Alabama Crimson Tide

The RN Top 10 will appear throughout the camp and combine season and rank prospects based strictly on their on-field performance at that particular event. It does not reflect their overall prospect ranking.

ASHBURN, Va. – The East Coast and mid-Atlantic states represented well on Sunday as eight players earned invites to The Opening at the Nike Football Training Camp outside of Washington, D.C. Defense ruled the day, led by two five-star prospects from Virginia.

10. Nick Scott
Fairfax (Va.) Fairfax |RB| 5-11, 180

Scott stood out among a field of backs who were overshadowed by the prospects at nearly every other position. He earned the attention of coaches for his strong play and versatility but missed the MVP award, which went to Vincent Lowe (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield), who also posted the top SPARQ score.

Scott committed to Penn State in February over an offer from Boston College.

ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert’s take: “He’s got a great frame, and what I like about him as a Penn State verbal, he’s a versatile player. He may not run by you, but he does a good job in route-running.”

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Following two days of visits to Alabama and Tennessee, quarterback Chandler Kincade (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) added a few physical and mental exercises he can take back to Western Pennsylvania with him.

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In what is now widely considered to be the fourth-best state as far as FBS football talent is concerned, the 2013 class in Georgia could be the deepest group of talent to come out of the Peach State. More than 200 prospects are claiming offers at the moment, which would easily surpass the 170-180 FBS signees the state has averaged over the last three years. In this feature, RecruitingNation takes a look at the top five remaining uncommitted prospects in Georgia.

Montravius Adams, DL, Vienna (Ga.) Dooly County, 6-foot-3, 300 pounds
No. 3 prospect in Georgia
Front-runner: Auburn

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Although he is trying his best to focus on his final high school football season, ESPN 150 athlete Greg Taboada (Atlanta/Marist) admits his recruitment is lingering in the back of his mind. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior, who plays tight end and defensive end, had just spoken to several coaches from a program making a big push for his commitment.

“I was one the phone with the Vanderbilt offensive staff 30 minutes ago,” Taboada said. “In the past month they have made me feel really important to their class. They need a tight end to spread the field and they seem really excited about the possibility of adding me to the great group of talent they have already committed this year. They are going in the right direction, and they just need to continue to add the kind of depth they have lacked before. I think they will get to that point in the next year or two.”

The Commodores have made Taboada, the No. 110 prospect in the country, a priority, and that has them in a position rarely seen in recruiting: running neck and neck with the defending BCS champions.

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Defensive back Quin Blanding (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) was one of only two 2014 prospects to compete at the Champion Gridiron Kings this weekend at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports, but the talented safety more than held his own.

The 6-foot-2, 196-pound athlete said he just wanted to prove he belonged at such a prestigous event.

"I feel like I did great," Blanding said. "I'm just having fun and just contributing with my team and just helping them out. Being a big safety and an underclassman, I just want to show that I can play with them too."

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The University of Alabama already has commitments from O.J. Howard and Josh McNeil, two of the top five tight ends in the country, but that hasn’t stopped the Crimson Tide from going after one more in this class.

On Monday, ESPN 150 tight end Greg Taboada visited Tuscaloosa for the second time this summer. He toured the campus, talked with people in the business department and met with the coaching staff.

“Coach [Chris] Rumph is my main recruiter, and after the first time I was there, he had been getting on me to just come back one more time, so he could set up the whole tour,” Taboada said. “They just wanted me to come back one more time and get a better idea of what they’re about and all that.”

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When Da’Shawn Hand, arguably the nation’s No. 1 player for 2014, arrived at the University of Alabama for the first time, he was surprised with how the hot the weather is in Tuscaloosa.

However, the heat didn’t prevent Hand from enjoying himself on the visit. The Woodbridge, Va., native was in town from Friday to Wednesday and got the chance to see pretty much everything the Crimson Tide have to offer.

“I saw everything,” Hand said. “The locker rooms, the weight room, the sports complex, the basketball courts, the academic building, the dorms, and the Bear Bryant museum, that was really cool and interesting.

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- When it comes to speed and quickness with the basketball, you have to put ESPN 100 point guards Anthony Barber (Hampton, Va./Hampton) and Seton Hall commit Aquille Carr (Baltimore/Patterson) at the top of the list.

Both have been relentless putting pressure on defenses at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. Both push the ball at high speeds and are threats to take it coast to coast and finish with flair. They get into the paint at will, can score with floaters, use their court vision to deliver an assist or knock down 3s with time and space.

"I am a scoring point guard that can also get my teammates involved," said Barber, who is being pursued by Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Memphis, Louisville and reportedly has an upcoming unofficial visit to Alabama. "I have to be more vocal and lead but I am getting better at it."

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- While defensive end Carl Lawson (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton) left little doubt Sunday at the Nike Football Training Camp that he was among the elite prospects in the country, he was not the only participant to have an outstanding performance. Throughout the day, linebacker Larenz Bryant (Charlotte, N.C./Vance) led his group from drill to drill, dominated the 1-on-1’s, and showcased the athleticism needed to excel at the next level en route to earning linebacker MVP honors and a trip to The Opening, a four-day competition at Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.

College coaches are well aware of the 6-foot-2, 210-pound prospect, as 21 schools have offered Bryant so far. After last weekend's competition, Bryant said five schools stood out for him because of location, defensive coaching staff, and having a solid program in the his desired major, communications.

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Jaren Sina still has one more year left in high school, but the junior point guard is enjoying a magical season this year for Gill St. Bernard’s, and the team hopes to finish it off on Saturday in the New Jersey state championship game.

On Tuesday, Sina finished with 21 points and 10 assists to lead the Knights to a 71-70 overtime win over Trenton Catholic. Sina hit a clutch 3-point shot late in the fourth quarter to give his team their first lead.

“It’s been a great season for me and especially the team,” Sina said. “I think I’m having a great year. I’m up for all-state and player of the year in the state. Hopefully, we can continue this run, try to win that state championship and keep working hard for the rest of the week.”

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