re: Class of 2016 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Waiting On Demetris Robertson Edition

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ATH Demetris Robertson, Savannah (Ga.) Savannah Christian School

Recruiting: Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame and Stanford are all seriously involved in Robertson’s recruitment.

Overview: Robertson brings a lot to the field -- skill, speed, intelligence and playmaking ability -- it would be difficult to keep him off the field. His athleticism should make him a guarantee on special teams plus his size at receiver means he could play inside or outside. The five-star prospect is too good to stay on the sidelines and he’s too fast for a coach not to figure out a place for him early on.

Farrell’s Take: “Like Hardman, he’s very fast and a special teams guy for sure. He’s a little bigger so he can work inside or outside with great speed. In the right offense, he will make a huge difference.”

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WR Tyler Vaughns, La Puente (Calif.) Bishop Amat

Recruiting: Vaughns is committed to USC but plans to visit Alabama in the coming weeks.

Overview: Vaughns, the top-rated receiver in California, has excellent hands and showed them off all week. He’s been so consistent and so good for a long time that the four-star could step in right away at USC and have a major role in the Trojans’ offense. Sometimes, Vaughns gets knocked for not having elite speed but he can run by defensive backs and he’s tremendous at making tough catches over corners.

Farrell’s Take: “Vaughns had a great week and is so smooth. He’s a very good route runner, a big target with a big catch radius and good speed. He needs to get stronger but he’s too polished not to play.”

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LIGHTNING IN A BOWL

ATH Mecole Hardman Jr., Bowman (Ga.) Elbert County

This award goes to the most dynamic and exciting player during the week, the guy who gets everyone's attention when he has the ball. Hardman started off at defensive back early in the week but moved to his true position, wide receiver, and had a big impact. But where he really excited was on special teams where he was dynamic, fast and made some folks look foolish.

Honorable Mention: ATH Demetris Robertson from Savannah (Ga.) Savannah Christian School showed flashes of his amazing speed and shake-and-bake ability all week. Long Beach (Calif.) Poly athlete Jack Jones always seemed to be around a big play. Mililani, Hawaii running back Vavae Malepeai was also exciting when he touched the ball and Naples, Fla. athlete Tyler Byrd did a little of everything it seemed in the game.

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BULL MARKET

ATH Tyler Byrd, Naples, Fla.

This goes to the player who raised his stock the most during the week. This year it could go to many prospects but the show that Byrd put on, a kid who isn’t ranked in our Rivals250, was off the hook. For this category I usually look for a three or low four star kid who could shoot up the charts and Byrd fits the bill despite an average week of practice.

Honorable Mention: Orange Park (Fla.) Oakleaf linebacker Shaquille Quarterman proved to be a lot quicker than expected. Fellow linebacker Erick Fowler from Manor, Texas really raised his stock as well. Macon (Miss.) Noxubee County defensive end Jeffery Simmons also improved his stock quite a bit and could be pushing for a fifth star. Offensive tackle Tramonda Moore from Oklahoma City (Okla.) John Marshall is a three-star who looks like a four and the same can be said for Missouri City (Texas) Elkins defensive tackle Ross Blacklock. Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek defensive end Josh Brown could also be in for a bump.

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HARD HAT

LB Mique Juarez, Torrance (Calif.) North

This one goes to the biggest hitter, which is essentially the guy who laid the lumber in the game or by accident in practice because there was not much tackling to the ground during the week. Juarez had a big tackle in the game and then flashed the Landshark for Ole Miss fans, and his block on Jordan Fuller on the opening kickoff was devastating.

Honorable Mention: Shrevport (La.) Calvary Academy defensive back Chanse Sylvie had a huge hit on special teams in the game as did Meridian, Miss. defensive tackle Raekwon Davis. Miami (Fla.) Miami Central athlete Jamel Cook had some hits in practice. Macon (Miss.) Noxubee County defensive end Jeffery Simmons also had a huge hit in the game. Linebacker Caleb Kelly from Fresno (Calif.) Clovis West was in on a few big hits as well.

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LUNCH PAIL

LB Carter Coughlin, Eden Prairie, Minn.

What's the difference between Hard Hat and Lunch Pail? The Hard Hat Award is for the biggest hitter while the Lunch Pail Award is for the guy who does the dirty work that doesn't get into the box score or noticed by many. Coughlin is a technically sound player who covers a lot of ground and does a good job of forcing plays back into traffic or filling a lane to clear up other defenders to make the play.

Honorable Mention: Paintsville, Ky. Linebacker Kash Daniel does a lot of what Coughlin does while Raekwon Davis holds up numerous bodies as a defensive tackle. Sugar Hill (Ga.) Lanier defensive tackle Derrick Brown accounted for two and sometimes three blockers in the game itself. West DesMoines (Iowa) Valley offensive guard John Raridon did some nice, unnoticed work in the middle. Antwuan Jackson from Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove also provided a nice push during the week and in the game which allowed others to make plays or led to incompletions or minimal gains.

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ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT

ATH Mecole Hardman Jr., Bowman (Ga.) Elbert County

This goes to the player who was the best overall athlete at the event and there were many. Hardman gets the nod because he started off as a cornerback, moved to wide receiver and was always on special teams as a return guy. He could probably have played some running back and maybe even thrown the ball as well.

Honorable Mention: Torrance (Calif.) North linebacker Mique Juarez played linebacker and running back and has shown in high school and this week how versatile he can be. Kingswood, Texas athlete Sewo Olonilua was expected to play linebacker but moved into a running back role on the West and showed athleticism. Guys like Demetris Robertson, Jack Jones and others also showed great athletic ability.

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ANGER MANAGEMENT

LB Erick Fowler, Manor, Texas

This award goes to the scrappiest player, the guy who competed not only to the whistle but at times beyond it. Fowler played some at end and mostly at linebacker and he was always running to the football and that hustle and desire showed in the game as well. He also lays the lumber when he arrives and lives to play physical.

Honorable Mention: Offensive tackle Matt Farniok from Sioux Falls, S.D. tossed a guy out of bounds during the game and was mixing it up a bit in practice. Raekwon Davis body-slammed a running back in the game and knocked some people on their butts during the week. While he didn’t have a great game, Brian Burns from Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage showed excellent hustle all week. Eden Prairie, Minn. linebacker Carter Coughlin was also all over the field.

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MR. CONSISTENCY

QB Shea Patterson, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

This award goes to the player who was simply good all week long and could be relied upon to bring it each and every day. Patterson was clearly the best quarterback on the West squad all week, he was the most consistent offensive player and threw nearly every pass with precision and then he went out and dominated the game. It’s rare for a quarterback to win this award because the positon is so demanding and they are working with new receivers and an offensive line trying to gel, but Patterson pulled it off.

Honorable Mention: Derrick Brown and Wake Forest, N.C. defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence were both consistent pocket pushers during the week and in the game. Erick Fowler and Shaquille Quarterman had good day after good day and Tyler Vaughns was the best wide receiver for the West each day in my opinion.

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VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES

TE Isaac Nauta, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

This award goes to the player who couldn't really show what he could do because of his surrounding cast. Nauta wasn’t a big part of the gameplan as is the case with tight ends in all star games, but he should have been. He’s a nice safety valve for the quarterback, especially under pressure, and he can stretch the field but none of that was taken advantage of.

Honorable Mention: There aren’t many I can think of here. You could make a case for some of the East wide receivers because the quarterback play was so bad, especially Demetris Robertson who was wide open on one of Franks’ interceptions, but this award usually goes to a running back who couldn’t get untracked because of poor line play and that didn’t happen.

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