Army National Combine Report

SAN ANTONIO, Texas- Many of the top Class of 2014 and 2015 prospects nationally competed at the annual U.S. Army National Combine on Saturday at the Alamodome. 

Here’s a look around the combine and some of the notes and news.

Class of 2015 defensive back Kendall Sheffield is one of the top rising junior prospects in the state of Texas and already has a Baylor offer.

-Class of 2014 four-star quarterback David Cornwell (Jones, Okla.) impressed. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder has a big arm and pro size and made several outstanding throws during the one-on-one portion of the event. Indiana has offered, but Michigan, Alabama and a host of other programs are flirting with him and could offer at any point. Cornwell is the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the 2014 class according to 247Sports.

-Class of 2014 Top247 running back Joe Mixon was probably the most impressive running back overall. The 6-foot-1, 201-pounder posted a 33.5-inch vertical and ran 4.4 pro agility shuttle and could not be covered by any linebacker during one-on-ones. Mixon accelerates well, has quick feet and good vision and also is versatile enough and a good enough football player to make a transition to safety if running back doesn’t work out. Michigan is most recent program to offer and Oregon State, Washington, Colorado, Cal and Arizona State round out his offer list. He recently visited Berkeley and came away impressed with the Golden Bears. Mixon currently is ranked as the No. 20 athlete in the 2014 class by 247Sports.



-Class of 2014 four-star cornerback Jalen Tabor (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate) was, for some analysts, the best overall prospect at the event. Tabor was nearly perfect in one-on-one drills and his size, hips, speed and ball skills to cover nearly any receiver. We also think he could be an elite safety prospect and several college staffs feel like that could be his best long-term position. Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame and Alabama are all in good shape. Watch out for the Seminoles long term with Sal Sunseri on the staff there now. Tabor is the No. 3 cornerback prospect in the 2014 class according to 247Sports



-Class of 2014 Top247 defensive end Solomon Thomas (Coppell, Texas) was outstanding during one-on-ones as most of the offensive linemen he faced struggled to stop the four-star pass rusher. Thomas is quick off the ball and has good size and athleticism. Texas, Stanford, Texas A&M and UCLA are his early offers. The Longhorns are considered by many to be the team to beat, but watch out for the Cardinal and other potential suitors. Alabama recently showed interest. Thomas currently is rated as the nation’s No. 3 strongside defensive end in the 2014 class by 247Sports.

-Class of 2014 athlete Isaiah Brandt-Sims (Wenatchee, Wash.) is one of the fastest prospects on the West Coast for the ’14 recruiting cycle and it showed Saturday. Working out as a running back, he was able to easily get separation from the linebackers that attempted to cover him during one-on-ones and he has more bulk/strength than one would think. Stanford is the early leader. Brandt-Sims is the No. 26 athlete in the 2014 class according to 247Sports.



-Class of 2014 wide receiver Jimmy Bayes (Immokalee, Fla.) was easy to pick out in the red visor he was wearing and then it wasn’t hard to continue to watch him with the plays he made. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder was one of the toughest covers. He’s a smooth route runner that gets open a variety of ways. It’s easy to see why Florida Atlantic, Missouri, Rutgers and Vanderbilt with Auburn and Florida showing personal interest.

-Class of 2014 offensive tackle Jackson Barton is a Utah commit that has a big frame, solid feet and good strength/punch. Barton is the No. 32 offensive tackle prospect in 2014 according to 247Sports.

-Class of 2014 offensive tackle Michael Grimm (Bethel Park, Pa.) was perhaps the top offensive line prospect at the event. Grimm is a wide-bodied tackle that plays with a nasty streak. He probably will end up being a right tackle or sliding inside, but he’s extremely productive. Pitt is his only offer, but Penn State, Maryland and a host of other programs are showing heavy attention. Currently, Grimm is the No. 31 offensive tackle prospect in the 2014 class according to 247Sports.

-There’s no question that Class of 2014 running back D.K. Buford (Lafayette, Miss.) is one of the fastest backs in the forthcoming cycle, so it wasn’t a surprise that he used his speed to punish slower linebackers that could not stick with him during one-on-ones. Buford also ran a sub-4.6 second 40-yard dash on the slow track at the Alamodome. He’s been hand-timed at sub-4.4 before. Just days before this combine, Buford told Rebels247 that Ole Miss was his leader. Buford is the No. 2 all-purpose back in the 2014 class according to 247Sports.

-Class of 2015 running back Damien Harris (Berea, Ky./Madison Southern) was one of the top overall prospects at the event. The 5-foot-9.5, 197 pound (official) Harris claimed a 4.5-second electronic 40-yard dash time and was impressive in one-on-ones, catching everything that was thrown close to him. He also beat several Division I-bound linebackers in the drills. Michigan tops his list early, but Ohio State has surged lately. Harris, who rushed for 1,778 yards on just 144 carries with a state-best 35 touchdowns as a sophomore, also has designs on a February visit to Alabama for a Junior Day.

