Florida’s Friday Night Lights camp usually signifies the end of summer camps for high school prospects. The late-July camp brings tons of top talent each year, but for the second time in as many years, it won’t be the final place for recruits to showcase their talents.
ESPN RISE will hold the 2nd Champion Gridiron Kings, an “elite” high school football event that will feature 65 of the top skill position players in the country, July 24-25 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
Former NFL players including quarterback Jeff Blake (Jets, Bengals, Saints, Ravens, Cardinals, Eagles, Bears), wide receiver Terrence Mathis (Jets, Falcons, Steelers), running back Natrone Means (Chargers, Panthers, Jaguars), linebacker Lonnie Marts (Chiefs, Buccaneers, Oilers, Jaguars) and defensive back Louis Oliver (Dolphins, Bengals) will coaching at the event.
In 2009, top recruits like Florida receiver Adrian Coxson, USC running back Dillon Baxter, Baylor safety Ahmad Dixon and Florida State’s Christian Jones and Christian Green, all competed at the event.
Here’s this year’s roster
Player | Position | High School | ESPNU 150 | Team |
Aaron Wallace Jr. | LB | Rancho Bernardo – San Diego, Calif. | n/a | West |
Albert Louis-Jean | CB | Brockton – Brockton, Mass. | n/a | Midwest |
Amir Carlisle | RB | The King’s Academy – Sunnyvale, Calif. | n/a | West |
Anthony Wallace | LB | Skyline – Dallas, Texas | No. 141 | Southwest |
Austin Seferian-Jenkins | TE | Gig Harbor – Gig Harbor, Wash. | No. 88 | West |
Brandin Cooks | WR | Lincoln – Stockton, Calif. | n/a | West |
Brandon Carter | Ath | Euless Trinity – Dallas, Texas | n/a | Southwest |
Chet Moss | LB | Cedar Park – Cedar Park, Mo. | n/a | Southwest |
Chris Barnett | TE | A. Maceo Smith – Dallas, Texas | n/a | Southwest |
Christian Conley | WR | North Paulding – Dallas, Ga. | No. 134 | Southeast |
Clifton Richardson | RB | Menchville – Newport News, Va. | No. 105 | Midwest |
Conner Crowell | LB | North Point – Waldorf, Md. | n/a | Midwest |
Corey Waller | LB | Long Beach Poly – Long Beach, Calif. | n/a | West |
Curtis Grant | LB | Hermitage – Richmond, Va. | No. 44 | Midwest |
Damiere Byrd | WR | Timber Creek – Sicklerville, N.J. | n/a | Midwest |
Darian Miller | RB | Blue Springs – Blue Springs, Mo. | n/a | Southwest |
DeAnthony Arnett | WR | Saginaw – Saginaw, Mich. | No. 53 | Midwest |
Dee Hart | RB | Dr. Phillips – Orlando, Fla. | n/a | Southeast |
Demetrious Nicholson | DB | Bayside – Virginia Beach, Va. | No. 91 | Midwest |
Devon Blackmon | WR | Summit – Fontana, Calif. | No. 38 | West |
Devondrick Nealy | RB | Jefferson County – Monticello, Fla. | n/a | Southeast |
Donte Moncrief | WR | Raleigh – Raleigh, Miss. | n/a | Southwest |
Doran Grant | DB | St.Vincents-St. Mary’s – Akron, Ohio | No. 67 | Midwest |
Eilar Hardy | DB | Pickerington Central – Pickerington, Ohio | n/a | Midwest |
George Atkinson Jr. | DB | Granada – Livermore, Calif. | n/a | West |
Harvey Langi | RB | Bingham – South Jordan, Utah | n/a | West |
Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix | ATH | Dr. Phillips – Orlando, Fla. | No. 26 | Southeast |
Herschel Sims | RB | Abilene – Abilene, Texas | No. 100 | Southwest |
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu | DB | Chino Hills – Chino Hills, Calif. | n/a | West |
James Wilder | LB | Plant – Tampa, Fla. | No. 8 | Southeast |
Jarvis Landry | WR | Lutcher – Lutcher. La. | No. 68 | Southwest |
Jonathan Rose | DB | Leeds – Leeds, Ala. | n/a | Southeast |
Josh Atkinson | DB | Granada – Livermore, Calif. | n/a | West |
Josh Turner | CB | Millwood – Oklahoma City, Okla. | No. 87 | Southwest |
Karlos Williams | DB | Ridge Community – Davenport, Fla. | No. 21 | Southeast |
Kasen Williams | WR | Skyline – Sammamish, Wash. | No. 62 | West |
Kendall Thompson | LB | Carthage – Carthage, Texas | n/a | Southwest |
Lamar Dawson | TE | Boyle County – Danville, Ky. | n/a | Midwest |
Lyndell Johnson | CB | Plano East – Plano, Texas | n/a | Southwest |
