More than two hundred of the areas finest turned up at Miami this weekend to
show what they could do in front of the MSL Cameras that will get their video to
college coaches across the country. As with any camp, some positions stood out
more than others, but there were prospects at every position. Here is a look at
some of the top players that attended TheInsiders/MSL Combine this weekend.
As with any camp, there are positions that are deeper than others, and in Miami
this weekend, it was the running backs and the linebackers showed out the best.
At running back, Antone Smith of Pahokee, Fla. ran the fastest forty time on the
year when he turned in a 4.40 with NFL players on the stopwatch. There was a lot
of anticipation when Smith lined up at the cones and took off, and there was no
doubt that Smith's speed was legit. What surprised me a little about Smith was
how big he actually was. He's not a big back, but he's not rail thin either. He
reminds me a lot of Thomas Brown of Tucker High School that signed with Georgia.
He isn't tall, but he is plenty strong.
Smith wasn't able to compete in the rest of the day after heating up the turf
because of ankle problems, but his forty time at the MSL Combine showed that his
speed is absolutely legit.
Derrick McCray of Palm Beach Miami proved this weekend that he is going to be a
force to be reckoned with on the football field as well. He is a big back
weighing in at 200 pounds today. He made some great catches in the drills, and
he has the size of a fullback.
The linebacker position was well stocked with some of the finest athletes on the
weekend (not even counting Jonathan Vilma who was working out on an adjacent
field for a camera). Gerald Williams of Boyd Anderson could play Mr. Outside to
Elijah Hodge of Dillard's Mr. Inside.
Hodge and Williams were two of the most impressive athletes regardless of
position. They ran extremely well on the day, and they appeared to have a lot of
fun in the drills hamming it up with one another during breaks. One of the
highlights of the morning on Saturday was watching the two sculpted athletes
have a pickup volleyball game over the crossbar one on one style.
Chris Pugh of Edgewater made the drive to Miami this weekend, and he said he had
a good enough time that he wanted to come to Gainesville next weekend for the
combine which is much closer to his Orlando home. He certainly earned a second
invitation with his performance.
Dustin Forston of Miami Northwestern has played defensive end for most of his
career, but he looked very comfortable and very natural dropping into coverage
in his linebacker drills.
At the quarterback position a scratch golfer made a name for himself on the
football field as well. Antwon Young of Plantation threw a very catchable ball
and showed plenty of arm strength to hit the deep routes. Not bad for a player
that Larry Bluestein jokingly called the "Next Tiger Woods with his 300+
drives" during the testing.
Florida is known for its skill position players and several wide receivers
jumped out this weekend. On the first day Kimbrick Baker of Miramar caught
nearly everything that was thrown his way. He finished of Saturday's one on ones
with a circus catch on a deep route.
Cedric McGee of Plantation was a physical receiver that was able to go up and
over defensive backs all day. He ran crisp routes and was one of the top overall
prospects on the day regardless of position.
On Sunday, Mike Moore of North Broward was a little hesitant to compete, because
he felt he had already done as well as he needed to at another camp. Once he got
on the field though, he showed why colleges watch the MSL Video. He showed out
in every aspect of the day. He had one of the top 40 times. His shuttle and his
vertical jump were both number two on the day. He made a ton of tough catches,
and when he was asked Sunday afternoon if he was glad he decided to compete, he
gave an emphatic yes. Colleges tuning in to MSL will be glad he competed too.
As far as pure number of acrobatic, circus style catches go, Marcus Allen of
Miami Jackson had the best highlight reel of any of the receivers. Time after
time, Allen would go up twisting and leaping and come down with the ball. He is
going to be a terrific possession receiver for Jackson, and he should get
several looks on the Division 1 level.
South Florida isn't typically known for its offensive linemen, but Simon Codrington III has as much upside as any prospect in the south. At 6-6 and 3/4,
Codrington weighed in at 247 pounds after dropping close to 15 pounds during
basketball season. Codrington had a bit of a meanstreak in him during the
drills, and his testing was outstanding for a player of his size.
"He had an 8.9 second figure eight today," said MSL Coach and former
Syracuse Orangeman Pete Ewald. "Anything under 10 seconds is great for an
offensive lineman."
Codrington will be back up in the 265 range before his senior season, and he
will have colleges from across the country checking him out.
Shane McElwain was a hockey player by nature, but he ran with the tight ends on
Saturday. He looked good in his blocking drills, and I think he has the
potential to make an outstanding offensive line prospect on the next level.
"I have been playing Ice Hockey at the Jr. level in Canada which very few
American players get to do let alone one from Florida," said McElwain.
"I can say that this Combine event is the best thing I've done to date!!!
Saturday I felt it was all about me and making sure everything I did showed me
at my best."
McElwain was not alone in showing what he can do best. Oscar Gonzalez of Hialeah
is a big body that will get a look from several colleges across the south.
This was just a quick snapshot of some of the top players at TheInsiders/MSL
Combine this weekend. We'll have pictures, testing results, and interviews all
through the week.
Stay tuned...
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