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Saturday Camp Report
Jonas Pope IV
TarHeelIllustrated.com Staff Writer
CHAPEL HILL - Saturday in Chapel Hill was a scorcher, but that didn't stop the kids on Navy Field from giving 100 percent at UNC's football camp.
Exactly 54 athletes participated, the smallest attendance of the camp so far. Despite the low turnout, there were some athletes who likely caught the eyes of the coaches, perhaps putting themselves in position to pick up offers from the Tar Heels in the future.
The Tar Heel state led the way with 28 campers on the field. The breakdown by state is as follows: North Carolina 28; Florida 7; Georgia 7; South Carolina 5; Virginia 3, Massachusetts 2; New Jersey 1; Alabama 1.
Here is a look at some prospects that stood out Saturday:
*The deepest group at the camp was the wide receivers/tight ends group, prompting UNC quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf to say during a drill between QBs and WRs, "we have too many wide receivers."
THI
Alex Marshall.
The biggest group had a pair of the biggest standouts from the day, both hailing from Massachusetts. The Bay State was represented well by tight ends Alexander Marshall (6'7, 228, 2017) and Noah Gray (6'3, 216, 2017). Gray was actually at the camp on Friday working with the quarterbacks, the position he plays at Leominster High School, according to his father. His dad told THI that Noah prefers to play tight end or wide receiver and could project at either at the next level.
Gray stood out because of his size, his hands (didn't see him drop a ball all afternoon) and the way he dominated during 1-on-1 drills against much smaller defensive backs. He got in and out of his breaks well, didn't fight the ball and ran great routes.
Marshall, like Gray, looks like you could put him in a Tar Heels' uniform today and nobody would know he is still in high school. He has the mode of a tight end with his height, and looks like he could add 20-30 more pounds to his frame.
Under a close watch from UNC tight ends coach Seth Littrell, Marshall attacked the football out of his breaks, catching the ball with his hands, also showing an ability to adjust to the ball while in the air. During 1-on-1 drills he was nearly unstoppable, partly due to the fact there wasn't a defensive back in camp who could match his size and ability. Sources close to Marshall told THI that UNC is Marshall's dream school and the Proctor Academy tight end expects an offer in the next few weeks. He met with Fedora and Littrell before the start of Saturday's camp. An offer would go over quite well with Marshall.
*Another talented wide out was Cam Wyche (5'10, 159, 2017). Wyche looks very unassuming, in fact, if you spotted him in regular street clothes he wouldn't even look like a football player. However, when the coaches said go, he took care of business. Wyche, a native of the Peach State (South Paulding High School) made everything look easy out there. It was nearly 100 degrees on the field and he barely broke a sweat during drills. He was a very smooth, fluid athlete and the ball stuck to his hands. He plucked the ball out of the air and looked good in his 1-on-1's, much to the delight of "coach" Bug Howard.
THI
Dre Terry.
*A couple of other wideouts who looked impressive were East Montgomery's Cameron Watkins (5'7, 161, 2016), who made a pair of impressive one-handed grabs during a drill, and Dre Terry (5'11, 189, 2017) who could possible continue the Roanoke Rapids pipeline to Chapel Hill. Terry battled for the ball during drills, and during his broad jump Larry Fedora stood close by and said "Roanoke Rapids," the hometown of Terry and many former Tar Heels, including current UNC defensive tackle Nazair Jones.
*Dehaun Philips (6'5, 210, 2016) stood out at the quarterback group. It wasn't just because of his size. Sure, the Overhills High School signal-caller looked right at home standing next to Marquise Williams and Mitch Trubisky, but when the ball was in his hands, he did some nice things. With long limbs and a nice range of motion, Philips displayed his live arm and mobility during drills, getting heavy instruction from Heckendorf.
*Jack Adams (6'2, 200, 2016) looked the part of a QB, just by the way he carried himself. He had a confidence about him. Nothing cocky, but his demeanor screamed confidence. He just had the presence of a good leader. It also helps that he had a quick release and good form with the football, hitting his receivers right between the numbers while throwing the football.
*In the trenches, while there weren't a lot of guys with great size, there were a few who were obviously on the radar of the coaches. The leader of the group was Chander Farrell (6'1, 272, 2016). Farrell was always first in line and even when he wasn't doing a drill, he was on the side working on his technique. He has a frame that could add weight and he helped himself a lot, going all out in every drill, something that didn't go unnoticed. Farrell also had good footwork and used his hands well.
*Austin Smith (6'2, 247, 2018), was another good looking athlete. The defensive lineman from Ola High School in Georgia was explosive, showing good burst during the bag drills.
