ESPN College Football Recruiting

Originally Published: June 22, 2009

Onyeali impressive in all areas

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By Greg Biggins
ESPN RISE
Archive

Heading into the final Nike camp of the year in Boulder, Colo., it was expected the quarterbacks would steal the show. The group of signal-callers was definitely the deepest position in the camp, but the best player on the field played on the opposite side of the ball.

Nduka Onyeali (Denver/Mullen) dominated the camp from start to finish and was one of the best defensive linemen we've seen at any Nike camp this year.

At first glance Onyeali doesn't look your prototypical defensive end prospect. In fact, when the Onyeali went through the height/weight line and measured in at 5-foot-11½, 240 pounds, questions arose about whether he really had all the scholarship offers listed on his player card. After watching him work out for about five minutes, though, it was obvious he was deserving and might actually be underrated as a future prospect.

The big question is where Onyeali will play at the next level. He obviously knows how to get to the quarterback and has 28 sacks over the past two seasons, including 19 last season alone. Schools like Colorado, Arizona State, TCU, Kansas State, Tulsa, UNLV, Minnesota, Colorado State and Kansas have all offered scholarships.

Will Onyeali stay at defensive end and develop into a Dwight Freeney-type pass-rusher? Will he gain enough weight to move inside or will he move to linebacker, where he has shown he has more than enough athleticism to handle the position? Only time will tell but Onyeali definitely has a very bright future.

Hinder steps up his game

Quarterback Austin Hinder (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) attended both the Nike camp at Stanford and the Elite 11 regional workout at California and came away shaking his head following both performances. Hinder struggled at both events but had a very strong showing this time around in Boulder.

"This was easily the most relaxed I've been so far at any of the camps," Hinder said following the event. "At Cal, I was gripping the ball way too tight and was just a little nervous. Then at Stanford, I got there late and just never felt comfortable.

"I'm not making excuses, but today I felt good. I'm just really happy to walk away with that MVP and happy all you guys finally got to see the real me out there."

Hinder is great mechanically with a smooth, quick release. He throws a great deep ball and his touch passes are very advanced for this level. He gets nice depth on his drops and threw the skinny post with more zip than we have seen previously.

If there's one area for improvement it is Hinder's accuracy. He'll throw an absolutely beautiful ball on one pass and then bounce the next one. Then another missile and then he sails the next pass. As he continues to improve in this area and works to fill out his 6-5 frame, Hinder has a chance to be a special player at the next level.

Other quarterbacks of note

Joe Boisture (Saline, Mich.) shared QB MVP honors with Hinder and improved on his performance from the Nike camp at Illinois. Boisture is one of the few quarterbacks nationally who can actually look down on Hinder from a size standpoint, and at this camp he had the strongest arm as well.

Boisture was very consistent and can get the ball down the field. He and Hinder were clearly the two best quarterbacks of the day and it was a lot of fun watching the two quarterbacks go throw-for-throw all camp long.

Danny Spond (Littleton, Colo./Columbine) also worked out with the quarterbacks and was one of the most impressive athletes in the camp. Still, it's tough to envision him remaining a quarterback at the next level, especially at a school like Colorado which runs a pro-style offense.

Spond is a bit raw mechanically and although he does have a strong arm, it will take a lot of time and development before he develops the skills to play quarterback at the college level. However, he is a tremendous athlete with a great body and it's easy to see him making an early impact at linebacker in college.

Like Spond, Kain Colter (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) is thought of as more of an athlete but actually had a pretty solid day throwing the football. The Stanford commit may struggle to stay at quarterback in college because of a lack of size, but he throws a nice ball on the short and intermediate routes and has good feet and pocket presence. He does lack major Divison I arm strength but his athleticism should help him transition to another position in college if needed.

The skill positions

The running back and wide receiver positions were both a bit down but did have a few standout performers.

Gage Shaeffer (Eden Prairie, Minn.) was easily the best back on this day. Shaeffer was a 1,000-yard rusher as a junior and it's easy to see why. He showed a nice burst with great moves and made opposing linebackers miss badly in one-on-one drills.

Darrian Miller (Blue Springs, Mo.) is a rising junior and had a great showing as well. The talented back rushed for over 1,500 yards and 21 touchdowns last season and has a chance to develop into one of the top junior backs in the Midlands region next season.

Colorado commit Mister Jones (Littleton, Colo.) definitely passes the eyeball test but looks more like a future receiver than a running back. He has good top-end speed but was a little stiff and didn't show a great initial burst. With that body, though, Jones is definitely someone to watch closely, and he's also a kid who works hard and was very coachable. He's a natural leader and was enthusiastic and positive with his fellow running backs. Whether he stays at running back or moves to another position Jones will be a great teammate and has a chance to develop into a real player.

Making the road trip from the west coast was Lucky Radley (Agoura, Calif.), who was in town for the weekend after camping with Colorado for the Buffs' Friday Night Lights the day before the Nike Camp. Like he did at the Nike Camp at USC, Radley bounced between running back and defensive back but was with the running backs during one-on-ones. Radley is a tremendous athlete and one of the most versatile players in the region. He's a tough, physical player who loves to compete and has the ability to help out a team at a number of positions. His best college position is probably safety but he has the tools to play running back as well.

The trenches

Onyeali wasn't the only talented defensive lineman in the camp, and his teammate Sammy Wood put on quite a show as well.

Wood is an undersized player who looks more like a safety than a defensive lineman, but his pass-rushing skills were off the charts. In fact a Nike DL coach who has been at every Nike camp this year called Wood's ability to figure out what opposing linemen were doing and come up with a counter the best he has seen all spring.

Auston Lablance (Kansas City, Mo./University Academy) was another speed rusher who was tough to block. At 6-3, 215 pounds, Lablance has a nice frame with a nice combination of size, speed and strength. He's quick off the ball and doesn't allow himself to stay blocked.

Lexington Smith (Denver/East) was the top defensive tackle at the camp and has some real upside. He's a powerful kid who got better with coaching. He has a solid frame and a nice motor and is definitely a player with the tools to project as a Division I athlete.

On the offensive side, Spencer Drango (Cedar Park, Texas) took home OL MVP honors and still has two years of high school left. The rising junior should be a national recruit by the time he's a senior and is already holding offers from Stanford, SMU and Baylor. Drango has an ideal frame and already looks like a polished lineman. As he adds more strength, which will come naturally for him, everyone will be hot after him.

Right behind Drango was Austin Scheufele (Lafayette, Colo./Centaurus). The big man was great in the one-on-ones and was the most physical offensive lineman in the camp. He plays with a mean streak and is very strong.

Cassidy Curtis (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) also shined in one-on-ones. Curtis is thin but plays with a great technique and is stronger than he looks. He finishes blocks well and surprised quite a few onlookers when he put multiple defenders on their backs during one-on-ones.

Daugherty impresses

While Randy Mack (Santa Fe, Okla./Edmond) earned LB MVP honors, the best college prospect in the group was Zach Daugherty (Las Cruces, N.M./Onate).

Daugherty flies to the football and was tremendous in pass-rush drills and one-on-one drills against running backs. He has a solid frame, very good speed and is a tough kid. He loves the weight room and has the kind of personality coaches love leading their huddle. San Diego State, New Mexico and New Mexico State have all offered.