Perhaps the two deepest positions of Wednesday night in Jacksonville were wide receiver and defensive back. To me, the top wide receiver there was Alfred Jenkins of Jacksonville (Fla.) Terry Parker. He has good size in height, although he needs to get bigger in the upper body. Jenkins ran under 4.4 in testing and he was spectacular in one on one drills, catching everything thrown his way, including some very poorly thrown balls. He ran crisp routes and really has a great burst out of breaks. Jenkins also showed good body control and concentration. Other standout wide receivers Melvin Ray ( North Florida Christian), Darius Morgan (North Marion), Avery Collins (Wolfson), Rashard Hill (St. Augustine), Marvin Ross (Trinity Christian Academy), and Jeremy Brown (Boone). Ray and Morgan looked every bit as good as advertised. Both of these prospects ran good routes, showed good hands, have very good size and can jump through the gym.
Victor Daniels
Victor Daniels (Waycross) was the top cover guy last night. Scout.com DB Coach Don Cox thinks Daniels has all the tools to play that position in the SEC. In fact, Daniel arrived late, barely had a chance to warm up and still ran a blazing 4.4 forty. Although he is under six feet tall Daniels is very much put together, especially in the lower body. He has fantastic hips and really has a great burst out of breaks. Daniels is just very fluid and natural at this position and just needs a little fine tuning. Other standouts included Lacy McDougald (Fletcher), Donteris Huggins (Madison County), John Theodore (Mainland), Hakeem Johnson (Jackson), and Joshua Price (Terry Parker).
Vincent Williams
The linebacker position was impressive too. Leading the way were Vince Williams (Ridge Community), Lerentee McCray (Dunnellon), and Travis Arnold (Madison County). All three are very competitive. Williams was the most athletic of this trio and likely has the most upside considering his size and physical attributes. He also has a great change of direction. McCray has nice size too, runs well and has a chance to be a special linebacker. Arnold may not have their size but he is the fastest of the three. In fact he ran a smokin’ 4.41 forty. A linebacker prospect to keep an eye on among the Class of 2009 is Columbus Mizell (Coffee) from Georgia and Willie Ferrell (Tallahassee) for Florida.
There were some burners at running back too like Jamie Harper (Trinity Christian Academy). He ran 4.35 and 4.40. Other running back standouts were Darriet Perry (Valdosta), Dre Maddox (P.K. Younge) and Montel Harris (Trinity Christian). Fullback Jeremiah Schwartz (Edgewater) ran in the 4.9s and looked great at just about everything he did. He looks like a major sleeper from Central Florida.
There were several big men in the trenches that were impressive. Perhaps the one prospect that had the best night was rising junior defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel (Madison County). What he lacks in height he makes up for in strength, speed and quickness. He ran in the 4.8s and was unstoppable in the one on one drills. McDaniel showed good footwork and lateral movement as well. Earl Okine (Gainesville) showed some nice skills as well. What I liked best was his frame. This kid is long and lean and you can see that he could really develop into quite a physical specimen with some work in the weight room and training table. Brandon Davis (Lee), Cornelius Wheeler (Mainland), Joe Gandy (Hamilton County), Luis McLeod (Eastside) and Jamarcus Allen (Boone) all looked real good at times too.
The two offensive line standouts were B.J. Brand (Coffee) and Bryan Jones (Forrest). Brand, who is committed to Georgia, runs exceptionally well in the 10 yard box. He has great size and strength, especially in the lower body. He moves very well for a very big man and has nice footwork. Jones was the offensive star in the one on one drills between the OL and DL. He slides nicely from side to side and has very good balance. Once he loses some baby fat and gains more muscle mass in his upper body he will have a chance to blossom into a really good lineman. Both Jones and Brand look to be future guards. Ian Osking (Westwood) was another OL that stood out to me. He doesn’t have great strength up top but he moves well, is a great competitor and has a nice frame.
The quarterback play in Jacksonville was pretty solid. To me, I like a rising junior the best. His name is Derald Jones. He is transferring from First Coast to Lake Brantley on Friday. He is only 5-11 and 165 but remember he is still a sophomore. Jones also looks like he could be the younger brother of Chris Leak (former Florida QB). He throws a great ball and is pretty accurate. Jones shows good arm strength too. Other quarterback standouts were Shay Newcomer (Crystal River) and Troy Dannehower (Seabreeze). Quarterback Ted Stachitas (Nease) ran well (4.53) but left the combine early before the drills had started.
Stay tuned to Scout.com all week for more coverage from our first combine. All the official data will be posted on Friday as we gear up for Saturday's event in Miami.