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2020 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in the Camping World Kickoff

Christian Page
08/23/2019
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The college football season begins with a bang as two out-of-conference rivals battle it out in Week 1 (Week 0?) of the 2019 college football season. Brimming with next-level talent, Florida and Miami square off in the third edition of the Camping World Kickoff game with state bragging rights on the line.

Dan Mullen enters his second year as the Gators’ head man and, like many of his teams at Mississippi State, Florida is littered with talented individuals, especially on defense. Miami’s Manny Diaz enters his first season as a head coach after serving as a defensive coordinator for the past 13 years with numerous programs. Playmakers at receiver and across the defensive line should help smooth some of the kinks that come when taking over a program.

The euphoric feeling when the lights come on Saturday night puts you in awe; the season has officially begun. Though the excitement of a new season will dominate the feeling, for me, the studying begins for prospects bound for the 2020 NFL Draft. The Camping World Kickoff play host to many of them.

No. 8 Florida


#1 CJ Henderson – CB (6-1, 202, Jr.)

Perceived as the highest-rated player in the game, Henderson’s long build and consistent play describe the traits of a Round 1 corner. Henderson’s loose lower half gives him the advantage against any matchup with smooth transitions and acceptable short-area quickness.

The junior’s body control to stay balanced and square during routes is his best asset. Despite playing with a physical demeanor, Henderson will occasionally get stuck in the mud at either the line of scrimmage or when pursuing the ball carrier with a blocker present.

2018 stats: 38 tackles (five for loss), seven pass breakups, three sacks, two interceptions.

 

#2 Lamical Perine – RB (5-10, 216, Sr.)

One of the toughest runners in the land, Perine does not go down easily. Gaining most of his yards after contact, Perine’s physical running style creates for plenty of chunk plays (6.16 yards per carry in 2018), taking pressure off the inconsistent Feleipe Franks at quarterback. Despite his hard-nosed running style, Perine is a patient runner that has a good sense of following the integrity of the play. Though he’s not a burner, he shows solid acceleration to hit the breach of the defense and explode up the field. The biggest asset lacking in Perine’s repertoire is being a participant in the receiving game.

2018 stats: 134 attempts, 826 yards, seven touchdowns; 13 receptions, 170 yards, one touchdown.

 

#55 Kyree Campbell – NT (6-3, 304, Jr.)

Anchoring the center of the defensive line, Campbell is a point-of-attack demon. Working consistently into the chest of his matchup, Campbell accentuates his attractive size with loads of power throughout his frame. As most nose guards are presumed to have limited range, Campbell embraces his short-area quickness to not only be a gap filler, but also to get a hand on the ball carrier himself. Still working his way toward becoming a three-down player, Campbell is a work in progress against the pass but has the traits to be molded into an adequate third-down player down the line.

2018 stats: 37 tackles, 3.5 for loss, two pass breakups, 1.5 sacks.

#92 Jabari Zuniga – DE (6-3, 255, Sr.)

Zuniga sports a wide, NFL-ready frame with an excellent complement of speed and quickness. The senior packs a punch at the point of attack with strong upper limbs to jolt blockers and send them into orbit. He showcases his burly lower half and is able to create a successful bull rush with a consistent leg drive to keep blockers off their base.

Most of his highlight plays stem from being successful with his initial step and then perfecting the conversion of speed into power. Though he’s not a finesse edge presence, Zuniga has the tools to fine tune his pass rushing tool kit to be considered as a back-end first-round player.

2018 stats: 45 tackles, 11 for loss, 6.5 sacks.

Others to keep an eye on: #2 Brad Stewart Jr. – DB (6-0, 200, Jr.); #3 Marco Wilson – CB (6-0, 190, rSoph.); #12 Van Jefferson – WR (6-2, 195, Sr.); #33 David Reese II – LB (6-1, 248, Sr.); #89 Tyrie Cleveland – WR (6-2, 211, Sr.).

Miami


#2 Trajan Bandy – CB (5-9, 190, Jr.)

