never going to play that position in college, but the transformation he's made is impressive.
But out of the four PSU commits, RJ Adams caught my eye the most. He won the Big Man Challenge, which was basically an agility drill, plus what they did during one vs ones. Most Big Man Challenges also involve lifting, but they didn't have that available. Adams was great during the OL vs. DL drill. I didn't see every rep he took, but I can only think of one time that he was beaten. Wish I would've filmed the agility drill during the Big Man Challenge. I was focused on Thornton at the time, but was watching Adams off to the side. The kid can move.
Achumba was as expected. He has the potential, just needs to refine his skills and he's trying to do that. I watched him stay back during break to work with the coaches twice. That probably stood out to me more than anything else. He's working really hard to improve this spring/summer. He's committed to taking his game to the next level and that should have fans excited.
Sunday was my first time seeing Thornton since last year's camp at PSU. The kid just has sooo much length. A lot of guys with that length look uncoordinated at times. That's really not the case with Thornton. That combination is what PSU loves. I'm curious to see how much he continues to grow. He's already a legit 6-4 and he can't even drive a car yet.
If I had to rank the four, I'd probably go with 1) Adams 2) Jacobs 3) Thornton 4) Achumba. These events are much more favorable to WRs than LBs, so you could swap 2 and 3 and I couldn't argue. They're basically even, but in the drills I saw from Jacobs, he was flawless. The coaches used him as the example for nearly every drill. Obviously, I wasn't the only person he impressed. He was one of only three players to leave camp with an invite to the Under Armour All-America Game.
DT Coziah Izzard
2020 Prospects
RBs Jalen Berger & Chris Tyree
- I was able to catch up with Chris Tyree for a few minutes before camp and Jalen Berger a few minutes after camp. To be honest, I didn't get the best of impressions from either.
As I noted in the camp thread Sunday, I think we can all but cross Tyree off the list. The staff will continue to check in on him - he said that PSU was in to see him last week - but Tyree also said that he’s no longer contacting Penn State as much as he once was. He wouldn't rule out visiting State College again, but I think PSU is outside of his top 5. Oklahoma is probably the favorite at the moment.
As for Berger, I have to stress that he's a pretty quiet kid. He's short with his answers, so it's tough to get a feel for what he thinks. He just took unofficial visits to Syracuse, UMass, Pitt, Michigan, Ohio State and Maryland, in that order. The fact that he visited all those schools recently and didn't stop by Penn State is interesting. He has been on campus a few times, but his last visit was in April 2018.
When I asked about potentially visiting Penn State in the coming months, Berger said, “I’m taking a break right now. I just saw a lot of schools, but I’m thinking about getting back up there in the summer. It’s close and I’ve been there a few times already. I’m talking to Coach Seider just about every other day. We have a great relationship."
When myself and others covering the event asked about other schools, he spoke highly of Ohio State and Michigan, so that grabbed my attention. With that said, I’ve had a few colleagues tell me that proximity to home will be important here. There are a few reporters that think Rutgers is going to be a serious contender, too, so we’ll see when he announces his top schools.
“I’m thinking about dropping my top schools before the season and then announcing at the Army All-American Game," said Berger.
The fact that he's in no rush to decide could work in PSU's favor, but I didn't get the best of impressions when I spoke with Berger this past weekend. The staff needs to get him on campus.
Saf. Mordecai McDaniel
I wrote a full update on McDaniel yesterday. If you missed it, Click Here. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to watch him much. He was on the opposite field of Dont’e Thornton. Obviously, Thornton was the player I focused on the most during one-on-ones. However, just learning that PSU is a serious player with McDaniel was one of the big takeaways from the camp. I knew he camped with the staff last summer, but I didn’t know that he took an unofficial visit to PSU in March.
After his first two official visits to Florida and Notre Dame, most of my colleagues believe that the Irish have the lead, but PSU is genuinely in the mix here and that’s something I wasn’t really sold on going into the day. I also confirmed with contacts that he'll take his official June 20-22. McDaniel originally said that he'll arrive June 22.
DT Coziah Izzard
Izzard worked out as a defensive end Sunday. I expect him to play defensive tackle at the next level - he checked in at 6-2 1/2, and over 275 pounds when he visited PSU in February - so I would’ve liked to have seen him match up with some of the guards in attendance. Izzard was excellent during the OL vs. DL drills, but he also didn’t face anyone on his level. Personally, there wasn’t much to take from his workout. When I was watching, he matched up against a few 2022 kids and others that won't be playing at an FBS school.
From a recruiting standpoint, he continues to stress that he wants to take an official visit to LSU. Nothing is set yet, however. I still feel like Izzard should end up a Nittany Lion. I noticed him spending time with Achumba and Jacobs before and after camp. Jacobs also joked that Izzard is just wasting everyone's time and needs to commit already.
DT Isaiah Raikes
For many of the top players at these camps, they just go through the motions, but that's not the case with Raikes. The New Jersey prospect gives 100 percent on every play, which is great to see. I thought he was the best defensive tackle in attendance and he also makes sure that he faces the best opposition as often as he can. Achumba struggled against Raikes a few times, mainly due to Isaiah's quickness off the snap. He also has a very strong swim move already and just gets stronger every time I see him. This was my third time seeing Raikes and every time I leave more and more impressed. I think he’s a bit underrated on Rivals.
