After taking a little more than 24 hours to watch the film and go over my notes, below is who I felt deserved to be named to the Youth1.com All-Top Gun First Team for the class of 2020. Many of these athletes were named to the FBU All-American Bowl or were introduced by the FBU staff at closing ceremonies, however, some of our selections may not have been. The athletes we select for the Youth1.com All-Top Gun teams are strictly our opinions of what we saw after evaluating players at each of the on-field sessions.
Quarterbacks
Harrison Bailey (Powder Springs, GA)
Despite only being a 2020 athlete, Bailey participated exclusively with the 2019 athletes and although he was a year younger than the other quarterbacks, he was still the most impressive quarterback in the entire camp. He repeatedly made throws and dropped passes in spaces that other quarterbacks couldn’t. An FBU All-American this past season, Bailey again punched his tickets to the game this year.
Cade Knighton (Beaver Creek, OR)
After opening eyes this past year in the FBU National Championship tournament, Knighton showed what all the hype was about at Top Gun. The athletic quarterback looked the part of an athlete with a ton of potential to do big things on the next level. He didn’t throw many passes on the run at camp, but in simply watching him move it’s evident he can keep plays alive by moving out of traffic and keeping his eyes down field.
Roman Purcell (Cincinnati, OH)
Purcell had a very good regional camp in Charlotte where he participated with the high school athletes. At Top Gun, Purcell was again bumped up to play with the 2019 class. Purcell threw a number of good passes at the camp with some serious zip on the ball. Purcell had an obvious strength advantage over nearly every 2020 quarterback at Top Gun and with further development will be a very good player.
Running Backs
Kalli Bradford (Richmond, VA)
The Virginia product was an athlete we were excited to watch in person as a staff after seeing what he did at the Northern Virginia FBU camp a few weeks back. Bradford showed just how explosive he could be when doing running back drills. However, during 1-on-1’s, we got to see just how fast Bradford really was on the field. He was effortlessly faster than the majority of the defenders he was matched up across from, and easily pulled away in his routes.
Kimani Vidal (Atlanta, GA)
Kimani Vidal showed the powerful, downhill running style that makes him a dangerous player in the class of 2020. At 5’7 and in the 180-pounds range he’s built like an anvil and plays a physical style of running back that lends itself to being an every down back. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well he caught the ball out of the backfield as well.
Kolbe Burrell (New Hope, PA)
After making the Youth1 All-Top Gun Team a year ago as a 6th grader, Burrell again received the recognition of making our All-Top Gun team this year. After seeing him at FBU New Jersey in May, it was evident that Burrell is evolving into a very good running back. The Pennsylvania native sprouted up a few inches since last Top Gun and put on some muscle as well, making him even more impressive this year.
Wide Receivers
Jacobi Bellazin (New Roads, LA)
If there ever was an FBU Top Gun athlete who looked the part of a serious prospect, it would be Jacobi Bellazin. An extraordinary muscular and strong receiver, Bellazin caught my eye right away. He easily got off the line when opposing defensive backs tried to jam him up and then snatched the ball out of the air with ease with great hands. I immediately drew comparisons to former Ohio State and NFL wide receiver, David Boston.
Talin Kemp (Columbia, MO)
Hailing from Missouri, Kemp was a clear standout at Top Gun this week. After passing the eye test right away, the long, muscular receiver impressed with his ability to create separation when running his routes. Another positive thing that separated Kemp from the other 2020 receivers was his coordination and body control when going up to make catches in traffic.
Collin Sullivan (Round Rock, TX)
An FBU All-American this past year, Sullivan was invited to the bowl again this year after a great performance at camp. Out of all the receivers at the camp Sullivan was clearly the best route runner in attendance and really shined by running crisp routes day in and day out. The Texas native also displayed improved strength from what he showed last year. He’s still fairly lean, but his strength has drastically improved when hand fighting and attempting to get back in his route when getting bumped by defenders.
Offensive Line
Brian Felter (Westfield, NJ)
Felter was invited to his second consecutive FBU Youth All-American Bowl after dominating the competition at Top Gun this week. The New Jersey native continued to show impeccable technique, and coupled with his strength, he was a can’t-miss offensive line performer this week. Another impressive thing about Felter was that every rep I watched was against some of the top defensive linemen at the camp, showing he wasn’t afraid to go against the best.
Jackson Ramey (Hoschton, GA)
Pound for pound probably the strongest athlete to ever attend FBU Top Gun, Ramey showed off that strength all camp long. An accomplished national powerlifter, Ramey is a little raw in terms of football technique but with his physical tools he is going to be a special prospect on the next level. He has long arms and legs, and easily halted opposing defensive ends rushing him, making him a nice looking offensive tackle.
Hunter Shanks (Lake Oswego, OR)
After being selected to the FBU Youth All-American Bowl last year, Shanks has been selected again after a tremendous Top Gun camp. Referred to as “Tiger”, the big offensive lineman has grown considerably since we last him in December. In addition to his barrel chest and broad shoulder, Shanks should great foot work during drills, and almost quietly, had one of the best performances of camp.
Hayden Engel (Henderson, NV)
After an excellent Top Gun camp, Engel was invited to his second consecutive FBU Youth All-American Bowl. Engel came to Top Gun noticeably heavier than the weight he played at in the All-American Bowl this past December, and with that weight, came a more dominant style of play. He draws immediate comparison to another former two-time FBU Youth All-American who also happens to hail from Nevada,2019 Bishop Gorman OL/DL Beau Taylor.
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Alan Popadines @Youth1Football 8 years ago