Several emerge from NPA once again

NASHVILLE -- Once again the National Playmakers Academy Camp at Tennessee State University was a spot where several lesser-known and even unknown athletes showed out.

Last year Joejuan Williams stole the show as a rising junior and has emerged as one of the top prospects in Tennessee in the class of 2016.

Two years ago Jack Jones, Kyle Phillips and Dylan Jackson all showed out at the event as rising juniors and all ended up being highly decorated and highly recruited linemen from the state of Tennessee.

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Even though it's been seen as a camp where underclassmen have blown up there were several rising seniors from around the state that turned heads.

The first head turner is Muri Mustapha, a Nigerian transplant that played in four football games last fall at Arlington Day School in Jacksonville, Fla. He originally came to the states as a basketball player but at 6-foot-6, 215-pounds, some saw potential on the gridiron. While he's extremely raw and learning the most basic elements of the game, he has become a tireless worker and wants to succeed.

He is being homeschooled right now in the Nashville area and will likely land at a Midstate school next fall and he seems like a guy that could use a prep school year or junior college season to really reach his full potential because there is a lot there.

Another Midstate standout in the class of 2016 was Hillsboro High School wide receiver Jay King. AT 6-2, 180, King finished his junior season with 47 catches for 678 yards with nine touchdowns and helped Hillsboro into the state championship game.

King was tough to check for anyone on the day as he used his height and length to highpoint the ball and he clocked a 40-yard dash time in under 4.6 seconds so there seems to be speed there as well.

He's not totally unknown as both Western Kentucky and Purdue say they are close to pulling the trigger.

Several East Tennessee standouts also turned heads on Sunday as Jefferson County athlete Gorel Soumare continues to be an intriguing prospect. At 6-3, 195-pounds, Soumare has the look of a big-time athlete but he's still refining his game.

He's garnered interest from several schools, including Tennessee, and plans to camp in Knoxville this summer.

Devin Harper of Karns High School in Knoxville is used in a variety of ways for the Beavers but he stood out as a wide receiver on Sunday. A bigger receiver, 6-1, 205, Harper turned in one of the fastest 40s of the day and also was tough to contain in one-on-ones. He has an offer from Chattanooga but look for more schools to jump in once he hits the camp circuit this summer.

In 2017, Alec Long out of Liberty Tech in Jackson really turned heads with his play at corner. He's a bigger, stronger corner and receivers had trouble with his physicality most of the day. He's a guy that looked like he could really emerge from the camp as a big target this summer.

Quarterback Ben Brooks out of Pope John Paul II had a strong camp and despite being undersized, 5-11, 165-pounds, he throws one of the best balls in the state and receivers continually looked for him to make sure they were on the receiving end of his passes. Wake Forest and several schools have been talking to him and he plans on camping at numerous stops this summer.

Blackman's Joseph Sewell had probably the top two or three best catches of the day and while he's not exactly a burner, linebackers at trouble keeping him from getting open and making plays all day. He made several one-handed grabs and there seemed to be nothing opposing linebackers could do besides hope the quarterback threw a bad ball. At 6-2, 260, he has good size, but could probably get faster in hopes of playing at the next level.

East Nashville's Demarquez Trotter had a nice day as well and turned in some extremely fast 40-yard dash times and with good size as a corner he's someone that should receive offers over the next few years.

Finally, the class of 2018 even had a few players turn some heads.

Safety Cory Trice from Hopkinsvile, Ky., has the potential to be a high-major guy. Already 6-2, 170, Trice had 6 interceptions as a freshman and looks like he will certainly be someone to watch.

Also, Nonte Davis out of Columbia Central High School has the size, 6-3, 240-pounds, of someone to watch. He has some nice athleticism, but he missed most of his freshman year with a shoulder injury.