There's a huge 7-on-7 tournament being held in Las Vegas this weekend, and several Stanford targets are participating. (It's actually run by the organization Brandon Simmons' father co-founded.)
-I posted the story from recruiting notebook from the event:
"Four-star quarterback USC visor, said that he is nearly ready to make his decision and it could come within the week.
The Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Santa Margarita Catholic standout, who looked incredible on his loaded Body By Tra team, has basically narrowed his list to USC and Stanford - he said it now appears unlikely he will take a last-minute visit to Michigan. Costello has been complimentary of his two finalists for months - and generally torn between the two - but it looks like a commitment could be days away."
Also of note: Rivals named K.J. the No. 1 offensive player among the hundreds of top prospects in attendance - Jacon Eason was No. 2 on their list.
"The gusty conditions at Heritage Park had no effect on the strong-armed Costello, who dazzled by hitting receivers in stride. He was on point throughout the afternoon and was superb on deep throws, showing a great connection with his deep stable of receivers. Costello looked off safeties well and attacked the middle of the field with confidence."
-Another player of note from the Pylon tournament who has not yet been discussed here (and does not currently hold a Stanford offer) is Mater Dei HS linebacker/ATH Curtis Robinson. Robinson has been one of the top few guys at all of the camps/7-on's he's attended this winter/spring, and he's really kind of blowing up as a recruit. His offer list is pretty terrific for March 1, or any time, for that matter. UCLA (his mother's alma mater - she also teaches there) recently offered and is considered the team to beat. But Stanford would be a serious threat if they offered. Robinson is a good student and the Cardinal is interested, though things obviously haven't progressed all that far quite yet. So we'll see what happens. He's a guy I plan to call sometime in the next week or two.
Here's the blurb on Robinson from the recruiting notebook:
"Ohio State is starting to push much harder for four-star linebacker Curtis Robinson and the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout said he's definitely noticing the increased attention from the Buckeyes.
UCLA, Washington and USC are also pushing Robinson the hardest but he's not rushing a list of favorites at this point. The Bruins seem to have an edge in his recruitment but watch out for Stanford. If the Cardinal offer then Robinson's recruitment could get even more interesting."
And here's the review of Robinson's performance from today. He was ranked as the No. 4 defensive player in attendance.
"Robinson is another outstanding prospect who shined especially at wide receiver/tight end during the day but made his presence known on defense as well. Maybe more than any linebacker in the state, Robinson is outstanding in pass coverage and he almost plays like a big safety, he's so smooth and athletic. The four-star is really intelligent, too, so he knows where plays are headed, he gets there and Robinson is always around to make the play."
-Five-star Stanford LB target Caleb Kelly also had a nice showing at Pylon. He checked in at No. 3 among the defensive performers. Here's Rivals' evaluation:
"Kelly looked great and he's gotten even bigger and more physical backing up his ranking as the top-rated prospect in the state of California. Kelly is so physical at the line of scrimmage so slot receivers have a tough time getting into their routes. Once they do, the five-star is stride for stride on nearly every route and then he's athletic and he has great length that he always makes completions tough. For a guy with his size to cover that well is impressive."
-WR Dylan Crawford (Costello's HS) teammate had a nice day, ranking No. 6 among offensive players. Here's the evaluation.
"If not for Vaughns, the rangy Crawford would have been the star of his team's receiving corps. Crawford got open with ease and was a reliable target for Costello down field. He didn't lack in the effort department, either; Crawford made a diving snag for a touchdown with his team up big."
And here's the blurb on Crawford from the recruiting notebook.
"Dylan Crawford has already landed a bunch of outstanding offers but there is one he is missing and really wants. The Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Santa Margarita Catholic four-star receiver said he's been talking to Oregon and is just waiting now for the Ducks to offer.
If that happens, Crawford said he would be highly interested because he absolutely loves the offense and feels he would fit in well. He's another Body By Tra receiver who wants to play with Costello in college - thus helping USC or Stanford once Costello commits - but Crawford said he's also going to do what's best for him in the long run."
