Elite class of 2023 and 2024 talent shine in first Under Armour camp of the 2022 circuit
MIAMI -- The first leg of the Under Armour Next football prospect camp tour kicked off Sunday in south Florida and waves of future ACC and SEC standouts likely participated.
Among the 200 or so prospects who competed at Ives Estates Park -- representing the college football recruiting class of 2023, 2024 and even 2025 -- there was no shortage of impressive displays during the competition. The trench prospects kicked off the event in the morning before waves of skill prospects followed throughout the early afternoon.
Sports Illustrated dishes out top performers on offense and defense, along with notes on more than a dozen additional prospects who also commanded attention following Sunday action.
Offense
WR Will Fowles, Class of 2023
Admittedly nursing a leg injury, evident in between drills, one couldn’t tell much when the competition heated up on Sunday afternoon. Against the press or off coverage, Fowles was able to challenge the third level of the secondary with ease. Where he shined brightest was in using his 6’3” frame and competitiveness to win at the catch point. The Hialeah (Fla.) Dade Christian star is fluid relative to his size and can put together strong routes in the process. As he continues to fill out, his strengths will be enhanced that much more as a true three-level threat. Alabama recently established contact and visits to Ole Miss and Michigan State are likely next up for Fowles, who was named wide receiver MVP by the UA staff on hand.
RB Tovani Mizell, 2024
In a relatively strong running back group, it was the rising-junior who made the most plays down the field during the one-on-one portion of the event. Mizell displays effortless cutting ability in drills and he can get to top speed in a hurry thanks to a long frame relative to the position. But when the ball was in the air, Mizell’s speed was at another level compared to the other backs in attendance and he finished with consistency for good measure. A spin move at the top of one route before a deep win was among the highlights of the camp, courtesy of the rising junior. Arkansas, Pitt, Illinois, UAB, Jackson State, Florida A&M and others are already on the offer list for the Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Newman standout.
OL William Larkins, 2023
The 6-foot-4, 298-pound interior projection had the best day of any offensive lineman at the camp, albeit across only two reps. But Larkins made the most of those opportunities, shutting down defensive tackle Jason Hammond twice in a row by packing a punch at the point of attack and winning the leverage battle from the strike through the whistle, not allowing Hammond to penetrate the line of scrimmage on his second rep. Larkins only has three offers currently, although one is from Michigan, suggesting that Power 5 offers will eventually pile up for the mauler.
WR Eugene Wilson, 2023
Less than two weeks after earning offers from Georgia, Alabama and Penn State in a 24-hour span, Wilson showed why he is a surging priority for some of the nation’s top programs with his two-way ability. Though coveted at defensive back a bit more than receiver at this time, the Tampa (Fla.) Gaither star worked on offense on Sunday and won well more reps than he lost as an explosive inside-out threat. Wilson is strong laterally and gets on top of the defenders cushion in short order, finishing away from his body in the process. The rising-senior has the chance to make plays wherever he lines up at the next level with quickness, twitch and ball skills on a 175-pound frame.
OL Roderick Kearney, 2023
After being an undersized offensive lineman at 260-pounds last summer, Kearney is now a 6’4”, 295-pound prospect that could see early college action. Good quickness, much improved power, and quick feet allow Kearney to project as a future guard or tackle and he worked well at each on Sunday en route to positional MVP honors via the Under Armour coaching staff. While still open on college choices, Michigan, Arkansas, Florida State, Florida, UCF, and Georgia are some of the schools coming hard after Kearney and more could be on the way.
Defense
EDGE Wilky Denaud, 2023
A long and athletic edge rusher, Denaud’s physical skill-set was one of the more impressive at Sunday’s camp and it was evident from testing, through drills and competition. Denaud successfully deployed a spin move on two different one-on-one reps for wins, as well as a powerful long-arm move attacking the opposing right tackle’s outside shoulder on another – winning on three of his four reps. Florida State has prioritized the Fort Pierce (Fla.) John Carrol pass rusher at the beginning of the 2023 cycle and Denaud has reciprocated interest in the program, although Penn State is also pushing for his services currently.
CB Ryan Mack, 2024
Named MVP of the defensive back group, the SI staff didn’t see a cornerback give up fewer catches during the one-on-one competition phase of the event than the Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas standout. There is a patience within his game that allows for quick breaks on the ball when Mack is ready to pull the trigger, often resulting in a pass breakup. He also got his hands on an interception late in the day, winning at the apex despite a shorter frame. Mack is instinctive before and after the ball is released and should only improve on his technical work from a mechanics standpoint. Offers have already come in from Penn State, Miami, Florida State, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Marshall and others.
LB Rodney Hill, 2024
The Palm Coast (Fla.) Flagler speedster, who doubles as a running back on Friday nights, took as many reps as any linebacker in attendance and came out with wins against a strong running back group on hand for MVP honors. He played with inside leverage down the field and was comfortable taking risks for the football at the catch point, including in leaving his feet for a head-turning interception. Hill is fluid out of breaks and flashed some make-up speed when select backs did get a step or two behind him. Tennessee is his sole SEC offer and it has his attention at this time, but his dream school has long been the in-state Florida Gators. A return trip to Gainesville is likely for the rising-junior recruit.
