CANTON, Ohio – The Under Armour regional was held in Canton last weekend on the campus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rivals.com Midwest analyst Greg Smith highlights the programs that should be pleased by what was seen and said at the camp.
MORE FROM CANTON: Top performers | Rumor mill churns as prospects descend on Buckeye State
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LOUISVILLE
There is good news and bad news for Louisville being on this list. The good news is that the program did a great job identifying offensive lineman Jake Cook. He was one of the top performers at camp and has done good work to improve his game.
The bad news is that it’s no longer under wraps just how good Cook is. He was dominant in one-on-ones during the camp. Other programs are going to notice and come at Cook hard. Could that include the in-state Buckeyes? We’ll see about that. But no matter how it goes, Louisville will hope the early relationship pays off.
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NOTRE DAME
The Irish have commitments from a pair of the highest-ranked players that attended the camp and both play in the trenches.
Four-star defensive end Christopher Burgess impressed with his competitiveness during the camp. He lined up inside several times even though its not his true position and held his own. I also noticed that he was the most vocal leader out there hyping other players up.
Four-star offensive lineman Owen Strebig is one of the most physically impressive prospects I’ve seen all offseason. He’s a towering 6-foot-8, 295 pounds and he moves around better than you’d expect at that size. Strebig will continue working on firing off the ball and the speed of elite pass rushers. But there is a lot to like about the future Irish player.
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OHIO STATE
With the camp being in Ohio it was a safe bet that the Buckeyes would be on this list. They made it for a couple reasons. First they have a commitment from 2025 inside linebacker Eli Lee. The Akron (Ohio) Hoban standout has steadily improved his game. He’s good in coverage and has bulked up to make an impact in the run game.
Ohio State is are also the front-runner for 2025 four-star outside linebacker Justin Hill. He’ll take official visits to Ohio State, USC, Oregon and Alabama but in the end I see the Buckeyes winning out for the dynamic defensive weapon.
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VANDERBILT
Illinois quarterback Jack Elliott was named one of the camp’s top quarterbacks on Sunday. The signal-caller threw the ball with good accuracy and anticipation all camp.
He’s been on my radar for a while now and Vanderbilt may have gotten a steal here. Elliott doesn’t blow you away with measurables but all he does is win and perform well.
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WISCONSIN
If there was a prospect who looked and acted the part of a future star at the camp it’s Wisconsin defensive back commit Jaimier Scott. The Ohio native has an impressive wingspan to go along with loose hips. Scott displayed good coverage skills during the one-on-one portion of the camp. He even sought out some of the camp’s best receivers to test their skills against his own.
