The third edition of Paradise Camp was another rousing success for Mark Richt and his Miami Hurricanes. As the final touches of construction were taking place at the IPF, UM continued to build their program momentum on Saturday. With a star-studded list of former players on hand to help coach and guide the prospects along (names such as Clinton Portis, Lamar Thomas, Bryant McKinnie, Jon Vilma, Jon Beason, Warren Sapp, and Bennie Blades) the kids were definitely having a good time and the vibe was almost electric. Not to mention that it was just another opportunity for Coach Richt to show off his diving skills.
Without further delay, let's get into the standouts at Paradise and the tidbits coming out of camp.
Top Performers
2019
Marcus Crowley, RB, Jacksonville, FL (Trinity Christian)
Crowley continues to be criminally underrated as a prospect and Paradise was just another example of this truth. With the type of build he has, Crowley’s burst and quick feet really set him apart from the crowd. He also showed off some surprising hands, making quite a few catches at the event.
Jeremiah Payton, WR, Neptune Beach, FL (Fletcher)
Payton showed yet again why he’s so highly ranked, following up his nice Opening performance with another gem at Paradise. He’s such a smooth route runner and is very good at playing the game almost one step ahead of the defender, setting his opponent up with certain moves, then blowing by them.
Jahfari Harvey, DE, Fort Pierce, FL (Vero Beach)
His speed and bend off the edge was making Harvey a nightmare for offensive linemen at Paradise. Harvey gets low and almost ducks under blocks. He looked like lightning in positional drills, zigging and zagging his way through blocking dummies. In 1-on-1’s, he was by most guys before they could even get out of their stance. Harvey simply put his stamp on this event.
Jalar Holley, DT, Buford, GA (Buford)
I believe Holley moved himself up Miami’s board with his performance and was able to solidify himself as a take. He has an incredible motor and his non-stop attitude was firing up Jess Simpson. There were multiple times where Holley ran through the blocking dummies and just kept sprinting downfield. He straight up bullied O-Linemen on a few reps and also showed surprising quickness beating his man to the outside. He’ll be committing to Miami today.
Cornelius Nunn, DB, Miami, FL (Miami Palmetto)
Nunn worked well at both corner and safety and that versatility just adds to his value. He had an amazing interception early on in 1-on-1’s and was very difficult to separate from. It looks like Miami is going to push for him based off his performance yesterday.
2020
Marcus Rosemy, WR, Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas)
What more really needs to be said about Rosemy? He’s a standout at every camp he’s been to this off-season and just continued that trend at Paradise. His ball skills are off the charts and Rosemy is extremely fluid in his movements. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him eventually overtake Leonard Manuel as the top receiver in Florida for 2020.
Xzavier Henderson, WR, Miami, FL (Columbus)
Henderson made the most plays at receiver that I saw all day. He blew by Henry Gray (who had a great camp overall) on one rep, easily making the grab for the TD. In fact, every pass that was in Henderson’s vicinity, he snagged with ease.
Jalen Rivers, OT, Orange Park, FL (Oakleaf)
Rivers sports quick feet on the edge and is very difficult to get around at 6’5” 330 pounds. If Rivers gets his hands on you, it’s over, and his initial punch is devastating. He also gets into his set very fluidly off the snap, so combining that with his feet helps him handle the speed guys very well.
Jaiden Francois, DB, Miami, FL (South Dade)
Francois was the best DB at the event and even showed off some positional versatility by working at corner. What impressed me the most is that Francois is best known for his work inside the box and making plays at the line, but showed today he can run and cover with just about anyone. Francois had multiple interceptions as well, demonstrating great ball skills. He can really do it all and he’s a future star for the Canes.
Elijah Roberts, DE, Miami, FL (Columbus)
Roberts followed up his big Under Armour performance earlier this off-season by doing pretty much whatever he wanted in OL/DL 1-on-1’s. His pure strength is unlimited and he was using his bull rush move lethally at Paradise. The sky is the limit for his future at Miami.
Westley Neal, DT, Miami, FL (Gulliver Prep)
Although he’s slightly undersized height-wise and may not even be 6 foot, Neal had some dominant reps at camp, bowling over multiple O-Linemen in 1-on-1’s. He’s got that grown man strength and was ripping away anyone that tried to get their hands on him.
