After Phoenix players took MVP honors at the talented Scout.com Los Angeles combine two years in a row, Scout.com decided to bring their first major event to Phoenix last year and the participants did not disappoint. Peoria’s Jeremy Dang walked away with the MVP honors in what proved to be an extremely talented group of young men. This year’s event is shaping up to be just as good. It is at full capacity and no walk-ups will be accepted.

We take an early look at some of the players that will take the field this Saturday at Glendale Community College.

Offensive Preview

QB

The quarterback class in Arizona is deep this year as several players are entering their third season as the starter under center. There are a few players jockeying for the top spot and the Phoenix Combine this Saturday should be interesting. Paradise Valley’s Kevin Spain and Centennial’s Dain McFarland are the only two with offers thus far but it may not be long before Corona del Sol’s Chase Cartwright and Seton Catholic’s Justin Sieczkowski receive their first. Millennium’s Mike Massey is a workout warrior and should test extremely well. The top out of state prospect is Meiko Locksley from La Cueva High in New Mexico. The dual-threat QB is the son of the University of New Mexico head man Mike Locksley and currently holds offers from New Mexico and New Mexico State.

Sleeper- Alex Cappellini – Phoenix (Az.) Pinnacle- At 6-4 and nearly 200 pounds, Cappellini has the size you are looking for in a QB and is surprisingly mobile. Pinnacle head coach Dana Zupke raves about the off-season Alex is having.

RB

The majority of the top returning RBs from the Grand Canyon State are expected to be in attendance and this should make for an interesting day as not one has jumped ahead as the clear cut number one prospect. Dwayne Garrett from Scottsdale Chaparral could be the front runner. He rushed for 2,000 yards last year in helping the Firebirds to the 4A1 state title game. Head coach Charlie Ragle feels like several programs are on the cusp of offering. Hamilton’s Zach Bauman and Centennial’s Anthony Hughes are multi-dimensional backs that led their teams to state titles last year. Scatback R.J. McGill was recently offered by Air Force and he could also compete at wideout and corner as most programs are recruiting him as an athlete. Tempe Corona del Sol’s Michael Lange is a hard-nosed player and Glendale Ironwood’s Darrin Spencer is as good looking a kid as you will see on Saturday. Tanner Hinds was an all-state player last year in Utah and will travel to Phoenix to compete for the second consecutive year.

But it may be the underclassmen that steal the show in Phoenix. Albuquerque La Cueva’s Ronnie Daniels and Tucson Canyon del Oro’s KaDeem Carey will both be heavily recruited players. Daniels already holds offers New Mexico and New Mexico State and Carey has been a household name since returning a kickoff for a score in the state championship game as a freshman two years ago. Avondale La Joya’s D.J. Hubbard has a promising future and will get the bulk of the carries now that Jeremiah Cornist has graduated.

Sleeper- Bobby Calvin – Goldwater- This kid has the size at 5-11 and 200 plus pounds. He has plenty of speed, being clocked at under 11.2 in the 100 meters and he was productive as a junior rushing for 1,100 yards.

Underclassman to Watch- KaDeem Carey- Canyon del Oro

WR/TE

The headliner of this group is the multi-talented Keanu Nelson from Tucson Sabino. Nelson is the top recruit in what is proving to be a very deep recruiting class down in Southern Arizona. Nelson could play on either side of the ball in college and is one of the most highly regarded players on the West Coast. Danny Trittler is Arizona’s most productive receiver returning in 2009. He caught 71 balls had 1,100 yards receiving last year and Cactus Shadows High but has since transferred to Scottsdale Chaparral. One player that has not received a ton of press thus far has been Gilbert High’s Jesse Brantley. The 6-2 180 pound Brantley averaged almost 25 yards per catch last year and caught 14 TDs. Deche’ Milburn just moved out of Arizona to Texas but is still expected to participate in Saturday’s event. Keep an eye on Zach Van Leeuwen. The youngster will make the trip from Utah and could be Timpview’s next D1 player.

There are several tight ends that stand out in this group. The state’s top TE is Josh Fulton from St. Mary’s. The 6-5 240 pounder lined up in the slot a ton last year and has a knack for making spectacular catches. Sean Craig from Salpointe Catholic will travel up from Tucson to showcase his talents. At 6-4 220, Craig is a traditional TE that can play with his hand in the dirt and still be active in the passing game. Mt. Pointe’s Ben DeMarr and Cherry Creek (Co.) Austin Wilbers could also be standouts in this talented group.

Sleeper- Seth Mosley - WR Camp Verde- Has dominated at the small school ranks and it will be interesting to see how he does against the big boys.

Underclassman to Watch- Brendon Pineda – TE Tolleson- Only going to be a junior, Pineda got a good start to his varsity career last year and is a very explosive shotputter.

OL

This could be the most talented group in the entire combine. Four-star guard Nick Rowland is the star of this group. He is currently ranked the #4 guard nationally by Scout.com and is being recruited by every school in the Pac 10. His teammate Dylan Lusk is as fiery a competitor as you will find. He will be fun to watch in the 1 on 1’s. Expect him to take reps on both sides of the ball. Scottsdale Saguaro’s Kody Innes is an athletic tackle prospect who now holds four offers. Notre Dame Prep’s Blair Tushaus is Arizona’s top center prospect. Watch out for these two mammoths, Devin Dashnaw from Surprise Willow Canyon stands 6-7 315 and Juan Baron from Desert Ridge is 6-8. Add in the fact that talented junior Manu Muitalo (6-6 305) is headed won from Utah and you can see why this might be the most talented position at the combine.  

Sleeper- Jacob Ehm – Chaparral- Last year Taylor Lewan blew up after this event, could Ehm be the next Chaparral player to do so? He holds an offer from Air Force but after seeing limited time behind Lewan last year, a big senior season is needed to garner more attention.

Underclassmen to Watch- Hamilton’s Christian Westerman and Saguaro’s Cyrus Hobbi surely will be two of 2011’s most coveted players but keep an eye on Justin Addie from Skyline. No one has talked about him yet but he already looks the part of a D1 prospect.

We would like to give a special thanks to Athlete’s Performance for doing the timing at the event. Please take a second to check out their website and look at their brand new facilities.