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.:
Quarterbacks
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.
Running Backs
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.
Wide Receivers
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.
Tight Ends
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.
Offensive Line
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.
The Under Armour/Scout.com Combine in Los Angeles is full. There will be no walk-ups accepted.
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