Bandy epitomizes the necessities to succeed as a cornerback in the league, outside of size. A twitched up and explosive athlete, there is no route Bandy cannot defend. With an agile lower half and nimble and controlled feet, Bandy has excellent mirroring ability while also showcasing smooth transitions down the field. A cool, calm and collected defender in coverage, Bandy rarely falls off track of his matchup and stays sticky with the receiver for the majority of each rep. His ball awareness is impressive, but he doesn’t have the length to disrupt more than half the balls thrown his way. His physical skills are lacking, whether or not that’s his fault, and he can get eaten up in press situations or in physical battles. Matching up against a versatile Florida crew of receivers should provide a good indication of what Bandy is capable of.

2018 stats: 36 tackles, 4.5 for loss, eight pass breakups, three interceptions.

 

#55 Shaquille Quarterman – LB (6-1, 235, Sr.)

Playing with his hair on fire, Quarterman is determined to run through any wall in between him and the ball carrier. His downhill style of play has catered to his gaudy tackle numbers over the past three seasons (249 total tackles). Though he’s still refining how to properly stack and shed, Quarterman does have the consistent ability to elude blockers with speed and short-area quickness. His sideline to sideline speed creates intrigue as an early-down player with the ability to threaten all areas of the field. His instinctual play against the run is evident, as he quickly recognizes the play and acts upon it with consistent tackling and proper angles.

2018 stats: 82 tackles, 14 for loss, six sacks.

 

#94 Trevon Hill – DE (6-5, 287, Sr.)

Hill comes over from Virginia Tech with 16 starts over a 30-game span. With 94 tackles, 20 for loss, and 11.5 sacks, Miami is eager to find out what’s in store for the over-sized defensive end prospect. As his production in Blacksburg proves, Hill is a polished pass rusher who checks the boxes in many areas. The crafty pass rusher showcases impressive first-step quickness then goes to work with flexibility and active hands.

He makes it a job to find any way possible to remain unglued from his matchup with constant upper-body movements and a consistent leg drive. Hill is looking to rejuvenate his career after being dismissed from Virginia Tech’s football program after a meltdown with coaches early in the season, along with some questionable comments on social media.

*2017 stats: 46 tackles, 9.5 for loss, seven hurries, 5.5 sacks.

 

#97 Jonathan Garvin – DE (6-4, 256, Jr.)

Garvin dominated in the trenches last season for the Hurricanes, as he ranked fourth in the ACC and second on the team with 17 tackles for loss. Garvin goes to work with a long first step to make his presence quickly felt in the backfield. The defensive end has the length to consistently keep his chest clean and create an effective push to control blockers in his path. Using his best asset to his strength, even when locked up, Garvin finds ways to get his hands on the ball carrier, showcasing his length and earning his attractive tackles for loss numbers a year ago. Though he has a frame that checks a lot of boxes, Garvin is still an overall work in progress, not able to consistently work the edge and lacking discipline and technique. With two new bodies as the outside protectors for Florida, Garvin could introduce himself to the college football world in the opening game of the season.

2018 stats: 60 tackles, 17 for loss, 5.5 sacks, five pass breakups, fumble recovery (TD). 

Others to keep an eye on: #2 KJ Osborn – WR (6-0, 205, Sr.); #56 Michael Pinckney – LB (6-1, 220, Sr.); #93 Pat Bethel – DE (6-3, 285, Sr.); #4 Jeff Thomas – WR (5-10, 180, Jr.); #13 DeeJay Dallas – WR (5-10, 220, Jr.); #30 Romeo Finley – LB/S (6-1, 215, Sr.).

#GoGators | #ItsAllAboutTheU | #NFLDraft | 2020 NFL Draft | ACC | Camping World Kickoff | CJ Henderson | Dan Mullen | Florida | Jabari Zuniga | Jonathan Garvin | Kyree Campbell | Lamical Perine | Manny Diaz | Miami | NFL Draft | SEC | Shaquille Quarterman | Trajan Handy | Trevon Hill

Christian Page

Christian Page is a scout and writer for Cover1.net. His scouting experience dates back to 2015. Christian has a background of radio along with collegiate athletic department experience and corporate marketing.

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