When it comes to recruiting, Raikes spoke highly of his Texas A&M visit and wants to return, but he’s also talking about returning to Penn State this summer. I still think PSU has a chance here, but the Aggies are going to provide some serious competition.
WR KeAndre Lambert
Lambert was the more aggressive player I watched Sunday. He mixed it up with a few defensive backs and to some degree it worked. I thought he got better as the day went on. Some guys use smack talk as motivation. He certainly fits that mold.
Personally, I thought 2021 WR Kaden Prather had the best day of any receiver, but Lambert was solid. He’s just a well-balanced player. He runs nice routes and I liked the way he locates the ball and shields the defensive backs with his body. Lambert also said that he was originally talking to Penn State about taking an official visit this summer, but he's now leaning towards using that visit in the fall. He appears to be in no rush to end the process.
CB Joseph Johnson
Johnson visited Penn State last month to watch a spring practice and ended up committing too N.C. State a few weeks later. However, don’t be surprised if he visits PSU again. I didn’t stick a recorder in his face to be respectful of his commitment, but he did admit that he’s still in contact with Terry Smith regularly. I also asked about the chances of him taking an official visit. He smiled and said “we’ll see.”
If he does visit, it probably won’t come until the season, but clearly, his recruitment isn’t over and the Lions are still heavily involved. That’s a good thing because he was the second-best defensive back in attendance, only behind 2021 CB Tony Grimes. He was beaten a few times when playing press coverage, but was excellent when he played a few yards off the receiver. He beat Thornton a few times.
CB Tony Grimes
2021 Prospects
WR Kaden Prather
As I mentioned above, I thought Prather had the best performance of any receiver Sunday. He was the only player that got the best of Grimes. Prather, who left DeMatha after the season and is now at Northwest H.S., is already 6-3 1/2, and pushing 200 pounds. He has excellent hands and was consistently able to create some separation. He's pretty quick, too. I was told he ran a 4.5 during testing. Don't be surprised if his scholarship count takes a big jump between now and the start of the season.
CB Tony Grimes
Learning McDaniel’s interest in PSU was probably the biggest recruiting tidbit that I took away from camp. Learning how high Penn State is on Grimes’ list was a close second.
I’m going to type up a full story on Grimes tomorrow, but from talking to his father, Princess Anne assistant coach Deon Glover, I got the impression that Penn State is on pace to make his top five. Glover gushed about Terry Smith and the plan that they have for Tony. They visited last month and were genuinely blown away by the visit.
I really believe he’s a five-star quality player. He just has it all. He can press, he can catch and he can run with just about anyone. He’s already very smooth and polished and still has two years to go.
OL Landon Tengwall
Tengwall has been very consistent at these camps and that was the case again this past weekend. He has everything you want from a size perspective - he's a lean 6-6, 315 - but on top of that, Tengwall has a great slide step, keeps his base low and centered and just knows how to use leverage to his advantage. I think he could be a five-star.
The Good Counsel prospect also confirmed that he’s headed back to Penn State May 18 for a junior day. That’s shaping up to be PSU’s next big recruiting event. He hasn’t announced his top schools yet, but it’s becoming clear that Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame all sit in a good position. Notre Dame should also get another visit later this month or in June. Tengwall is in no rush to make a move, however, as he's planning to use his official visits next spring. He earned an invitation to the Future 50 camp.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison also earned an invite to the Future 50. Again, I thought Prather and Lambert were the top two receivers. Harrison and Thornton were probably the next two that caught my eye. Harrison is very smooth with his routes and knows how to high-point the ball. He went up and over a few defensive backs.
He still needs to work on creating separation, but that’ll come. I’m curious to see how Kyle McCord’s commitment to Ohio State impacts Harrison Jr. The two are pretty close friends and he joined McCord on both of their visits to Columbus this spring. Harrison and the entire St. Joseph’s squad will be back at Penn State in June for the 7-on-7 tournament.
Other Players to Note
- 2021 OL Tristan Leigh had an up and down day. He mainly just needs to be quicker off the snap. For the most part, everything else is there. Leigh confirmed that he'll also be at Penn State May 18 for junior day. It'll be his first visit with Franklin and his assistants.
- 2021 DL Monkell Goodwine had a good day. For his size - he's already pushing 270 pounds - he was very quick off the edge. Considering he's only a sophomore, I could see him growing into a defensive tackle. If he’s able to add good weight and keep his quickness off the snap, he could be a force. Goodwine said that Penn State, Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee and Texas A&M are the five schools currently standing out the most.
- 2021 LB Demeioun Robinson is another player to keep an eye on. He’s pushing 220 pounds now and clearly still has some room to grow, so I wonder if he could potentially grow into a defensive end. PSU just offered about a week ago and he said he wants to get on campus this summer.
- 2022 LB Shawn Murphy has the potential to be a five-star. He has to grow into his frame still, but he may have been the most athletic linebacker in attendance. Murphy wasn’t able to visit Penn State this spring but said he wants to get on campus this summer.
