Despite lacking a media credential due our partnership with Under Armour, TrojanSports.com snuck out to Redondo Beach, Calif. Union HS for the Nike Opening LA Regional. Here are the four prospects who impressed, and the four we expected more from. (This transcript is from evaluations I gave on our Podcast)
Who stood out
2017 Fontana, Calif. RB Stephen Carr: “I think he’s a borderline five-star guy, really honestly, all-around back that can do so many different things. He’s speedy, he can juke, he can run you over. To me, not everyone is like that. If I had to compare him to a tailback on the roster, would guess Justin Davis because he’s kind of that all-around, all purpose, type guy. I like Stephen Carr a lot and I think USC needs to hold on to him and make sure that soft commit becomes solid because he’s a game changing type running back, I believe, I thought he was great at the Opening.”
2017 Redlands, Calif. LB Jaelan Phillips: “He’s a guy I think is actually rated as a three-star (he actually has a four-star ranking) by Rivals.com right now, really stood out to me, I think he’s a border line five-star, I think he might have been one of the best players at the camp, maybe the best player at the camp. (He) beat Wyatt Davis on a few reps, beat everyone he went up against at that pass rushing, defensive end-outside linebacker spot. Really tall physical kid. was with Edward Lewis, the UCLA publisher, and he was like, ‘ah Jaelan Phillips is a dog!’ That’s what he kept saying over and over again, kept yelling it out because he was so impressive. USC needs to get Jaelan Phillips, that’s a big deal for them, that’s a big deal prospect that everyone should watch.”
2017 Bellflower, Calif. OG Wyatt Davis: “Five-star offensive guard, I think he’s a guy that everyone knows USC needs to get. (He) lost a little bit of weight, took off some bad weight, was already a five-star with that bad weight. (He) was really impressive, he was the only guy that could keep up with Jaelan Phillips at all, make it close. He is a five-star, borderline high four-star type guy, USC needs a guard like that, they need an offensive linemen like him. He was one of the best players at the camp.”
2017 Santa Margarita, Calif. C Brett Neilon: “The center that doesn’t have a USC offer that we actually talked to because he visited USC and he has that USC family connection. He won every rep that he had, that I saw, in the one-on-ones. He was snapping the ball like a true center. I think USC needs a guy like that too, a hard working, maybe undersized center, but gosh, a nice looking prospect and a true center, with all the snapping issues USC has had of late, I think getting a couple more guys like that would be smart. He really stood out to me.”
Who we expected more from
2017 Las Vegas DT Haskell Garrett: “I think he’s somebody that people have assumed is a guy USC needs, a big time four-star defensive tackle. To me, he’s a borderline three-star, four-star type guy. I saw him, he’s a little bit shorter than I expect, I think he’s shorter than me, a little bit smaller than I expected. (He) got handled at times, he had some good reps as well. And he’s a good looking prospect, a guy that I think USC should definitely offer and pursue, but maybe not that guy people were expecting. I think a lot of people, when they think Haskell Garrett, because he blew up early and had that four-star ranking, they were thinking, hey, he’s a potential, one of the best defensive linemen in the country. I don’t see that. I think if USC missed on him it would not be a huge deal but he would be a nice addition to the class, they need defensive tackles.”
2017 Los Angeles DE Martin Andrus: The defensive end from right here in Los Angeles that has offers from USC, UCLA, Notre Dame, LSU, I was not impressed with him that much either. (He’s) much smaller than I expected, smaller than Haskell Garrett. I think he’s probably about 5-foot-11 would be my guess honestly and I don’t think he’s anywhere close to 255 pounds, that he’s listed at. To me, he’s a project, a guy that needs to put on weight, but he’s a Rivals250 guy, a four-star guy, with all these big time offers and I was just kind of surprised from what I saw from him.”
2017 Murrieta, Calif. OT Chuck Filiaga: A high end four-star on rivals.com, a guy that wants to play offensive tackle, told me that he wants to play left tackle and that’s where he thinks USC is recruiting him at. It’s obvious to me that he needs time to learn the position. He was off balance, didn’t have a base, he was beaten easily by Jaelan Phillips, a couple other guys. He’s a project right now at offensive tackle, good looking prospect though, good size and I think he’ll be something special eventually. At this moment, there’s some work to do on him.”
