Recognizable Names Take the Field at The HUB Football 'CAMP'

The HUB Football 'CAMP' was held on Sunday, 7/25/2021; a number of high-profile free agents participated in front of professional teams from several leagues.
Recognizable Names Take the Field at The HUB Football 'CAMP'
Recognizable Names Take the Field at The HUB Football 'CAMP' /

The HUB Football ‘CAMP’ was held this past Sunday in San Diego and featured numerous high-caliber pro football free agents. Seven NFL teams were in attendance, with several teams sending multiple scouts, in addition to the CFL, USFL and US Men’s National Rugby Team all being represented. Below are some of the top performers from the workout:

(Analysis by NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Advance Scout Ric Serritella)

Quarterback

#71 Tyler Bray, Tennessee: The arm strength is still apparent; Bray can make all the throws, has sound mechanics and has a calm, cool demeanor about him that no situation will be too big. A team in need of a west-coast scheme signal-caller in a pinch can count on Bray to step in and provide serviceable play. HUB Verified: 6064, 215, 0928, 3268, 7748, Carter Chow

#37 Jalan McClendon, Baylor: One of the most improved players amongst repeat HUB attendees, McClendon has a live arm and demonstrated more consistent accuracy. He has evolved greatly on his mechanics since graduating and the invested time into training seems to have finally come to fruition. McClendon is a developmental, pocket-passer who can move well enough if needed, along with prototype size. HUB Verified: 6047, 212, 0978, 3328, 7848, Mike Celli

Running Back

Juwan Washington pic

#15 Juwan Washington, San Diego State: A shifty, speedster who carries his weight extremely well, Washington is agile and changes direction very quickly. Despite his size, he is viewed as a player who can contribute on special teams, as a returner if needed, is more than capable of catching the ball out of the backfield and can be used as a slasher in the run game. HUB Verified: 5060, 195, 0928, 2900, 6828, Cameron Weiss

#17 Otto Zaccardo, Syracuse: Any team that values a special teams dynamo should look into the violent, physical Zaccardo. The HUB platform didn’t showcase his most valuable attributes but Zaccardo was fluid in drills, caught everything thrown his way and brings an intense level of competitiveness. His verified measurables do test out amongst the top percentile. HUB Verified: 5094, 199, 0928, 3828, 7300, Derron Griffin

Wide Receiver

Ben Putnam pic

#7 Ben Putman, Nevada: A compact, quick slot receiver, Putman runs excellent routes and understands how to create separation. He consistently left defenders in the dust due to crisp route running/footwork in and out of his breaks. In addition, he proved to be a dependable hands catcher and met with every team afterwards. It would not be surprising to see Putman, who was arguably the best player in attendance, make a 53-man roster if given the opportunity. HUB Verified: 5090, 183, 0848, 2938, 6868, Shaun Naidoo

#3 Justin Hardy, ECU: The veteran savvy of Hardy prevailed during one-on-ones and team drills, as he showed off his vertical game, including one play where he out-leaped two defenders in the back of the end zone, displaying outstanding body control, awareness and concentration to stay in bounds for the completion. He appeared to be well-conditioned, still has a genuine passion for the game and showed he can make good use of his extremely large mittens. HUB Verified: 5112, 187, 1028, 3318, 7568, Christian Kranz

Emanuel Hall pic

#2 Emanuel Hall, Missouri: Now healthy, Hall flashed some of the explosion and speed we saw from him coming out of college. His combination of length, athleticism and leaping ability can certainly create plenty of mismatches for creative offensive coordinators. HUB Verified: 6023, 192, 0968, 3268, 7968, Chris Turnage

Tight End

#70 Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt: Fresh off his participation at ‘TE U’ with Travis Kelce, the former Eagles wide receiver proved to carry his new bulked-up physique well. Matthews added nearly 30 pounds and much of it translated to his lower body and thigh thickness. While blocking drills were conducted on ‘pop up’ bags, Matthews did demonstrate a certain level of blocking technique, bend/flexibility. He possesses the torque to transition to tight end and even possibly make a Darren Waller-type of impact in the passing game. HUB Verified: 6034, 235, 1048, 3368, 7948, Steve Caric

Offensive Tackle

#62 Ryan Pope, San Diego State: Recently released by the Denver Broncos, Pope has had stints with multiple NFL organizations and understandably so. His imposing size and movement skills warrant continued development as a potential swing tackle prospect. HUB Verified: 6072, 324, 1118, 3458, 8548, Cameron Weiss

Defensive Tackle

#63 Boogie Roberts, San Jose State: Despite lacking ideal height, Roberts owns adequate arm length to create enough leverage/anchor to win consistently in the trenches. Combined with his hand combat, he dominated one-on-one drills, displaying a vast array of counters. Roberts had a stint with the Los Angeles Rams and XFL, so he has stayed fresh and ready. Teams in search of some competition at the three-technique position may want to kick the tires here. HUB Verified: 6010, 301, 1028, 3358, 7868, Jack Scharf