*Keveon Broadwater (6'2, 288, 2016) moved really well for a man of his size. He exploded during a cone drill and displayed good footwork and the ability to change direction.
*Khari Hunter (6'1, 192, 2016) worked out with the linebackers, but could possibly move to defensive back at the next level. He could add weight to his frame, but he appears athletic enough to switch to the secondary if needed. Hunter, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, looked very fluid during drills and got a lot of attention from defensive coordinator Gene Chizik and linebackers coach John Papuchis. He was willing to learn and took well to the coaching he received. During 1-on=1 drills with the running backs, he was one of the few linebackers who showed the ability to open up and stay with his man in man-to-man coverage.
THI
Myles James.
*Myles James (5'9, 215, 2017). The coaches loved this kid. During one bag drill, as James made his way through, Chizik could be heard shouting "I love it." James is well put together for a kid who still has a couple of more years in high school. At 5'9 he is very compact and could probably play at the next level in the 220-225 range. He had good footwork and I'm willing to bet with the pads on, James comes downhill with bad intentions. He just looked like what you want to see when you look at a linebacker.
*Tall, rangy defensive backs don't grow on trees. Pinecrest High School defensive back Jaylen Dickerson (6'0, 174, 2017) fits the mode of what coaches are looking for in defensive backs, especially in the systems Chizik runs. Dickerson had long arms (great for press coverage), and was smooth in his back pedal, also showing good hands, catching the ball away from his body, at its highest point. The word range came to mind when looking at Dickerson, who really showed he could move. Dickerson could stand to add some weight, and probably could play at 200 pounds without losing his quickness.
*Pound for pound, Hough High School defensive back Rashad Williams (5'6, 166, 2018) was probably the best pure athlete at the camp. The rising sophomore was built like a rock and looks like he's spent years in the weight room. Some high school kids are chiseled, but move like robots - not Williams. He had fluid hips, caught the ball at its highest point and competed like there was no tomorrow.
During 1-on-1 drills Bug Howard looked over at the defensive backs and implied that the DBs were too scared to check Marshall. Williams quickly accepted the challenge and every time the 6'7 Marshall lined up, the 5'6 Williams was right there to cover him. In fact, it seemed like Williams covered every receiver in camp. His persistence - and skills - got Williams an interception during drills, the only DB to pick off a pass during 1-on-1 drills.
Saturday Camp Report
Jonas Pope IV
TarHeelIllustrated.com Staff Writer
CHAPEL HILL - Saturday in Chapel Hill was a scorcher, but that didn't stop the kids on Navy Field from giving 100 percent at UNC's football camp.
Exactly 54 athletes participated, the smallest attendance of the camp so far. Despite the low turnout, there were some athletes who likely caught the eyes of the coaches, perhaps putting themselves in position to pick up offers from the Tar Heels in the future.
The Tar Heel state led the way with 28 campers on the field. The breakdown by state is as follows: North Carolina 28; Florida 7; Georgia 7; South Carolina 5; Virginia 3, Massachusetts 2; New Jersey 1; Alabama 1.
Here is a look at some prospects that stood out Saturday:
*The deepest group at the camp was the wide receivers/tight ends group, prompting UNC quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf to say during a drill between QBs and WRs, "we have too many wide receivers."
THI
Alex Marshall.
The biggest group had a pair of the biggest standouts from the day, both hailing from Massachusetts. The Bay State was represented well by tight ends Alexander Marshall (6'7, 228, 2017) and Noah Gray (6'3, 216, 2017). Gray was actually at the camp on Friday working with the quarterbacks, the position he plays at Leominster High School, according to his father. His dad told THI that Noah prefers to play tight end or wide receiver and could project at either at the next level.
Gray stood out because of his size, his hands (didn't see him drop a ball all afternoon) and the way he dominated during 1-on-1 drills against much smaller defensive backs. He got in and out of his breaks well, didn't fight the ball and ran great routes.
Marshall, like Gray, looks like you could put him in a Tar Heels' uniform today and nobody would know he is still in high school. He has the mode of a tight end with his height, and looks like he could add 20-30 more pounds to his frame.
Under a close watch from UNC tight ends coach Seth Littrell, Marshall attacked the football out of his breaks, catching the ball with his hands, also showing an ability to adjust to the ball while in the air. During 1-on-1 drills he was nearly unstoppable, partly due to the fact there wasn't a defensive back in camp who could match his size and ability. Sources close to Marshall told THI that UNC is Marshall's dream school and the Proctor Academy tight end expects an offer in the next few weeks. He met with Fedora and Littrell before the start of Saturday's camp. An offer would go over quite well with Marshall.
