FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida. — The Southeast’s best prospects showed up for the Camp Rivals Series Sunday at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. At the end of the day, a long list of players were recognized for their outstanding performances. Here’s a look at the event’s MVPs.
QUARTERBACK: Michael Clayton II
The deep quarterback group had a number of MVP candidates, but Clayton fell away from the pack during the showcase portion of camp. The Rivals250 prospect showed off his big arm, but it was his accuracy that really stood out. Clayton’s strong mechanics and footwork allowed him to throw consistently accurate passes to all parts of the court. He was particularly accurate on intermediate passes to the sideline and on deep routes to the middle of the field.
*****
RUNNING BACK: Derreck Cooper
Cooper could play both sides of the ball at the next level, but he lined up as a running back on Sunday and couldn’t be stopped. He has the speed, agility and explosiveness to run away from virtually any linebacker trying to keep him under control. Cooper also made a few acrobatic catches, jumping and reaching over defenders to catch the pass. The 2026 top 100 prospect still has time to figure out if he’ll continue his college education, but, based on what we saw today, he could be one of the best in his class if he continues to grow at a constant pace.
*****
RECEIVER/TIGHTEND: Vernell Brown III
The receiver position was the deepest and most difficult to address when selecting an MVP. Multiple receivers won each head-to-head rep, but, ultimately, it was Brown’s all-around skills and undefeated head-to-head record that gave him the edge in the MVP race. He made explosive plays all over the field on Sunday and had success on various routes. Brown ran short, intermediate and deep routes from the outside and the slot and defensive backs couldn’t keep him under control. It was especially impressive to see Brown’s advanced route running skills make defensive backs hesitate and lose ground as he passed them for a long catch.
*****
OFFENSIVE LINE: Max Buchanan
Buchanan’s overall consistency has given him the edge over the rest of the offensive linemen in the MVP race. He was 6-foot-4, 296 pounds with a 78-inch wingspan and that length helped him have a very long day for defensive linemen. Buchanan showed impressive strength and technique at his guard position. He was able to shock many defensive linemen with his initial punch and then redirect it with his strong hands. Buchanan’s lateral quickness and patience as a pass blocker helped him keep defensive linemen in front of him throughout the day.
*****
DEFENSIVE LINE: Javion Hilson
Hilson was the favorite to win the MVP award before camp began and he proved those high expectations correct with outstanding reps from start to finish. THE State of Florida commit brings a great combination of strength and speed. Hilson understands how to attack offensive linemen and knows when to go for a quick run and how to counter with a strong move inside. He has a very lean build despite weighing 229 pounds, so he has plenty of room to fill out when he reaches the next level.
*****
LINEBACKER: Adam Balogoun-Ali
Playing linebacker in camp is always a difficult task, but Balogoun-Ali has done a very good job of limiting big plays by running backs and tight ends. The Rivals250 prospect kept almost everything in front of him and managed to force quarterbacks into bad throws on several occasions. Balogoun-Ali was challenged by the running backs throughout the day, but he always played at a high level and made sure the backs weren’t able to make big plays down the field .
*****
DEFENSIVE BACK: Hylton Stubbs
There were at least four defensive backs who could have won the MVP award, but the competition took place in the showcase portion of camp and Stubbs came out on top. THE U.S.C. commit used his long arms and anticipation skills to get his hands on the ball on multiple occasions. Stubbs had the length to prevent receivers from creating separation and that forced quarterbacks to force passes into tighter coverage than they thought. He projects as a safety at the next level, but he really held his own in man coverage against some of the best receivers in the country.