Bakersfield (Calif.) Centennial quarterback Cody Kessler was the biggest name to compete on Saturday. Fresh off standout performances at both Cal and USC camps, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder displayed his rocket arm in front of hundreds at Clovis (Calif.) Buchanan High School.
Cody Kessler
Few receivers could keep their mitts on Kessler’s throws, but one receiver stood above the rest.
Brendon Bigelow is a running back-slash-wide receiver, but he showed he could be an elite level slot receiver at the next level. Widely believed to be a track star playing football, he proved all his doubters wrong. We knew he had speed after finishing second in the state finals in the 200m (21.29) in 2008 as a freshman. However, Saturday was the first time he was timed in the forty-yard dash at a football event. Bigelow didn’t disappoint running a blazing 4.44 on the grass surface.
But the rising junior broke out during 1-on-1’s. His speed combined with his surprising great hands made him impossible to cover. He made over-the-shoulder catches as well as one-handed grabs while running impressive routes. Only Fresno (Calif.) Clovis West running back Kendall Brock was as sure-handed.
The 2011 prospect is built like a tank. The 5-foot-8, 180-pounder ran a 4.5 forty, but it is his quickness and his ability to change direction that makes him a handful for linebackers to cover. Brock rushed for over 800 yards last season for the Golden Eagles in a limited role while sharing the load with Branden Seibert, who tested on Saturday but missed 1-on-1’s.
Brock is a natural competitor, and his grit was second to none. He easily had the biggest play of the day. On a quick out route, the quarterback led him a bit out of bounds, not only did Brock make the diving catch, but he took out six chairs under a canopy while doing so. We anxious to see Brock and Seibert compete on Sunday in pads for the camp’s second day.
Central running back Robert Johnson also impressed us with his speed and hands. The rising junior prospect showed good footwork during agility drills, and he ran solid routes in 1-on-1’s. A reason many of the Central skill players had solid outings during 1-on-1’s on Saturday was due to the arm their young quarterback.
Mike Baker is a signal caller to watch for the next three years. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound rising sophomore throws a catchable ball and has decent arm strength. It helps that Central is loaded with talent at every skill position, which Baker took full advantage of Saturday.
Fresno (Calif.) Edison defensive tackle Rakeem Yates decided to play a little linebacker during 1-on-1’s rather than workout with the linemen. The talented athlete can do many things on the field but covering running back is not one of them. One thing is for sure, he is much faster than we thought as he was able to keep up with many of the skill players.
But his feet and hips are not conducive with linebacker at the next level. His natural position is a three-technique tackle and we can’t wait to see him lock up with Fresno (Calif.) Clovis West guard Stephan McCray tomorrow.
At just 15-years-old, McCray checked in at 6-foot-2 and a whopping 324 pounds. But the rising sophomore is naturally big and doesn’t look a pound over 280. Above all, he is extremely light on his feet for kid his size. A few other linemen we liked, and want to see more of on the second day, are 2012 Fresno (Calif.) Bullard defensive end Ian Taubler and 2011 Clovis West defensive end Donavon Lewis.
Kingsburg (Calif.) quarterback Tyler Bray and Edison defensive back Tevin McDonald were both present on Saturday but did not compete. Scout.com talked to both athletes at the camp and will have video interviews of both up shortly.
Stay with Scout.com for continuing coverage of Passing Down.