Henry Gray, CB, Miami, FL (Miami Central)
Although he got beat by Henderson early on, Gray recovered nicely and went on to have a standout performance. He’s just a natural DB and is a technician with his craft; you can tell he takes the game very seriously. He was in his man’s hip pocket all night, and even when he did get beat, he showed impressive recovery speed to get back in position to make a play on the ball, something that happened on one rep vs. Marcus Rosemy.
Keshawn Washington, S, Miami, FL (South Dade)
Washington showed some great range back there at safety and I really liked how he seemed to instinctually know exactly where to be to make a play. Washington is able to cover a lot of ground quickly and although he’s rail thin right now, he has plenty of time to put on the necessary weight.
2021
Donell Harris, DE, Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington)
Harris had similar speed as Harvey off the edge, but Miami’s newest commitment is even taller and lankier than Harvey. Harris put some offensive linemen on skates with his insane first step. Harris has that perfect frame that you can really envision developing into a monster with a proper nutrition and strength training program.
Laurence Seymore, OL, Miami, FL (Miami Central)
Working at guard, Seymore was the best lineman at the camp and it wasn’t even that close. He didn’t lose a rep and was stoning everybody he faced. He was even getting hyped up by Warren Sapp, who was jokingly telling his defensive tackles to not even bother trying to beat Seymore anymore. As only a rising sophomore, it’s scary how good he could be in three years.
Cane Berrong, TE, Hartwell, GA (Hart County)
After guys like Larry Hodges, Keon Zipperer, and Dominic Mammarelli elected to sit out, it was slim pickings in the tight end position group for the most part. That made it easier for Berrong to stand out and he took advantage, running very well and showing some serious hands. He had quite a few highlight-worthy snags on the day and was even earning some praise from coach Hartley.
Notes
**2021 DE Donell Harris committed to the coaches right after the event, becoming the fourth commit of Paradise Camp weekend. The 2020 South Dade trio of Francois, Washington, and Jonathan Denis committed after the festivities on Friday night.
**Former Canes Geno Torretta and Michael Irvin showed up and gave talks to their respective position groups behind closed doors before the start of camp.
**A lot of top guys that were scheduled to be in attendance didn’t end up working out. Those that were there but didn’t work out: Avery Huff, Marcus Dumervil, Jason Munoz, Larry Hodges, Keon Zipperer, Dominic Mammarelli, Braylen Ingraham, Te'Cory Couch, Keontra Smith, Lloyd Summerall, Anthony Solomon, Samuel Brooks, and Jarvis Brownlee.
**Kenny McIntosh was unable to make the event after previously saying he would attend.
**The local crop for the class of 2020 is extremely deep and talented. It was noticeable just how many more standouts there were from the 2020 class than 2019, even taking into account a lot of top 2019 guys did not play. I'm not going to say 2020 is better than the 2018 class just yet, but the star-power at this early stage is definitely comparable.
**Jadon Haselwood looked good in his limited time on the field and made great plays seemingly every chance he got, but he just didn’t play enough to justify putting him as a top performer. Ditto for Marcus Fleming, who left the field early as well.
**Haselwood, Hodges, Summerall, and Zipperer all stayed in Coral Gables overnight and made plans to hang out with current UM players after the event.
**I wanted to see more from Mark-Antony Richards at safety, which is where he spent his night. He had good coverage on a few plays here and there, but didn’t stand out as a DB like some others did.
**Damarius Good did compete and I think he had an overall positive day in his first real action at corner. Not a standout, but didn’t get beat badly either (at least that I saw). The speed is legit.
**Michael Tarquin looked very good in drills, but got beat quite a few times in 1-on-1’s and got chewed out by Stacey Searels at one point. I’d say his style of play is more suited for in-game play than camp settings.
**James Williams is a physical specimen and it was shocking how filled out his body already is as a rising sophomore. He was towering over all the other DB’s. There’s almost no chance he stays at DB with his specific build and he had some coverage issues on the day, getting beat multiple times and grabbing/taking down guys when someone would get a step on him, although he won a few reps on some top players as well. He’s a freak of nature and is just going to keep getting better.
**I loved how seriously Shaq Quarterman took his role as a coach. After almost every rep with the linebackers, he was pulling kids aside and giving them advice, trying to give them something to work with and take away. At one point, Mike Smith was goofing off a bit while drills were going on and it was Quarterman reigning him in and telling him to focus. It’s been said many times before, but just another example of Shaq being a true leader and great ambassador for this program.