-I posted the story from recruiting notebook from the event:
"Four-star quarterback USC visor, said that he is nearly ready to make his decision and it could come within the week.
The Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Santa Margarita Catholic standout, who looked incredible on his loaded Body By Tra team, has basically narrowed his list to USC and Stanford - he said it now appears unlikely he will take a last-minute visit to Michigan. Costello has been complimentary of his two finalists for months - and generally torn between the two - but it looks like a commitment could be days away."
Also of note: Rivals named K.J. the No. 1 offensive player among the hundreds of top prospects in attendance - Jacon Eason was No. 2 on their list.
"The gusty conditions at Heritage Park had no effect on the strong-armed Costello, who dazzled by hitting receivers in stride. He was on point throughout the afternoon and was superb on deep throws, showing a great connection with his deep stable of receivers. Costello looked off safeties well and attacked the middle of the field with confidence."
-Another player of note from the Pylon tournament who has not yet been discussed here (and does not currently hold a Stanford offer) is Mater Dei HS linebacker/ATH Curtis Robinson. Robinson has been one of the top few guys at all of the camps/7-on's he's attended this winter/spring, and he's really kind of blowing up as a recruit. His offer list is pretty terrific for March 1, or any time, for that matter. UCLA (his mother's alma mater - she also teaches there) recently offered and is considered the team to beat. But Stanford would be a serious threat if they offered. Robinson is a good student and the Cardinal is interested, though things obviously haven't progressed all that far quite yet. So we'll see what happens. He's a guy I plan to call sometime in the next week or two.
Here's the blurb on Robinson from the recruiting notebook:
"Ohio State is starting to push much harder for four-star linebacker Curtis Robinson and the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout said he's definitely noticing the increased attention from the Buckeyes.
UCLA, Washington and USC are also pushing Robinson the hardest but he's not rushing a list of favorites at this point. The Bruins seem to have an edge in his recruitment but watch out for Stanford. If the Cardinal offer then Robinson's recruitment could get even more interesting."
And here's the review of Robinson's performance from today. He was ranked as the No. 4 defensive player in attendance.
"Robinson is another outstanding prospect who shined especially at wide receiver/tight end during the day but made his presence known on defense as well. Maybe more than any linebacker in the state, Robinson is outstanding in pass coverage and he almost plays like a big safety, he's so smooth and athletic. The four-star is really intelligent, too, so he knows where plays are headed, he gets there and Robinson is always around to make the play."
-Five-star Stanford LB target Caleb Kelly also had a nice showing at Pylon. He checked in at No. 3 among the defensive performers. Here's Rivals' evaluation:
"Kelly looked great and he's gotten even bigger and more physical backing up his ranking as the top-rated prospect in the state of California. Kelly is so physical at the line of scrimmage so slot receivers have a tough time getting into their routes. Once they do, the five-star is stride for stride on nearly every route and then he's athletic and he has great length that he always makes completions tough. For a guy with his size to cover that well is impressive."
-WR Dylan Crawford (Costello's HS) teammate had a nice day, ranking No. 6 among offensive players. Here's the evaluation.
"If not for Vaughns, the rangy Crawford would have been the star of his team's receiving corps. Crawford got open with ease and was a reliable target for Costello down field. He didn't lack in the effort department, either; Crawford made a diving snag for a touchdown with his team up big."
And here's the blurb on Crawford from the recruiting notebook.
"Dylan Crawford has already landed a bunch of outstanding offers but there is one he is missing and really wants. The Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Santa Margarita Catholic four-star receiver said he's been talking to Oregon and is just waiting now for the Ducks to offer.
If that happens, Crawford said he would be highly interested because he absolutely loves the offense and feels he would fit in well. He's another Body By Tra receiver who wants to play with Costello in college - thus helping USC or Stanford once Costello commits - but Crawford said he's also going to do what's best for him in the long run."