Marcus Peters | DB | McClymonds – Oakland, Calif. | n/a | West |
Marcus Roberson | CB | St. Thomas Aquinas – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | n/a | Southeast |
Michael Bercovici | QB | Taft – Woodland Hills, Calif. | n/a | West |
Michael Brewer | QB | Lake Travis – Austin, Texas | n/a | Southwest |
Miles Onyegbule | WR | Arlington – Arlington, Texas | n/a | Southwest |
Nick O’Leary | TE | William T. Dwyer – Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. | No. 22 | Southeast |
Nick Waisome | DB | South Lake – Groveland, Fla. | No. 64 | Southeast |
Patrick Coyne | QB | Badin – Hamilton, Ohio | n/a | Midwest |
Phillip Ely | QB | Plant – Tampa, Fla. | n/a | Southeast |
Quandre Diggs | S | Angleton – Angleton, Texas | No. 17 | Southwest |
Quinta Funderburk | WR | Oscar Smith – Chesapeake, Va. | n/a | Midwest |
Rahim Calif.ssell | LB | Lakewood – Lakewood, Calif. | n/a | West |
Ramik Wilson | LB | Jefferson – Tampa, Fla. | n/a | Southeast |
Rashad Greene | WR | St. Thomas Aquinas – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | No. 123 | Southeast |
Ron Tanner II | DB | Eastmoor – Columbus, Ohio | n/a | Midwest |
Savon Huggins | RB | St. Peter’s Prep – Jersey City, N.J. | No. 31 | Midwest |
Shaquille Washington | ATH | Maple Heights – Maple Heights, Ohio | n/a | Midwest |
Sheroid Evans | S | Dulles – Sugarland, Texas | No. 120 | Southwest |
Stefan McClure | DB | Vista – Vista, Calif. | n/a | West |
T.J. Thorpe | Ath | Charles E. Jordan – Durham, N.C. | n/a | Southeast |
Tacoi Sumler | WR | Columbus – Miami, Fla. | No. 47 | Southeast |
Tevin Mitchell | CB | Mansfield – Legacy, Texas | n/a | Southwest |
Tony Steward | LB | Pedro Menendez – St. Augustine, Fla. | No. 10 | Southeast |
Travis Hughes | LB | Kempsville – Virginia Beach, Va. | n/a | Midwest |
Victor Blackwell | WR | Marter Dei – Santa Ana, Calif. | No. 56 | West |
WOW! Any idea who is going to be at FNL???
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We need to make certain FNL is positioned on the calendar a couple of days before the ESPN camp, so that kids can come to our camp, be within driving distance of Orlando, and have a couple of days to visit Disney, the water parks, etc.
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I know we get a lot of top kids to FNL, but having this all-star camp down the road only a couple of days later can only bring even more talent to Gainesville for our camp. Heck, I’d get the ESPN roster every year, and invite them ALL, and sell the idea that they can do both camps, and have a holiday between.
Ed, what’s your feelings with James wilder? This is the guy I am following so closely. The guys a beast and we need to land him.
Jeff Blake seriously played for that many teams? I remember him with the Bengals, then going to the Saints, then I thought he disappeared..
I was at the Badger Sports 7on7 Championships in Tuscaloosa over the weekend where two Gator commits looked very strong. A. C. Lenord was a monster WR again, but his N. Fla. team lost on a couple unlucky plays early in the finals. Ryan Shazier, playing for the S. Fla. team was a “D” star for the team that won it all, defeating the California team with several four and five star recruits in the championship game. Also having huge games for S. Fla. were QB Teddy Bridgewater, who looked vastly improved over the last time I saw him in March, (and is not a WR) and WR Jessie York, who had to be the “O” star of the day catching everything thrown his way. He just went and got everything…
James Wilder looks physically looks like he can start for the Jaguars yesterday. Manchild.
Is there any more news on that kid Chandler Register from Cumming GA, as he is from what I saw a nice QB with strong arm?
Thanks.
Not sure that there is a lot of info on Register since he is only a rising sophomore. However, the Gators should not lose touch with him since I have heard on other blogs that he was someone that stood out in Meyer’s camp.
Heard that Register kid was at Dawgs Night today in Athens.