FORT MILL, South Carolina – The Camp Rivals series spent the weekend in the Charlotte area and hungry Mid-Atlantic athletes took advantage of the opportunity. The Carolinas, Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland and as far away as Connecticut, were represented by a large group of participants. Let’s look at some of the takeaways from camp:
OFFENSIVE LINE DEPTH ON DISPLAY
The day started off with a bang thanks to the offensive line group. Three players could have easily won the MVP award, but Pierre Doyen came away with first place. The 2026 North Carolina native could play tackle or guard at the next level, but any college coach would be happy to have either position. With very little weight on his body, Dean was still able to throw guys and seemed to enjoy finishing his blocks. Darius Gray And Jayvon McFadden showed excellent technique playing as both tackle and guard throughout the session. Each of them left with a golden ball.
Desmond Green has the look of a player who should be ranked in the Rivals250. The 2026 South Carolina guard is a leveler on the interior of the offensive line, and as he develops his pass-blocking skills, he should be able to dominate in a setting like this. It won’t be surprising to see his list of offers continue to grow based on the physical characteristics we saw on Sunday.
Kenneth McManus, Jadian Shabazz And The wiles of Zion should continue to attract more interest and offers as the process continues. Each of them shone in their own right thanks to solid technique or exceptional physical qualities with great room for development.
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MIXED RESULTS FROM EDGE RUSHERS
We had very high hopes for the defensive line group and many of them shined at different points throughout camp, but only a few of them were able to find consistent success. Aiden Harris grew an inch or two and lost weight since his last in-person evaluation, but still retained his strength and speed. He made it pretty easy to decide who should win the defensive line MVP award. Caroline from the south commit Anthony Addison was a late addition to the camp roster, but he made the most of his opportunity and walked away with the golden ball. The Edge Rusher has very strong hands and excellent passing skills. He was able to shock offensive linemen with his strength and understood how to use his athleticism to his advantage getting into the backfield.
Kayden Bennett wasn’t one of the favorites to win an award heading into camp, but he wasn’t completely off the radar either. The younger brother of Michigan defensive lineman Kechaun Bennett, Kayden has a very similar build at this point in his recruitment, but he packs more punch and understands how to play a more physical and aggressive style. From Connecticut, Bennett made the most of his opportunity and surprised many by winning a gold ball.
Zion Elée made the trip from Maryland after visiting the state of ohio The spring game and the Rivals250 2026 defensive end confirmed what we thought after watching his second film. He has all the physical tools to dominate at the next level, but he needs more experience against strong pass blockers to be ready to contribute when he gets to college. Physically, Elee already has the size of a college player and he has plenty of time to develop from a technical standpoint.
Make sure to follow Elijah Little Jon, Zavion Griffin-Haynes, Dominique Basrawala, Jermaine Kinsler, Noah Clark And Yvan Kémajou as the recruitment process progresses. Each of them shone at different moments of the face-to-face thanks to their physical tools and aggressive style.
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THE BEST RANKED RUNNING BACKS IN 2026 RISE TO THE TOP
One of the biggest storylines in the 2026 class is the race for the No. 1 running back in the Rivals250. Top-ranked running back Savion Hiter made the trip from Virginia and nearly walked away with the MVP award. The smooth and strong ball carrier shined in pass-blocking drills, footwork and had consistent success in face-offs, regardless of the route or linebacker he was with. paired. Jaylen McGill, however, narrowly won the MVP award after making several difficult catches during face-offs. He was also very solid in footwork and pass blocking drills. McGills seemed to slide around the court in a similar fashion to Hiter. Both backs will continue to be highly rated in the 2026 class and their continued development is something to watch as the recruiting process continues.
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A DOZEN DEPTH AT THE DEFENSIVE BACK
Choosing an MVP defensive back was the toughest race to make on Sunday thanks to the exceptional depth at the position. Class of 2026 stands out for safety Jireh Edwards took home the award, followed closely by 2026 cornerbacks Camdin Portis And Ramani Burton. These three made consistently excellent plays thanks to their technique, physicality, and ability to get their hands on the ball, but a number of other defensive backs could have easily taken home these accolades.
Samaria Matthew, one of the top prospects in the 2026 class, had a great day in coverage. He was able to force bad throws from quarterbacks consistently and was able to use his length and instincts to take receivers out of the game. Also in the Class of 2026, Andrew Clark, Hakim Satterwhite, Julian Peterson And Jordan Thomas presented some tough matchups for receivers. Each of them brings above-average height and length to the field, making it very difficult for receivers to create separation.
Ohio State cornerback commitment Blake Woodby was also one of the best defensive backs on Sunday. His exceptional speed and increased muscle mass helped him cover wide receivers using a wide range of strategies and techniques. Woodby may not have had as much success as he would have liked, but he still managed to force receivers to change their routes and timing due to his elite speed.
Chamarryus Bomar, Remington Moss, KJ McClain And Jerron Blackwell also had their moments. It’s easy to see why each of them offers rather long offer sheets.
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LOTS OF DEPTH AT THE RECEIVER
In a very tight race for the Wide Receiver MVP award, I’rel More daring landed at No. 1 followed by Freshman Myles McAfee and second year student Dyzier Carter. Each of them brings exceptional speed to the field and different running styles on the road. Bolder had a knack for winning field repetitions and making acrobatic catches. McAfee was perhaps the best route runner of the three and had many highlights as well. Carter is the smallest of the three but is very durable and has speed to burn.
A trio of standout 2026 receivers from South Carolina each shined at different points in camp. Expectations for Jordan Gidron, Malik Clark And Donovan Murphy There were many in the run-up to the event and each of them put on a show when their number was called. Clark seemed to be the most physically imposing while Gidron was the most explosive of the group. Murph is a complete receiver with good hands and a solid understanding of running techniques.
Coming from Florida, Kenyon Alston is a physically imposing receiver who understands how to create separation through sharp cuts and has done a great job catching the ball away from his body consistently. our Lady commit Elie Burress isn’t going to wow anyone, but he’s a very good runner who consistently catches the ball with his hands and is able to create separation with strong running techniques.