-Another Class of 2015 stud, wide receiver Jaason Lewis (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) has been a talked about player in the Tidewater (757) area of Virginia for several years and was impressive Saturday. Lewis measured in at 6-foot-2.5, 228 pounds and was outstanding in one-on-ones as he was the only receiver to beat Tabor. Lewis holds offers from North Carolina, North Carolina State, Old Dominion, Virginia and Virginia Tech. He says the Tar Heels have impressed him the most early.



-Class of 2015 cornerback Kendall Sheffield (Missouri City, Texas, Marshall) will be one of the top prospects in the Lone Star State for the ’15 cycle. The 6-foot-0.5, 175-pounder is cat-quick with excellent size and already holds an offer from Baylor. He enjoyed an impressive all-around day during all drills. Texas and Texas A&M also are showing early attention.

-Class of 2015 cornerback John Reid (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph’s) is an in-your-pocket cover cornerback that only gave up one completion during the one-on-ones and that came on a dig route. Reid measured in at 5-foot-10, 172 pounds and has offers from Boston College, Colorado, Central Florida, Rutgers and Maryland. Early on, Reid likes Notre Dame, Ohio State and most of the Southeastern Conference programs.

-Class of 2015 quarterback Nick Andreas (Danvers, Mass.) has a big arm and threw several outstanding passes during one-on-ones. Because he still has two more seasons of high school football and already has a quick release, plus arm and can run a little bit (we see that on film), Andreas should emerge as a legitimate BCS-level prospect out of the state in the coming years. 



-Class of 2015 quarterback Kevin Johnson (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) was one of the better passers during the event and the talented athlete, who already holds offers from Illinois and South Carolina (where his father played offensive line), had nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards last season. The Fighting Illini are recruiting Johnson as a defensive back.

Tidbits

Class of 2014 running back/athlete Devante Downs worked out as a running back and impressively moved for his size. Arizona State and Colorado State are his two current offers. ...Class of 2014 running back Malik Crossdale (Bronx, N.Y./Fordham Prep) had some nice moments in one-on-ones. The track standout from New York City has good speed and ball skills. ... Four-star wide receiver Josh Malone (Gallatin, Tenn./Station Camp) ran a blistering 4.1-second pro agility shuttle and a 4.6 in the 40 even though he slipped. He had several good plays during the one-on-one portion of the event and continues to be heavily recruited as Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt are the current four programs standing out. ...Class of 2014 offensive guard D.J. Foster (Lincoln, Neb./Southeast) had some good moments during one-on-ones and has good strength and feet. He is the http://247sports.com/Season/2014-Football/RecruitRankings?Position=OG&InstitutionGroup=HighSchool No. 24 offensive guard prospect in the 2014 class according to 247Sports. ...2014 linebacker Chris Frey (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) had an excellent day in coverage. Syracuse has offered and Virginia Tech is showing interest. ...Class of 2016 receiver Cameron Chambers (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph’s) is a 6-foot-2 pass catcher with good skills- one to keep an eye on. Penn State and Temple are showing early interest ...Class of 2014 defensive end Kentavius Street (Greenville, N.C./Rose) impressed physically. He’s impressive on film and showed good athleticism during the drills. He has offers from Virginia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina State, East Carolina and Duke ...2016 Defensive lineman Rashuan Smith (Towson, Md./Calvert Hall) had some nice moments during one-on-ones. ...Another Calver Hall prospect, Class of 2015 receiver Lawrence Cager is a legitimate 6-foot-4 and has the skills to go up and get it. ...A third prospect from Calvert Hall, safety Juantez McRae, has big-time potential, too. ...Cornerback Donovan Clark (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northside) was one of the more physically-impressive cornerback prospects in San Antonio. ...Class of 2015 cornerback Marvell Tell (Encino, Calif./Crespi) is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound rangy corner who had an interception during one-on-ones. He’s already hearing from most of the Pac-12. ...Class of 2014 linebacker D’Marcus Moon (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northside) had a record 33 reps of 185 pounds on the bench press and moved well laterally for a 6-foot-1, 225-pounder. ...Four-star linebacker Dillon Bates (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) looked athletic and like the prospect we think he is. He wasn’t perfect in coverage, but that’s too be expected. Tennessee (legacy), Michigan, Ohio State, Florida and others are in the mix. ...Class of 2015 offensive lineman Tristian Hoge (Pocatello, Idaho/Highland) moves well and has a good frame. Boise State and Utah already have offered. ...Two prospects not mentioned in this report but who were at the event and who are clearly elite are Top247 cornerback Adoree Jackson and Top247 safety Trey Marshall (Lake City, Fla./Columbia).

Steve Wiltfong, Jason Sapp, Charles Power and Brian Perroni contributed to this report.