Defensive End

#34 Warren Thomas, Midland: There’s a lot to like here but also much work that needs to be done. Thomas is the definition of raw; he possesses extraordinary athleticism, along with a tremendous blend of speed, flexibility and strength. He was used up and down the defensive line during his time at Midland but could potentially convert to a stand-up linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. His skill-set and upside are intriguing but Thomas is realistically one-or-two years away from making any significant impact at the NFL level. HUB Verified: 6025, 255, 0900, 3418, 8000, Jay Anthony

Linebacker

#49 Emmanuel Ellerbee, Rice: It was evident that Ellerbee moved at a different speed than others in his position group. His quick change of direction, anticipation and instincts really stood out. Several scouts in attendance noted his strong performance and it would not be surprising to see Ellerbee get a call from any team in need of linebacker depth. HUB Verified: 6006, 232, 1018, 3158, 7548, Derrick Fox

#43 Kyahva Tezino, San Diego State: While Tezino shows great pursuit and understanding of angles, he was not asked to drop back and cover much in college. His workout helped to squash some of that perception, as he flashed enough improvement that could garner interest from a club. Tezino is an effective run-stuffer whose overall game is expanding, he certainly has the athleticism to play all four special teams units. HUB Verified:6000, 233, 0900, 3118, 7428, James Simms

#44 Justin Tuggle, Kansas State: A recent CFL opt-out, Tuggle stacked up well amongst the top linebackers in attendance. He is in search of another NFL opportunity, after playing for five different pro organizations at the NFL/CFL level. Tuggle was a key cog to the Toronto Argonauts championship team (2017), demonstrating the type of versatility he can bring to a team by starting at all three linebacker positions. HUB Verified: 6027, 245, 0918, 3428, 7668, Carter Chow

#53 Koby Quansah, Duke: It was great to see Quansah on a HUB return, as he gathered the feedback necessary to help boost his chances of getting signed. Quansah showed vast improvement in his change of direction and appeared more bendy, moving around like a safety. A hard-nosed competitor who also brings very high character, Quansah has clearly worked hard and stayed ready. HUB Verified: 6004, 235, 0900, 3038, 7378, Joel Turner

#69 James Folston Jr., Pittsburgh: It was a streaky workout full of ups and downs for Folston but he did enough to generate interest from the scouts in attendance who were eager to meet with him afterwards. While there is untapped pro potential, Folston needs to knock some rust off before he can be considered to make an impact. HUB Verified: 6026, 245, 0848, 3218, 7678, Marty Magid

Cornerback

#22 Traveon Beck, California: One of the stronger performances of the day belonged to Beck who showed off strong man cover skills and was one of the top athletes. He took on old guy, new guy, big guy, fast guy and won the majority of his one-on-one reps. Any team looking for options to help upgrade the slot corner position should have Beck on the shortlist. HUB Verified: 5094, 171, 0848, 2948, 7228, Peter Schaffer

#23 Ahkee Cox-Cowan, Kutztown: A feisty, physical defender, Cox-Cowan was shut out of any kind of pro day workout, so there are no verified measurables available and has been dubbed ‘undersized.’ However, his tough as nails personality, smothering man coverage mentality and go all out at all costs tenacity are the ‘it’ intangibles that gives Cox-Cowan a shot to make his mark in the NFL. He proved capable of covering the ‘bigger’ wideouts and was plenty fast to keep up with smaller/speedier targets too. Worth a good, hard look. HUB Verified: 5083, 182, 0948, 2968, 7078, Jeff Jankovich

KJ Sails pic

#29 KJ Sails, USF: After a disappointing pro day workout, Sails set out to prove that he was more quick than fast and did just that. He demonstrated very stout footwork, change of direction and was fluid during cone drills. He then was combative, competitive and very instinctual during one-on-one drills and scrimmage reps, including a nice deflected interception which he plucked out of the air. His alertness was impressive and Sails is as good as it gets off the field. HUB Verified: 5104, 181, 0900, 3128, 7558, Shawn O’Gorman

Safety

#28 Rahim Moore, UCLA: One of the more notable names in attendance, Moore held his own and proved he could still provide valuable rotational reps as a consistent backup. While he may have lost some speed, it isn’t significant enough to the point where it will negatively impact his game. His head seems to be in the right place and he is thirsty to compete. HUB Verified: 6002, 197, 0978, 3118, 7468, Joel Segal


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Ric Serritella
RIC SERRITELLA

A known media maven, who created the NFL Draft Bible, which used by all 32 NFL teams. Also responsible for developing and installing the fiber-optic network for MLB Network. Served as executive producer for the T.Ocho Show on NBC Sports. Helped launch the YES Network, working on the first show (Mike & The Mad Dogg) and created the Wall Street Journal YouTube Channel. Owns Bachelor’s degree in Sports Entertainment & Event Management from Johnson & Wales University.