Carolina Heats Up

As the Carolina sun beat down upon the Duke practice field Sunday in Durham, many of the mid-Atlantic’s best players went to work to open eyes, work hard, and show they were the best of the best. Among the many participants, wide receiver Christopher Bell of Norfolk (Va.) Granby shined during Scout.com’s All-American Combine.

After receiving times of 4.56 seconds in the forty-yard dash, 4.15 seconds in the twenty-yard shuttle, and 7.02 seconds in the L-cone drill, Chris Bell seemed like a man among boys during one-on-one passing drills. The potential All-American used his 6’2” ½, 203-pound frame to shield defenders, while using his powerful hands to pull passes out of the air. He simply looks the part of a dominating wide receiver at the next level.

Only three participants posted forty-times better then Bell – wide receiver Bobby Hatchell of Jacksonville (N.C.) whose 4.45 forty time was run without shoes, wide receiver Brandon Brooks of Garner (N.C.) 4.45 seconds, and tailback Johnny White of Asheville (N.C.) 4.53 seconds.

Amazingly, Brooks, a 5-foot-6 ½, 139 pound waterbug, also recorded the combine’s best twenty-yard shuttle (3.95 seconds) and L-cone drill times (6.93 seconds).

Running back Devon Moore of Hillsborough (N.C.) Cedar Ridge also had a solid outing. Moore ran a 4.59-second forty-yard dash, a 4.16-second twenty-yard shuttle, a 36-inch vertical jump, and a combine best 118-inch broad jump. He nearly bested 130 inches but fell back, hurting his score.

In the vertical jump, Deunta Williams (right) of Jacksonville (N.C.) White Oak ignored a bad hamstring and leaped 41 inches – the combine’s top mark and worked out well as a wide receiver during the workout portion of the combine. Ben Jenkins of Raleigh Ravenscroft was the only other recruit to break the 40 inch mark.

With the testing completed, the real work began in the one-on-one drills, and a new star was born in DeKoda Watson from South Aiken (S.C.). Watson, who posted 18 sacks as a junior, showed that his 6-foot-2, 209 pound frame has the potential to become a dominating pass rushing linebacker. He beat every offensive linemen he went up against, including another potential All-American in Carl Johnson (one of the battles is to the left), who still showed throughout the day that he is a huge man with great wheels and maintains good contact.

Quarterback Daniel Barton may not get all the numbers and accolades while splitting time in the Byrnes (S.C.) offense, but he showed that his arm is solid and he can spin the ball very well. Helping to lead his Rebel team to their third state championship, Barton knows how to lead, and he led the one-on-one drills by placing the ball very well on nearly every throw.

Overall, the players at the first stop in the Scout.com All-American Combine tour showed that it has the take to play with the best. Several known commodities continued to impress while still other new commodities entered the recruiting world as a hot target under the Carolina sun.

The Scout.com All-American Combine 12-trip tour continues Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla.

Scout.com is the exclusive sponsor for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and Combine and the official selection committee for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl roster.