UA/Scout Los Angeles Combine Preview: Offense

The past three years the Scout.com Combine has headed West, we've seen some of the most memorable performances in recent years. This year, Scout.com has joined forces with Under Armour to bring student athletes the new prototype in combines. This Saturday's event may be the best the Golden State has seen...

Whenever the Scout.com Combine comes to Los Angeles, you can expect the talent level to be high.

Two years ago, Everson Griffen had his coming out party, running a 4.46 forty en route to earning Scout.com's #1 ranking in the class of 2007. Last year, it was Darrell Scott's 4.31 that sealed his top-ranked running back spot nationally.

In fact, last year, 23 participants at the Los Angeles Scout.com Combine were selected to one of the three All-American Football Games, including Combine MVP Covaughn Deboskie, Offensive MVP Matt Kalil and Defensive MVP Damien Holmes.

This year, with new sponsor Under Armour on board, three selections to the Under Armour All-America Game will be on hand as well as a host of other players selected to the Offense-Defense and U.S. Army Games already.

Here is a look at some of the offensive players expected to compete this Saturday, May 31st, at the Home Depot Center in Carson from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.:

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Quarterbacks

Josh Nunes

This is one of the best years for quarterbacks in the West in a long time.  And several of the Golden State's top passers will be on hand on Saturday, including UnderArmour All-America Game selection Josh Nunes from Upland, 2007 all-combine team selection Tate Forcier from Scripps Ranch in San Diego and Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos' passer Richard Brehaut. 

But it doesn't stop with those three.  The last time Oceanside's Jordan Wynn was at the Home Depot Center, he was leading the Pirates to the CIF State D-II Bowl Championship, and he'll be back at the place that provided him those great memories.

Los Alamitos' passer Clark Evans is a guy we're really looking forward to see, as he's a big, physical athlete.  San Jose Bellarmine Prep quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels will be making the drive down from Silicon Valley and is one who we expect to test well, the same with Taylor Martinez from Corona Centennial and Harbor City Narbonne's Josh Moten.

Other quarterbacks of note include Dana Hills' Sean Schroeder, Harvard-Westlake's Sean Berman, Covina South Hills' Cameron Deen and Temecula Valley's Andrew Pulsipher. 

Bryan Bennett, who led Encino Crespi to the CIF-SS Pac-5 Finals as a sophomore last fall, is the top underclassmen scheduled to perform.

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Running Backs

Cierre Wood

Oxnard Santa Clara running back Cierre Wood is the #2 ranked running back in the country, and the top player at his position in the West and he headlines the ballcarriers at the Los Angeles Combine.  His teammate, 2010 prospect Svondo Bradley, plays both fullback and defensive tackle, and may work with the running backs on Saturday.  Chris Brown, incidentally, beat out Wood last fall for Ventura County Offensive Player of the Year honors out of Newbury Park, and he'll be working with the backs on Saturday as well.

Moreno Valley Rancho Verde's Daniel Jenkins himself has had a great spring, and he's looking forward to competing with a handful of his teammates.

Coming down from Central California is a quartet of standouts that includes Corcoran's Brant Botill, Visalia Mt. Whitney's Ben Bowen, Fresno Edison's Marquise Cooper and Visalia El Diamante's Stefphon Jefferson.

Other backs to watch include Compton Dominguez's Marcus Darden, Torrance's Michael Andrews, Saugus' Ryan Zirbel, Ontario Colony's Dwight Smith and Poway's Nick Ricciardulli.

Dietrich Riley from St. Francis in La Canada will be one of the standouts from the class of 2010 expected to compete.

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Wide Receivers

Rolando Jefferson

Saturday could turn out to be Separation Saturday for Shaquelle Evans and Rolando Jefferson.  The top two receivers in the West, both are five-star prospects and have flip-flopped as the top receivers at different times this spring.  Going into the combine, Inglewood's Evans is ranked ahead of Fresno Edison's Jefferson.  Evans is dealing with a minor tweak on his arm.

