More Great LBs from Coast to Coast

 ZoneReady Press Release 4.26.09

More Great LBs from Coast to Coast

Tallahassee, FL – As the Nike Football Training Camps make their way from the West coast and the University of Southern California back out East to Georgia and Florida St. University – Linebackers are plentiful!  ZoneReady Coach Chris Gizzi had his hands full coaching, tracking, and ranking the best players from their respective camps.  Take a look at how football is evolving across the country – and jot down some names of some future gridiron stars.  Here’s the best of the best from the USC, Georgia, and FSU Nike Football Training Camps:

From the University of Southern California Nike Football Training Camp on April 19^th: 

1.    #454 Whiteside—The prototype outside backer – he has the frame and mobility to excel at all aspects of the college DI-A game.  Physical at the point of attack, fluid in space, relentless in his pass rush – this rangy athlete does it all and does it with a smile.  Fantastic knee bend for such a long limbed guy.  Very coachable, very football smart and a fierce competitor!  He never missed an opportunity to go against one of the many excellent running backs at the camp at USC.  When ever he got beat, he’d learn and re-engage with added determination – this is the attitude it takes to run with the big dogs.

2.    #463 Jefferson—So smooth, it looks like he is barely trying; but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  He would make a fine Will anywhere, and is spry enough that he could probably play Safety as well.  Played hard all day – he constantly took on all comers in 1on1s, and made plays against the best running backs at the camp.  Lean and muscular with room to put on the lbs. – he’ll make an impressive specimen in college.

3.    #455 Zumwalt—Absolutely amazing during 1on1 man coverage.  He possesses a  Brian Urlacker-esque frame with the speed and agility to match.  Once he got focused, he started dominating the field and taking it to anyone who would dare run against him.  As big as he is now, he will get heavier – 250lbs+ is not out of the question once he is fully mature.   

4.    #431 Alvarado—This guy just makes plays, period.  He has excellent size and mobility for such a frame.  I could imagine him being an absolute demon in pads – because of his explosiveness and aggression.  A Mike with some outside potential if coached up.

5.    #353 Fuimano—Second year we’ve seen this guy, and we like the improvement!  Awesome speed and reactions.  He has gotten bigger and more confident – I like more now as a Linebacker than a Safety.  Long limbs and assertive with his hands.  Excelled in everything he did.

6.    #378 Jackson—A total fire plug – non stop energy, effort, and aggression.  He was stellar in all agilities and speed drills.  He learned very quickly in all matchups and 1on1s – and was as solid as anyone by camps end.  I love his attitude and disposition.  Put him at Mike and let him call the huddle!

From the University of Georgia Nike Football Training Camp on April 25^th: 

1.         #803 Gaye—Solid in every aspect of the camp.  Sometimes that type of comment brings with it a sense of mediocrity – that he really didn’t excel in any one aspect.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  All the necessary attributes to succeed at he next level were present.  On top of all the tangible skills sets, he has plenty of room to pack on muscle and is football savvy.  Nothing but upside for this guy. 

2.         #754 Buchanan—Long limbed, loose hips, and lighting speed, makes this a guy an excellent Div I-A catch.  He used his hands extremely well and was very explosive when changing direction.  Our best during 1on1s.  Competitive and very even tempered – you could ask this guy to do a lot of things for your D.

3.         #847 Johnson—Only a 10^th grader, he showed maturity well beyond his years at this camp.  A natural athlete combines with an assertive football personality.  He was smooth in all the training and showed that he understands the game at an advanced level.

4.         #757 Cornelius—Incredibly aggressive in 1on1 competition.  Great knee bend and excellent agility.  Prototype body frame gives him a more than adequate platform to grow.  Improved on his ability to finish in 1on1s as the camp went on.

5.         #752 Elkins—Most potential out of anyone we’ve seen this year.  Reminds me of Mingo from the 2008 LSU NFTC.  Elkins is a basketball player who is developing into a mighty fine football player.  As he acclimates to the contact and angles of the gridiron – his athleticism will put him at a level that is sometimes under-utilized in college, but is a premium in the professional ranks.  Not to get too far ahead here – I trust his senior year will afford him the opportunities and reps to make the plays he is capable of making.  Very coachable and enthusiastic.  Again, his potential is huge!

6.         #826 Whitmire—This Mike backer is more agile and spry than you might expect.  He hung in with a lot of the more fleet footed LBs for the day.  But very few of them had his frame and mass.  He can definitely rule the middle of many a stout defense.

7.         #811 Park—Incredibly explosive and mobile in all directions.  Has excellent feet and smooth hips.  From an athletic perspective, this guy has it all!  The more he plays man and learns the subtleties of the match up game the better he can be.  There is reasonable potential to play Safety because of his speed and quickness.

 From the Florida State University Nike Football Training Camp on April 26^th: 

1.         #392 Brown—Wow!  This bowling ball of a linebacker was probably the fastest guy on the field during all the match-ups.  His speed was startling, especially coming from such a massive frame.  He is an All-Florida running back and he proves it with how he moves on the field.  As competitive as they come – he was dominant in pass rush and sideline tackling1on1s.  He battled and made plays against the best running backs during the man coverage as well.  I see great impact at LB, but might be a stellar running back a well.

2.         #401 White—This LB was playing at a level above and beyond his peers during this camp.  He is a fierce competitor and really stood out during the tackling and 1on1 matchup drills.  Very coachable and enthusiastic about perfecting his craft.  Room to grow, long limbs, and plenty of speed.

3.         #331 Greer—Ultra smooth and fantastic ability to change direction.  Greer could be a Safety in some schemes – and a hard hitting one at that.  We really had to simmer him down during any drills that had other moving bodies.  This guy really likes to hit.  Freakishly quick feet.

4.         #310 Griggs—This explosive Will backer was all over the field on Sunday.  He had a powerlifting meet on Friday and still had plenty of juice to excel at this camp.  He is a tweener between LB and Safety, but it would really matter how he is being used to effectively find his position.  Great agility, non-stop feet, and a competitive nature make this guy a nice prospect. 

5.         #380 Stewart—Strong, fast, and smooth are the calling cards for this Linebacker.  A very quiet guy who let’s his actions speak louder than words.  He did a fantastic job during all the drills and was very competitive during all the 1on1s.

6.         #309 George—This guy is intense and his 100% in everything he does.  He does a surprisingly good job of tempo-ing his efforts during 1on1s as to not over-pursue or give up his leverage.  Very coachable and enthusiastic about playing football at the next level.