Cal-State standouts, Day 2

VISALIA, Calif. – Day two at the Cal-State All-Star Game practices saw some new faces trickle in and many of them didn’t take long to make an impact. With one more day of practice remaining before Saturday’s game, we take a look at some of the top performers and news and notes from Thursday’s action in California.

Kevin Palma will take one official visit in January. It will be to Palo Alto and Stanford.

Top performers

Kevin King, DB, Bishop O’Dowd (Washington commit) – Thursday was King’s first day competing and you can be sure that the quarterbacks noticed him. King is extremely long and rangy and his ability to close a window in cover two is something special. As he carries receivers vertically, King makes it extremely difficult for quarterbacks to drop it over his long arms and quick lift off the ground.

Sebastian LaRue, WR, Santa Monica (USC commit) – Another new addition that couldn’t be missed, LaRue rivals John Ross on the South squad in his ability to make plays with the ball after the catch and his ability to get in and out of his breaks with quickness and speed. He’ll be a slot weapon on Saturday who will be a threat with every touch.

Takkarist McKinley, DE, Kennedy (Cal commit) – One of the bigger sleepers in California, McKinley committed to Cal without much fanfare but he could be a quiet gem. He has elite track speed and he’s shown some good instincts at defensive end this week. His pursuit to the football has been tops on either squad.

Kevin Palma, LB, Mission Oak (Stanford commit) – Once again a new arrival immediately found his way onto the list in Palma. Initially Palma stands out due to his big frame at linebacker but quickly he jumps off the field due to his speed to the football. He closes ground very quickly and he demonstrated some instincts in the ability to find the football in his drops and understand where he is on the football field.

Jordan Villamin, WR, Etiwanda (Oregon State commit) – Good luck finding a wide receiver prospect with a more imposing frame than Villamin. The 6-5, 215-pounder looks like he could bulk up to a tight end easily but on Thursday his fluidity in and out of routes and his glide up the field were impressive for a player of this size.

Recruiting notes

- Deonte Reynolds was one of the top performers on Wednesday and he had another good day on Thursday. Currently the big defensive tackle has a handful of offers but he may end the process on an official visit in January to Washington. The Huskies are on top of his list and a decision could be coming once he gets on campus.

- Though he’s committed to Oregon State, Villamin does hope to take an official visit to Fresno State in January just to get a look at another program. The big-bodied target remains firm to Oregon State.

- Washington will get an official visit from it’s cornerback commit Kevin King in January on the 18th but King does have a couple other programs that he’s considering taking in, namely Washington State and Arizona State.

- Three-star dual-threat quarterback Khari McGee is narrowing in on a decision but has some visits that he wants to take before locking things down. Already McGee has taken an official visit to Oregon State but he hopes to add visits to Arizona, Utah and Washington State in January before making a decision. McGee says that those are his four finalists and that education is the most important factor. He wants to study computer engineering and communications.

- Utah commit Marcellus Pippins also plans on taking some official visits along with his committed program. Washington State – a popular name amongst the Cal-State participants – and Boise State are the two schools that Pippens hopes to see in person before National Signing Day but he insists that he remains solid to the Utes.

- Linebacker Beau Hershberger has five schools that he is keeping in mind as he inches towards a decision but he wants to visit all five before finalizing anything. Those five consist of Nevada, Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force and Navy.