**UM receiver and STA alum Mike Harley was taking an interest in STA receiver Marcus Rosemy, rushing over after Rosemy’s reps to breakdown the play with him and give him some tricks of the trade.
Without further delay, let's get into the standouts at Paradise and the tidbits coming out of camp.
Top Performers
2019
Marcus Crowley, RB, Jacksonville, FL (Trinity Christian)
Crowley continues to be criminally underrated as a prospect and Paradise was just another example of this truth. With the type of build he has, Crowley’s burst and quick feet really set him apart from the crowd. He also showed off some surprising hands, making quite a few catches at the event.
Jeremiah Payton, WR, Neptune Beach, FL (Fletcher)
Payton showed yet again why he’s so highly ranked, following up his nice Opening performance with another gem at Paradise. He’s such a smooth route runner and is very good at playing the game almost one step ahead of the defender, setting his opponent up with certain moves, then blowing by them.
Jahfari Harvey, DE, Fort Pierce, FL (Vero Beach)
His speed and bend off the edge was making Harvey a nightmare for offensive linemen at Paradise. Harvey gets low and almost ducks under blocks. He looked like lightning in positional drills, zigging and zagging his way through blocking dummies. In 1-on-1’s, he was by most guys before they could even get out of their stance. Harvey simply put his stamp on this event.
Jalar Holley, DT, Buford, GA (Buford)
I believe Holley moved himself up Miami’s board with his performance and was able to solidify himself as a take. He has an incredible motor and his non-stop attitude was firing up Jess Simpson. There were multiple times where Holley ran through the blocking dummies and just kept sprinting downfield. He straight up bullied O-Linemen on a few reps and also showed surprising quickness beating his man to the outside. He’ll be committing to Miami today.
Cornelius Nunn, DB, Miami, FL (Miami Palmetto)
Nunn worked well at both corner and safety and that versatility just adds to his value. He had an amazing interception early on in 1-on-1’s and was very difficult to separate from. It looks like Miami is going to push for him based off his performance yesterday.
2020
Marcus Rosemy, WR, Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas)
What more really needs to be said about Rosemy? He’s a standout at every camp he’s been to this off-season and just continued that trend at Paradise. His ball skills are off the charts and Rosemy is extremely fluid in his movements. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him eventually overtake Leonard Manuel as the top receiver in Florida for 2020.
Xzavier Henderson, WR, Miami, FL (Columbus)
Henderson made the most plays at receiver that I saw all day. He blew by Henry Gray (who had a great camp overall) on one rep, easily making the grab for the TD. In fact, every pass that was in Henderson’s vicinity, he snagged with ease.
Jalen Rivers, OT, Orange Park, FL (Oakleaf)
Rivers sports quick feet on the edge and is very difficult to get around at 6’5” 330 pounds. If Rivers gets his hands on you, it’s over, and his initial punch is devastating. He also gets into his set very fluidly off the snap, so combining that with his feet helps him handle the speed guys very well.
Jaiden Francois, DB, Miami, FL (South Dade)
Francois was the best DB at the event and even showed off some positional versatility by working at corner. What impressed me the most is that Francois is best known for his work inside the box and making plays at the line, but showed today he can run and cover with just about anyone. Francois had multiple interceptions as well, demonstrating great ball skills. He can really do it all and he’s a future star for the Canes.
Elijah Roberts, DE, Miami, FL (Columbus)
Roberts followed up his big Under Armour performance earlier this off-season by doing pretty much whatever he wanted in OL/DL 1-on-1’s. His pure strength is unlimited and he was using his bull rush move lethally at Paradise. The sky is the limit for his future at Miami.
Westley Neal, DT, Miami, FL (Gulliver Prep)
Although he’s slightly undersized height-wise and may not even be 6 foot, Neal had some dominant reps at camp, bowling over multiple O-Linemen in 1-on-1’s. He’s got that grown man strength and was ripping away anyone that tried to get their hands on him.
Henry Gray, CB, Miami, FL (Miami Central)
Although he got beat by Henderson early on, Gray recovered nicely and went on to have a standout performance. He’s just a natural DB and is a technician with his craft; you can tell he takes the game very seriously. He was in his man’s hip pocket all night, and even when he did get beat, he showed impressive recovery speed to get back in position to make a play on the ball, something that happened on one rep vs. Marcus Rosemy.
