MVP Performances

For Part I of HornSports recap of The Opening, click HERE.

One on one’s are the main event at any camp and basically match offensive linemen vs. defensive linemen, running backs vs. linebackers, and wide receivers vs. defensive backs (with quarterbacks throwing to them.) The competition is always most intense on the line, and the big men on Sunday did not disappoint.

Beaumont Westbrook defensive tackle Christian Bluiett is a bit undersized but attacked his opponents violently and played with an incredible motor. The younger brother of Longhorn defensive end Caleb Bluiett is also involved in power lifting, and showed outstanding strength on his bull rush.

It was clear no one was going to stop Kendell Jones in one-on-ones – he used his size to bully linemen and showed off a quick first step. Although Jones lacks in technique, he cruised to an MVP performance using his outstanding size.

Fort Bend Hightower tackle Darius Anderson turned in an excellent performance as well, showing off his quickness, technique, and strength. Anderson looked exceptional as he routinely went against the best guards at the camp.

Of the defensive ends in attendance two stood out above the rest. Isaiah Chambers showed off pass rush skills and got the better of some of the top tackles, including the state’s top player Greg Little. Hope (AR) Senior High end McTelvin Agim passed the eyeball test and put on a pass rush display.

Despite the top defensive talent present, several offensive linemen managed to hold their own. Jean Delance has a great build, played with solid technique and athleticism, but is lacking some strength and physical development. The good news is that Delance is essentially a blank slate for a college coaching staff – he has a frame that can put on good weight, and the technique to excel once he gains the strength.

Allen’s Greg Little had both high and low moments, but there were times when the A&M commit flashed the total package that makes him the current top-rated player in Texas. Copperas Cove lineman J.P. Urquidez looked a bit stiff in warm ups, but handled himself well in the one-on-one portion. Urquidez was one of the biggest linemen in attendance and used his long arms and strength to defeat opponents. Tope Imade struggled with technique at times, but showed great strength when he got his hands on his man and adapted to the coaching he was receiving.

The surprise of the day was the offensive line MVP Christopher Hughes of Harker Heights. Christopher is the younger brother of Texas tackle Camrhon Hughes, and was very sound in pass protection drills. The younger Hughes is quite a bit smaller than his brother, but was not intimidated by the environment and excelled against top-notch competition.

The final segment of the day was a seven-on-seven competition involving offensive skill positions against linebackers and defensive backs. Shane Buechele finished his strong showing at the camp with a solid performance. When asked to assess his performance, Buechele said, “I thought I did well. I mean competing against the best guys in the country, you can’t complain about that. I thought my performance was pretty good.”

Buechele also admitted that competing at his high school gave him a higher comfort level, saying, “It definitely felt more comfortable than at another place, I’m glad it got to be here.”

On throwing to Texas commit Reggie Hemphill and trying to develop some chemistry for the future, Buechele said, “I got to throw with him a little bit, we were kind of in separate groups, but whenever we got to try and hook up we did.”

Hemphill was strong in all portions of the day and showed off his speed, fluidity, and hands. “I think I did pretty good,” Hemphill noted, continuing, “A lot of the coaches were telling me I did pretty good.”

Hemphill was one of many prospects on hand from Manvel, and he was also pleased about his teammates’ showing, “We did real good. It was just great to compete against some of the best of the best.”

Hemphill was successful overall but admitted that North Shore defensive back Eric Monroe got the better of him one time. Flower Mound Marcus tight end Kaden Smith ended up taking home the MVP honors for the receivers as the big tight end showed great ability to stretch the field, to go along with his route running and exceptional hands.

On the defensive side of the ball Waco defensive back Eric Cuffee earned an Opening invite after turning in a stellar day at corner. Cuffee was a clear leader in his group and got very good reviews from his position coaches. Eric Monroe also played very well at safety blending his explosive athleticism with a physical playing style.

Elsik’s Dontavious Jackson showed he’s not just a run stopper as the big middle linebacker was fluid in coverage and broke up several passes. Jackson also earned an opening invitation along with Aldine Davis linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch.

The MVP award for linebackers went to an underclassman – 2017 Plano East linebacker Anthony Hines out-performed every upperclassman at the event. Hines was responsible for calling coverages for his group and showed smarts and athletic skills. Hines is very humble and mature for a kid his age and was pumped up to win the MVP honors, saying, “It’s great. I put so much work towards this, and to see it pay off it’s extremely positive.”

When asked what it was like to compete against the older group of players, Hines answered, “I definitely learned from them, but when it comes to competing I always want to out-compete everybody and I believe I did.”