2017 Los Angeles DE Hunter Echols: “I think that (three-star) ranking is right on board. He’s smaller than I expected, I think he might be like a SAM linebacker type in USC’s system, just a little bit more slender than I expected.”
Who stood out
2017 Fontana, Calif. RB Stephen Carr: “I think he’s a borderline five-star guy, really honestly, all-around back that can do so many different things. He’s speedy, he can juke, he can run you over. To me, not everyone is like that. If I had to compare him to a tailback on the roster, would guess Justin Davis because he’s kind of that all-around, all purpose, type guy. I like Stephen Carr a lot and I think USC needs to hold on to him and make sure that soft commit becomes solid because he’s a game changing type running back, I believe, I thought he was great at the Opening.”
2017 Redlands, Calif. LB Jaelan Phillips: “He’s a guy I think is actually rated as a three-star (he actually has a four-star ranking) by Rivals.com right now, really stood out to me, I think he’s a border line five-star, I think he might have been one of the best players at the camp, maybe the best player at the camp. (He) beat Wyatt Davis on a few reps, beat everyone he went up against at that pass rushing, defensive end-outside linebacker spot. Really tall physical kid. was with Edward Lewis, the UCLA publisher, and he was like, ‘ah Jaelan Phillips is a dog!’ That’s what he kept saying over and over again, kept yelling it out because he was so impressive. USC needs to get Jaelan Phillips, that’s a big deal for them, that’s a big deal prospect that everyone should watch.”
2017 Bellflower, Calif. OG Wyatt Davis: “Five-star offensive guard, I think he’s a guy that everyone knows USC needs to get. (He) lost a little bit of weight, took off some bad weight, was already a five-star with that bad weight. (He) was really impressive, he was the only guy that could keep up with Jaelan Phillips at all, make it close. He is a five-star, borderline high four-star type guy, USC needs a guard like that, they need an offensive linemen like him. He was one of the best players at the camp.”
2017 Santa Margarita, Calif. C Brett Neilon: “The center that doesn’t have a USC offer that we actually talked to because he visited USC and he has that USC family connection. He won every rep that he had, that I saw, in the one-on-ones. He was snapping the ball like a true center. I think USC needs a guy like that too, a hard working, maybe undersized center, but gosh, a nice looking prospect and a true center, with all the snapping issues USC has had of late, I think getting a couple more guys like that would be smart. He really stood out to me.”
Who we expected more from
2017 Las Vegas DT Haskell Garrett: “I think he’s somebody that people have assumed is a guy USC needs, a big time four-star defensive tackle. To me, he’s a borderline three-star, four-star type guy. I saw him, he’s a little bit shorter than I expect, I think he’s shorter than me, a little bit smaller than I expected. (He) got handled at times, he had some good reps as well. And he’s a good looking prospect, a guy that I think USC should definitely offer and pursue, but maybe not that guy people were expecting. I think a lot of people, when they think Haskell Garrett, because he blew up early and had that four-star ranking, they were thinking, hey, he’s a potential, one of the best defensive linemen in the country. I don’t see that. I think if USC missed on him it would not be a huge deal but he would be a nice addition to the class, they need defensive tackles.”
2017 Los Angeles DE Martin Andrus: The defensive end from right here in Los Angeles that has offers from USC, UCLA, Notre Dame, LSU, I was not impressed with him that much either. (He’s) much smaller than I expected, smaller than Haskell Garrett. I think he’s probably about 5-foot-11 would be my guess honestly and I don’t think he’s anywhere close to 255 pounds, that he’s listed at. To me, he’s a project, a guy that needs to put on weight, but he’s a Rivals250 guy, a four-star guy, with all these big time offers and I was just kind of surprised from what I saw from him.”
2017 Murrieta, Calif. OT Chuck Filiaga: A high end four-star on rivals.com, a guy that wants to play offensive tackle, told me that he wants to play left tackle and that’s where he thinks USC is recruiting him at. It’s obvious to me that he needs time to learn the position. He was off balance, didn’t have a base, he was beaten easily by Jaelan Phillips, a couple other guys. He’s a project right now at offensive tackle, good looking prospect though, good size and I think he’ll be something special eventually. At this moment, there’s some work to do on him.”
2017 Los Angeles DE Hunter Echols: “I think that (three-star) ranking is right on board. He’s smaller than I expected, I think he might be like a SAM linebacker type in USC’s system, just a little bit more slender than I expected.”
