On December 7th in Pontiac, MI at the Ultimate Soccer Arena, Rising Stars held its Invite Only Top 250 Underclassman Camp for High school student athletes. This camp was designed to help the student athletes learn more about the recruiting process and what colleges are looking for when they recruit players, as well as one on one and positional drills.
The student athletes were able to ask questions on how to get recruited and what there GPA needs to be so colleges won’t overlook them. This was a great experience for the parents and student athletes. We are seeing that more student athletes have to handle their own recruiting because they are not getting help from high school coaches as much as they should.
All of these players competed for the opportunity to gain exposure to boost their recruiting stock for the upcoming season. There were two phases of the camp: one on ones and the best on best competition. “We really had an opportunity to see who the top players were during the competition drills,” said Coach Wynns. This camp displayed the talent of these young and exciting high school players.
It was plenty of competition out there this year and here are our choices for the top offensive and defensive performers.
Top Offensive Performers
Lake Orion High QB sophomore Kyler Carson (2022) was electric throwing the ball around. He was making very precise throws and putting the ball in the air and letting the receivers become play makers. Carson is a young bright talent for the Dragons. Won’t be surprised to see him blossom next season.
Saline High QB sophomore Larry Robinson (2022) performed well on Saturday. He was making some tight throws to his receivers with very tough coverage. Robinson is a young QB but he doesn’t shy away from the moment. He displayed that out there on the field. He picked up where he left off this past season. He is currently tied in Michigan high school football history for the longest run by a QB (99 yard TD). Robinson has an offer from Central Michigan.
Kalamazoo Central High Offensive tackle sophomore Aveyon Bullock (2022) showed his dominance in the trenches. He held has own against some talented defensive lineman. He has some quick feet and his burst off the ball is what really makes him an defensive lineman’s worst nightmare.
Oak Park High Running back junior Davion Primm (2021) showcased that he can not only run the ball at a high level but he can catch the ball. Primm showed that he had some soft hands and was catching everything that was thrown to him. He holds several offers.
Oak Park High Offensive lineman junior Rayshaun Benny (2021) was one of the top offensive linemen at Rising Stars. Benny is a great athlete who can play with the best of them. He showed why he is one of the best players in the state of Michigan. In some reps he looked like a man amongst boys. He currently has over 30+ offers from schools all over the country.
Lake Orion High Offensive tackle sophomore Daniel Babcock (2022) was out there competing with the best of them. He has a high motor and will be a force for the Dragons. Next years Lake Orion offensive line will be one of the best in the state.
West Bloomfield High WR/ATH sophomore Michael Williams (2022) was very impressive out there. He made some catches that were out of this world. It was several catches that he made over some of the best DB’s during the 1–1 competition. He is a true athlete with the ability of playing multiple positions on the football field. Williams is roughly around 6-foot-3 with a extremely long wingspan. He will be a nice addition for Coach Bellamy next season. Williams has an early offer to Michigan as of right now.
Wide Receiver Jaden Rembert (2021) from West Bloomfield High showed great quickness and explosiveness as a dynamic slot receiver. He was making defenders miss left and right.
Honorable Mentions
Quarterback’s Tanner Slazinski (Bloomfield Hills High) and James Burnley (Oak Park High) were out there making plays and throwing the ball all around the field. They both will be in the conversation of who the best QB’s are for next season. There was a lot of young talent for the Class of 2023. Offensive linemen Dylan Senda from Divine Child performed greatly. He showed quick lateral movements and showed his power and being able to push around defensive lineman all day long. West Bloomfield Offensive tackle Amir Herring performed above his age as well. He was one of the main contributors of that strong offensive lineman at West Bloomfield this year. Senda and Herring are the top linemen in their class and they are being recruited by a large amount of colleges. Tommie Boyd from Utica High was another top performer at the camp. He plays both sides of the ball and he will be someone to look out for in the next couple of years. Also, QB Drew Viotto (Walled Lake Western) a 6-foot-3 gunslinger, performed well. He displayed his strong arm and was able to get the ball out of his hands quickly. He showed great vision and poise in the pocket. He started on the varsity as a freshman and he will be on colleges radar next season. Southfield A&T’s Rae’Quin Lee is a running back who also has several offers. He played well and was able to show why he is being sought after by D-1 colleges.
Top Defensive Performers
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Linebacker sophomore Jordan Cannon (2022) showed good instincts for his age and plays with a high motor. He made sure he got every rep he could possible take. He has a burst out of his stance that allows him to make quick decisions and helps him make plays. It won’t be long until he receives some offers.
Southfield A&T’s Defensive lineman junior AJ Abdul Jabbar (2021) had a day for himself. He has an explosive jump off the ball that allows him to create havoc for offensive linemen to block him. He plays with a level of aggression that every coach loves to see. Next season will be a break out year for him.
Zeeland East High Defensive lineman sophomore Andrew DeVries (2022) looked dominant in the reps he took on defense. He was able to display some good footwork and power off the ball. He can play either side of the ball which makes him a highly versatile athlete to seek after at the next level.
University of Detroit Jesuit Safety junior Elijah Rikard (2021) performed well. He was able to show his size and his experience out there and he was able to break on a ball and catch it for an interception. Rikard has a few MAC offers on the table.
Detroit Loyola Defensive tackle junior Derrick Harmon (2021) was able to show coaches and media that he will be nothing to mess with next season. If you didn’t know anything about him, he definitely made his presence known at the event. He is 6-foot-4 and has an extremely long wingspan. He won tons of reps and was one of the best at the camp. Harmon currently holds offers from Purdue and Central Michigan and many others.
Honorable Mention
There was plenty of talent across the board that we evaluated on the defensive side that we would like to shout out as well. River Rouge’s Tyron Heath at Defensive back, Brother Rice Cole Lacanaria (WR/DB), Oak Park’s Outside linebacker Marlon Dawson and Lake Orion’s Joey Thede on the Defensive line. Thede was aggressive and explosive off the ball during drills and 1–1 competition. He showed his speed, along with his length and size, making him a tough block for his opponents. Dawson was able to show his versatility while participating in edge rushing drills and 1–1 competition and was able to participate in RB vs LB 1–1 competition, and where he came down with an interception and some excellent coverage skills.