Receivers owned the day at Miami's Nike Football Training Camp.
Quarterback
I covered the quarterback position, which was quite poor Sunday, in this update on Torrance Gibson. The overall lack of quarterback play hurt the ability for receivers and defensive backs to show their talents.
Running Back
There were a number of talented running backs on hand.
Jordan Scarlett, of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, is an FAU commit. I'm not aware of anyone in South Florida covering recruiting who believes he will stick with that decision. I believe it is a move to help out his former high school coach, who landed a coaching job at FAU.
Scarlett talked about how much untapped potential FAU has, and how he is trying to recruit other talented players with him.
But the four-star was wearing Florida State gloves, and he said that he would make a "final decision" after taking his five official visits and his senior year. He said that Florida State is recruiting him the hardest, and that he also wants to visit South Carolina and Wisconsin. UCF is also very involved with his recruitment.
I'd be shocked if Scarlett sticks with FAU come National Signing Day. Scarlett is a very good back, but I do wonder how high his ceiling ultimately is.
I was also impressed by Miami 2016 commitment Mark Walton, of Booker T. Washington, who showed great quickness, and Robert Burns, of Gulliver Prep, turned in the top SPARQ score despite being a member of the class of 2017. He'll certainly be a name to watch.
Receiver
Receiver was ridiculously loaded on Sunday, with almost 70 on hand, and probably 10 or so capable of playing at the major college football level. Several players could have taken home the honor of MVP.
Calvin Ridley, of Pompano Beach (Fla.) Monarch, and Da'Vante Phillips, of Miami (Fla.) Central, took home invites to The Opening (the premier Nike showcase event in Oregon in July). Phillips was also named the MVP.
I'm not sure what Ridley will do this fall, as I'm told he is over grade level and may run up against the 19 years, 9 months rule that prevented former FSU receiver Kelvin Benjamin from playing much of his senior season. Ridley is being recruited hard by the in-state schools and Alabama.
Phillips struggled to come up with schools other than Florida State who are in his top group. He is very tight with Dalvin Cook, the five-star back who signed with FSU in 2014, and he said FSU is the school that he has been around the most. He did refute the notion that he is no longer interested in Florida. Phillips wants to visit Auburn, Louisville, Ohio State and Alabama. He was excited about his invite to The Opening and wants to uphold the legacy of Miami Central High School.
Phillips and Ridley stood out because of their hands and ability to get open on a day that featured some poor passing. Ridley is one of the smoothest receivers in the country, while Phillips is a bit slower, but has excellent body control.
John Burt, of Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln, showed good body control and hands, but is raw in his route running and did not show a great top speed. Burt will visit Miami Monday, and Alabama on Tuesday. SB Nation's Cameron Underwood will have a more in-depth interview with him this week.
Dionte Mullins, of Gulliver Prep, showed incredible ball skills. He is emerging as one of the best receivers in Florida for the class of 2016. He also had this crazy catch. Mullins said that Alabama's Mario Cristobal is recruiting him the hardest, and he said that Alabama is his leader, with Tennessee being No. 2.
Jovon Durante, a West Virginia "commitment," spoke with Ryan Bartow in this video.
Sam Bruce, of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, was his usual dominant self. The diminutive Sam, a nephew of former NFL great Isaac Bruce, continues to send vibes that he is Tallahassee bound, though there is quite a bit of time between March 2014 and National Signing Day 2016.
I thought Kahlil Lewis, of Miramar, also had a solid day. If he was just a bit bigger or faster, he'd receive more publicity, but he is a balanced receiver.
For whatever reason, four-star tight end/defensive end Devonaire Clarington, of Champagnat Catholic, took very few reps, causing me to wonder if he was ducking competition. He certainly has a lot of potential at 6'6, 220. I spoke with Clarington before that. He said that he was interested in visiting Miami, Alabama and Tennessee. Despite looking like a tight end, Clarington says that he views himself as a receiver. Clarington wants to take all of his official visits, and declined to name a leader.