IDL John Walker, 2023
With one of the strongest bull rushes in the country, Walker displayed his pass rushing prowess in one-on-one drills. Also displaying good lateral quickness, Walker is a threat to penetrate and cause problems for an offense’s running game on Friday nights and certainly in this setting. USC, Michigan and Ohio State are three schools he’s very interested in among a plethora of offers already in hand for the Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola trenchman.
CB Antonio Robinson, 2023
The extremely talented corner out of Miami (Fla.) Christian makes plays because of his backpedal being so smooth, along with a quick change of direction, and tremendous ball skills. We suspect Robinson projects to play early during his college career with the kind of plays on the football he can make against wide receivers of all sizes. The rising-senior talent is also savvy with when to break on the football. He dropped his top 14 schools publicly earlier this month, but look out for schools like North Carolina and Penn State at this time.
Honorable Mention
RB Richard Young - The most eyed prospect from the moment he rolled into camp with an Alabama backpack, the Lehigh Aces (Fla.) High School star lived up to the hype in drills and anything else where his gifts were on display with the ball in his hands. Young has room to improve his space game, particularly catching the ball out of the backfield, but a strong build and smooth downhill game makes him coveted by the Crimson Tide, Ohio State, Oklahoma and beyond. A trip to Norman in March seems likely.
WR Kelton Henderson - A very shifty performer that projects to slot, outside receiver, or even on defense at cornerback, Henderson made plays with his quickness today at the Under Armour Combine. Playing with Young at Lehigh High School, he has a huge upside from a frame and athleticism standpoint, already sporting an offer list that includes LSU, Miami, Tennessee, Ohio State and Florida State among others.
TE/WR Isaiah Nixon - Excellent length and height make Nixon intriguing. The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Lakewood prospect played offense and won with physicality at Under Armour, but many college programs think he could be a talented edge rusher down the line. With offers from LSU, Alabama, and Georgia all in the same day, his recruitment has went into hyperdrive.
DB Elliot Washington - Despite nursing an Achilles injury, Washington showed the desire to compete and proved physical at the point of contact. The Venice (Fla.) star had a great pass breakup while defending a deep ball at the tail-end of the competition portion of the event. The Alabama commitment will be at Alabama again on March 5, and is considering other visits as other programs continue to court the versatile defensive back.
RB Joquez Smith - Few linebackers or defensive backs can stay with the Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit tailback in space. Excellent at catching the football away from his body; quick burst after the catch is also evident in the 2021 state champion. Smith is a possible slot receiver as well as running back in college. West Virginia, Coastal Carolina and Buffalo have offered and each is slated to get him on campus this spring. Florida State could soon enter the mix, Smith says.
LB Larry Jones III - Late bloomer that showed quickness in space and a competitive edge to match, picking off a pair of passes intended for running backs in the process. The Lakeland (Fla.) High School player is happy to play any linebacker position and get after it, though it doesn’t take much imagination to see him potentially playing on the edge or with his hand in the dirt at 230-plus pounds. Kentucky, Pittsburg and UConn are some of the schools communicating with Jones.
DB Jeremiah Anglin - Capable in tight man or playing off coverage, Anglin displayed excellent quickness in space versus smaller receivers. His length and playmaking skills are a reason he earned recent offers from UCF, Florida, Florida State, Louisville and Indiana among others. The Lake Wales (Fla.) High School prospect is prep teammates with fellow Under Armour participant Terrell James, a talented defensive end.
OL Payton Kirkland - Anchors well in pass protection, has a good punch, and slid well left or right for a lineman of his stature. With Kirkland’s natural strength, he could end up at guard or tackle in college. Florida is gaining ground in Kirkland’s recruitment but he remains a nationally-coveted prospect after emerging as one during his freshman season.
OT Lucas Simmons - The Sweden native has added good weight to a towering 6’7” frame and looked effective on the edge against pass rushers much smaller in stature. The sheer length and developing power, in addition to a year of good varsity competition at Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International, has his stock pointed up for the foreseeable future. USC and Florida State are poised to get Simmons’ next visits.
QB Blake Murphy - In his first event after missing the bulk of the 2021 season with injury, looked as good as possible when the score was kept during the accuracy challenge. The Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage passer notched a perfect score for that portion of the event, according to the coaches on hand responsible. UConn is the most recent scholarship offer in for the dual-threat.
IDL Derrick LeBlanc - LeBlanc’s long arms and good, violent hand usage helped him battle top offensive linemen throughout the day. He uses a good mix of pass-rushing moves including swipes and rips to beat linemen and push the pocket. Visits for LeBlanc in the next month include UCF on March 1, Florida on the 5th, “hopefully” Miami on the 19th and Oklahoma on the 23rd.
DL Dimitry Nicolas - As he continues to add weight and muscle, Nicolas appears destined to wreak havoc as a three-technique at the next level. The rising-junior showed off a bull-rush-and-rip move to win his first one-on-one rep and utilized a straight-forward bull-rush to perfection later on. Georgia, Texas A&M and Michigan, among other powerhouses, are already in the mix for Nicolas.
QB Marcus Stokes - Stokes tosses a pretty deep ball and the velocity required to make sideline throws is there. The Ponte Vedra (Fla.) Nease High School standout, who has the chance to be the most highly-recruited since Tim Tebow was at the helm, gained his first Power 5 offer from Penn State in late January and Indiana and Virginia Tech were quick to follow.
Zach Goodall and Brian Smith contributed to this report.