ESPN Recruiting Nation Football

Editor's note: Finding the Future is a RecruitingNation feature that will appear throughout camps and combine season, ranking prospects strictly on their on-field performance at the particular event. It does not reflect where each will land when the class is ranked by ESPN.

LOS ANGELES -- The Nike Football Training Camp circuit kicked off Sunday with a stellar group of prospects converging at Redondo Union High School for the opportunity to earn a coveted invite to The Opening this summer. And while the spotlight shined on several highly regarded Class of 2014 athletes, there were glimpses of what looks to be a strong 2015 group on the West Coast.

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Before this past weekend, Harris Ross (Pittsburg, Calif./Pittsburg) had never participated in a 7-on-7 tournament or toured a college campus. But the 5-foot-11, 195-pound tailback crossed both items off his list with a trip to Las Vegas, for the NLA 7-on-7 tournament.

Ross not only took part, he helped his AIGA team to the title, as he caught a number of passes out of the backfield and picked up yards on the ground.

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JaJuan Lawson (Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grande) knows he isn't the kind of recruit who makes a statement just by walking onto a campus and standing in front of a coach. The 6-foot, 176-pound quarterback understands it is going to take terrific performances at spring and summer camps in order to convince college coaches to go all in on a smaller quarterback. And that's just fine with him.

"A lot of teams are worried about my height and I get that," Lawson said. "Everyone is looking for that pro-style guy, but I have to show them I can sling the rock. They want to know if I can throw the ball at a Division-I level, and I feel I'm capable of that."

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Senior ball-carrier Michael Adkins (La Mesa, Calif./Helix) committed Friday to play in the Pac-12 for Colorado, according to multiple sources.

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Grant High School (Sacramento, Calif.) safety Trayvon Henderson committed Thursday to play for head coach Norm Chow and the Warriors, multiple sources report.

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The 2012 football season didn't have the ending that La Porte (Texas) High School running back Keith Whitely envisioned.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound 2013 running back didn't get to see an ounce of the Texas state high school playoffs because of a season-ending knee injury suffered in his team's regular season finale.

But on Sunday, the recovering back put a positive end to his recruitment.

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One week after the Las Vegas Sun published a report about UNLV's proposed plan to build a 60,000-seat stadium, complete with six VIP suites and video screen that stretches 100 yards, the Rebels coaches might have found two players who will be starring for the offense when when the stadium is complete.

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Three-star quarterback Connor Feist (Houston/Langham Creek) might be close to a commitment, particularly after a productive weekend in Las Vegas -- his first time in the city.

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Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, Calif.) defensive end Pingi Moli has signed with UNLV, becoming the fifth 2013 mid-year addition for the Rebels, according to a release issued by the school's official website.

"Having Pingi here for the spring will be a great help," head coach Bobby Hauck said. "We expect him to immediately add experience and maturity to our defensive line. Last year, we lost three of our top five defensive linemen before the season began so we're going to ensure that doesn't happen again."

This fall, the 6-foot-3, 260-pound Moli recorded 22 tackles, three sacks, and 1 fumble recovery this past season.

Moli joins fellow Mt. San Antonio defensive lineman Asten Koki, who signed with UNLV in December.

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Defensive back Damon Collins (Pleasant Hill, Calif./Diablo Valley College) has committed to UNLV, multiple sources report.

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Senior running back Karris Johnson (Ran Ramon, Calif./California) has committed to play in the Western Athletic Conference for Utah State, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

"As long as (new) coach (Matt) Wells is there, I think it's going to be a good place for me," he said. "I thought Utah State was the best school that had offered, and I'm excited."

Johnson, a 5-foot-11, 198-pound prospect, selected the Aggies over scholarship offers from Cal Poly, Colorado State, Idaho and UNLV.

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PETALUMA, Calif. -- JaJuan Lawson has always been a good athlete.

But he didn’t grow up playing quarterback. When he was a freshman he could throw a well-placed ball, but he didn’t know much about playing the position.

Now, after finishing his junior season, the 6-foot, 176-pound standout has molded himself into a Division I prospect.

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ESPN junior college 100 defensive end Kewan Alfred (Athens, Texas/Trinity Valley Community College) was fortunate to take four very productive official visits. Turns out the last visit also proved to be the most persuasive.

Alfred verbally committed to Memphis Tuesday and became one of the Tigers’ top recruits of the 2013 class. Ranked No. 93 in the ESPN JC 100, he is commitment No. 15 for the Tigers, and he will join Trinity Valley teammate Adrian Henderson, a receiver.

Wednesday is the first day all mid-year juco transfers can sign a national letter of intent. A 6-foot-3, 250-pound end, Alfred is expected to sign at Central High School, his old high school in Beaumont, Texas.

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An impressive season on the field continues to pay off on the recruiting trail for Fresno State, as the Bulldogs earned a commitment from in-state defensive end Nathan Madsen (Eureka, Calif./Eureka).

The 6-foot-4, 262-pound lineman committed to Fresno State after taking his official visit there this past weekend. He selected the Bulldogs over offers from Air Force, New Mexico, Northern Colorado, UC Davis and UNLV.

"I chose that school because of the great coaching staff," Madsen said. "Both the staff and players get along great, the campus is nice and they have great facilities that are being built. It made me feel at home."

Madsen adds to a terrific defensive haul this week for the Bulldogs. He joins defensive tackle Ioane Sagapolu (Fresno, Calif./Fresno City College), safety Donnell Vercher (Fresno, Calif./Fresno City College) and inside linebacker Jeff Camilli (Shingle Spring, Calif./Ponderosa) as defensive players added to Fresno State's 2013 recruiting class since Monday. The Bulldogs now holds commitments from 10 players in this class.

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