But there will be plenty of other talented receivers on hand, including the likes of Long Beach Wilson's Jemari Roberts, who's one of the top playmakers in all of the West and Moreno Valley Rancho Verde's Terrence Miller, who may work with the tight ends some as well.

Corona Centennial's Ricky Marvray, Encino Crespi's Kevin Cummings, Fresno Edison's Rashaun Shaffer, Los Alamitos' Daryl Jenkins and West Hills Chaminade's Ronald McCrory are other guys we're looking forward to seeing.

Geshaun Harris from Corona Centennial was the surprise of the Badger/New Level/Scout Camp in Las Vegas, and he'll be back to show he's a sleeper to watch.  Other notable receivers include Huntington Beach Edison's Jeff Crissman, Chino Hills Ayala's David Quiroga and Canyon teammates Chris Rivas and Kevin Voogt.

The receiver spot should be pretty strong in 2010 and several underclassmen will be on hand including Gardena Serra's Robert Woods, Los Alamitos' Paul Richardson, Ontario Colony's Kenneth Scott and West Hills Chaminade's Brando Tessar.

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Tight Ends

Levine Toilolo

The tight end spot in California this year is outstanding, and two of the three in the nation call the Golden State home, led by UnderArmour All-America selection Morrell Presley from Carson and La Mesa Helix's Levine Toilolo.  Both Presley, a verbal to USC, and Toilolo, committed to Stanford, stood out a year ago as underclassmen in Carson.

Few people have been around a winning program like Westlake Village Oaks Christian tight end Christopher Coyle, a two-time CIF champion, and Coyle's stock is on the rise.  Corona Santiago's Marlion Barnett impressed us in Las Vegas at the 7-on-7 tourney, and he's hoping his trip to the Home Depot Center goes better than the last time he was here, when his Sharks lost the CIF-SS finals to Centennial.

Two of the more intriguing players will be Torrance's Sterling Carter, who also plays volleyball, and San Diego Scripps Ranch's J.T. Kerr.  Craig Payne from Ontario Colony, who also plays defensive end, will be a guy to watch too.

Heading the underclassmen list is Inglewood's Marcus Howard.

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Offensive Line

Kevin Graf

A year ago, Agoura's Kevin Graf, a USC commit, was one of the few underclassmen selected to the all-Combine team in Los Angeles.  This year, the West's top offensive lineman, and a selection to the UnderArmour All-America Game, headlines the group of offensive lineman.  Graf more than held his own last spring and he comes into the combine plenty aware of what to expect.

Right behind him is San Bernardino Arroyo Valley's Michael Philipp, the best uncommitted lineman in the state, who will also be on hand on Saturday.  Philipp wants to play tackle in college, but may project better as a guard.  Wherever he plays, though, he'll be an impact guy.

Kevin Danser from San Jose Bellarmine Prep is arguably the top offensive lineman in Northern California, and he'll make the long haul down to SoCal this weekend to mix it up.  Greg Capella from Visalia El Diamante doesn't have as long a drive, but he will leave the friendly confines of Central California for the combine.

Gavin Pascarella from Corona Centennial had mixed results in his last two visits to the Home Depot Center, winning the CIF-SS Inland Division title in December with his Husky teammates, but dropping the CIF State D-I Bowl Championship to De La Salle.  He's another lineman we expect to see on Saturday.

Everett Benyard helped lead his San Diego Cathedral Catholic squad to the CIF-San Diego Section title last December, and the mammoth lineman is chomping at the bit to get up to Carson.

Other lineman of note include Ontario Colony's Josh Andrews and Quayshawn Buckley, West Torrance's Mark Clampitt, Corona Santiago's Jordan Johnson, Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos' Matt Shinn, Compton Dominguez's Jamaal Burrell, Sacramento McClatchy's David Cundiff and Redland's Brock Morris.

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The Under Armour/Scout.com Combine in Los Angeles is full. There will be no walk-ups accepted.

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