Keshawn Washington, S, Miami, FL (South Dade)
Washington showed some great range back there at safety and I really liked how he seemed to instinctually know exactly where to be to make a play. Washington is able to cover a lot of ground quickly and although he’s rail thin right now, he has plenty of time to put on the necessary weight.
2021
Donell Harris, DE, Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington)
Harris had similar speed as Harvey off the edge, but Miami’s newest commitment is even taller and lankier than Harvey. Harris put some offensive linemen on skates with his insane first step. Harris has that perfect frame that you can really envision developing into a monster with a proper nutrition and strength training program.
Laurence Seymore, OL, Miami, FL (Miami Central)
Working at guard, Seymore was the best lineman at the camp and it wasn’t even that close. He didn’t lose a rep and was stoning everybody he faced. He was even getting hyped up by Warren Sapp, who was jokingly telling his defensive tackles to not even bother trying to beat Seymore anymore. As only a rising sophomore, it’s scary how good he could be in three years.
Cane Berrong, TE, Hartwell, GA (Hart County)
After guys like Larry Hodges, Keon Zipperer, and Dominic Mammarelli elected to sit out, it was slim pickings in the tight end position group for the most part. That made it easier for Berrong to stand out and he took advantage, running very well and showing some serious hands. He had quite a few highlight-worthy snags on the day and was even earning some praise from coach Hartley.
Notes
**2021 DE Donell Harris committed to the coaches right after the event, becoming the fourth commit of Paradise Camp weekend. The 2020 South Dade trio of Francois, Washington, and Jonathan Denis committed after the festivities on Friday night.
**Former Canes Geno Torretta and Michael Irvin showed up and gave talks to their respective position groups behind closed doors before the start of camp.
**A lot of top guys that were scheduled to be in attendance didn’t end up working out. Those that were there but didn’t work out: Avery Huff, Marcus Dumervil, Jason Munoz, Larry Hodges, Keon Zipperer, Dominic Mammarelli, Braylen Ingraham, Te'Cory Couch, Keontra Smith, Lloyd Summerall, Anthony Solomon, Samuel Brooks, and Jarvis Brownlee.
**Kenny McIntosh was unable to make the event after previously saying he would attend.
**The local crop for the class of 2020 is extremely deep and talented. It was noticeable just how many more standouts there were from the 2020 class than 2019, even taking into account a lot of top 2019 guys did not play. I'm not going to say 2020 is better than the 2018 class just yet, but the star-power at this early stage is definitely comparable.
**Jadon Haselwood looked good in his limited time on the field and made great plays seemingly every chance he got, but he just didn’t play enough to justify putting him as a top performer. Ditto for Marcus Fleming, who left the field early as well.
**Haselwood, Hodges, Summerall, and Zipperer all stayed in Coral Gables overnight and made plans to hang out with current UM players after the event.
**I wanted to see more from Mark-Antony Richards at safety, which is where he spent his night. He had good coverage on a few plays here and there, but didn’t stand out as a DB like some others did.
**Damarius Good did compete and I think he had an overall positive day in his first real action at corner. Not a standout, but didn’t get beat badly either (at least that I saw). The speed is legit.
**Michael Tarquin looked very good in drills, but got beat quite a few times in 1-on-1’s and got chewed out by Stacey Searels at one point. I’d say his style of play is more suited for in-game play than camp settings.
**James Williams is a physical specimen and it was shocking how filled out his body already is as a rising sophomore. He was towering over all the other DB’s. There’s almost no chance he stays at DB with his specific build and he had some coverage issues on the day, getting beat multiple times and grabbing/taking down guys when someone would get a step on him, although he won a few reps on some top players as well. He’s a freak of nature and is just going to keep getting better.
**I loved how seriously Shaq Quarterman took his role as a coach. After almost every rep with the linebackers, he was pulling kids aside and giving them advice, trying to give them something to work with and take away. At one point, Mike Smith was goofing off a bit while drills were going on and it was Quarterman reigning him in and telling him to focus. It’s been said many times before, but just another example of Shaq being a true leader and great ambassador for this program.
**UM receiver and STA alum Mike Harley was taking an interest in STA receiver Marcus Rosemy, rushing over after Rosemy’s reps to breakdown the play with him and give him some tricks of the trade.