*Another talented wide out was Cam Wyche (5'10, 159, 2017). Wyche looks very unassuming, in fact, if you spotted him in regular street clothes he wouldn't even look like a football player. However, when the coaches said go, he took care of business. Wyche, a native of the Peach State (South Paulding High School) made everything look easy out there. It was nearly 100 degrees on the field and he barely broke a sweat during drills. He was a very smooth, fluid athlete and the ball stuck to his hands. He plucked the ball out of the air and looked good in his 1-on-1's, much to the delight of "coach" Bug Howard.
THI
Dre Terry.
*A couple of other wideouts who looked impressive were East Montgomery's Cameron Watkins (5'7, 161, 2016), who made a pair of impressive one-handed grabs during a drill, and Dre Terry (5'11, 189, 2017) who could possible continue the Roanoke Rapids pipeline to Chapel Hill. Terry battled for the ball during drills, and during his broad jump Larry Fedora stood close by and said "Roanoke Rapids," the hometown of Terry and many former Tar Heels, including current UNC defensive tackle Nazair Jones.
*Dehaun Philips (6'5, 210, 2016) stood out at the quarterback group. It wasn't just because of his size. Sure, the Overhills High School signal-caller looked right at home standing next to Marquise Williams and Mitch Trubisky, but when the ball was in his hands, he did some nice things. With long limbs and a nice range of motion, Philips displayed his live arm and mobility during drills, getting heavy instruction from Heckendorf.
*Jack Adams (6'2, 200, 2016) looked the part of a QB, just by the way he carried himself. He had a confidence about him. Nothing cocky, but his demeanor screamed confidence. He just had the presence of a good leader. It also helps that he had a quick release and good form with the football, hitting his receivers right between the numbers while throwing the football.
*In the trenches, while there weren't a lot of guys with great size, there were a few who were obviously on the radar of the coaches. The leader of the group was Chander Farrell (6'1, 272, 2016). Farrell was always first in line and even when he wasn't doing a drill, he was on the side working on his technique. He has a frame that could add weight and he helped himself a lot, going all out in every drill, something that didn't go unnoticed. Farrell also had good footwork and used his hands well.
*Austin Smith (6'2, 247, 2018), was another good looking athlete. The defensive lineman from Ola High School in Georgia was explosive, showing good burst during the bag drills.
*Keveon Broadwater (6'2, 288, 2016) moved really well for a man of his size. He exploded during a cone drill and displayed good footwork and the ability to change direction.
*Khari Hunter (6'1, 192, 2016) worked out with the linebackers, but could possibly move to defensive back at the next level. He could add weight to his frame, but he appears athletic enough to switch to the secondary if needed. Hunter, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, looked very fluid during drills and got a lot of attention from defensive coordinator Gene Chizik and linebackers coach John Papuchis. He was willing to learn and took well to the coaching he received. During 1-on=1 drills with the running backs, he was one of the few linebackers who showed the ability to open up and stay with his man in man-to-man coverage.
THI
Myles James.
*Myles James (5'9, 215, 2017). The coaches loved this kid. During one bag drill, as James made his way through, Chizik could be heard shouting "I love it." James is well put together for a kid who still has a couple of more years in high school. At 5'9 he is very compact and could probably play at the next level in the 220-225 range. He had good footwork and I'm willing to bet with the pads on, James comes downhill with bad intentions. He just looked like what you want to see when you look at a linebacker.
*Tall, rangy defensive backs don't grow on trees. Pinecrest High School defensive back Jaylen Dickerson (6'0, 174, 2017) fits the mode of what coaches are looking for in defensive backs, especially in the systems Chizik runs. Dickerson had long arms (great for press coverage), and was smooth in his back pedal, also showing good hands, catching the ball away from his body, at its highest point. The word range came to mind when looking at Dickerson, who really showed he could move. Dickerson could stand to add some weight, and probably could play at 200 pounds without losing his quickness.
*Pound for pound, Hough High School defensive back Rashad Williams (5'6, 166, 2018) was probably the best pure athlete at the camp. The rising sophomore was built like a rock and looks like he's spent years in the weight room. Some high school kids are chiseled, but move like robots - not Williams. He had fluid hips, caught the ball at its highest point and competed like there was no tomorrow.
During 1-on-1 drills Bug Howard looked over at the defensive backs and implied that the DBs were too scared to check Marshall. Williams quickly accepted the challenge and every time the 6'7 Marshall lined up, the 5'6 Williams was right there to cover him. In fact, it seemed like Williams covered every receiver in camp. His persistence - and skills - got Williams an interception during drills, the only DB to pick off a pass during 1-on-1 drills.
