CORAL GABLES – Some of our area’s top high school football players performed at the third annual University of Miami Paradise Camp this past Saturday night (July 28).
Standouts included the following:
ATH Mark Antony Richards (Wellington; 2019)
WR Bryan Robinson (Palm Beach Central; 2020)
WR Ja’Vontae Williams (Glades Central; 2019)
DE La’Tarie Kinsler (Pahokee; 2020)
WR Connor Hindsley (Delray Beach American Heritage; 2019)
DB Markevious Brown (Pahokee; 2021)
DE Ta’Quan Kinsler (Pahokee; 2019)
OL Deshawn Richardson (Pahokee; 2019)
RB Ja’Tarie Washington (Pahokee; 2019)
ABOUT THOSE STANDOUTS
Richards, who told media members he will take his time to make a final college decision, showed a level of
excitement about being at Paradise Camp. He was arguably the primary attraction of the night.
“We all just came out here to compete,” said Richards, who some believe will ultimately end up signing with and playing for Miami next year.
Robinson’s moment actually came one day after Paradise Camp, when he announced on Twitter that he’s a verbal commit to Miami. The Palm Beach Central junior is already seen as one of the nation’s best overall players in his class.
Meanwhile, Williams was one of the best perfomimg wide receivers at Paradise Camp. The rising Glades Central senior (three offers from Oregon, USF, and FIU) caught eight passes in 1-on-1 drills, with some in traffic.
“Coach [Ron] Dugans stated that he was ‘very physical’ and attacked the ball very well,” Glades Central
athletic director KD Fletcher said of Williams. “He has amazing ball skills and knows how to separate from his defender.”
Kinsler (Louisville verbal commit) was dominant in the OL vs. DL drills, as he used his combination of speed, athleticism, and instinctive awareness to slither his way past opposing offensive linemen. Evaluators were impressed with his immense talent on the edge and in the trenches.
Kinsler went up against Richardson on two occasions and showed why he’s seen as one of the nation’s best defensive ends in his class. But the 2020 standout said it was a challenge for him.
“He’s like a brother to me and he’s always tough to go up against,” Kinsler said of Richardson.
Richardson on Kinsler:
“He did great as usual,” the Pahokee 2019 lineman said. “He’s unstoppable.”
Hindsley (offers from Syracuse, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Cornell) caught 11 total passes at Paradise Camp. He caught 10 of them in 1-on-1’s, while the other one happened in 7-on-7 play.
“Camp went great,” Hindsley said “I loved the competition, even thought in the beginning I was on the far field.”
Brown has a bright future ahead of him, as he recorded six pass breakups, an interception on defense, and no passes caught on him.
“There was a lot of competition,”
Brown said. “I loved the atmosphere and talent.”
Richardson on Brown:
“He was the lockdown corner of the night,” the Blue Devils senior lineman said.
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
What did Brown think of the camp vibe?
“There was a lot of competition,”
Brown said. “I loved the atmosphere and talent.”
Richardson on his camp experience at Miami:
“It was a great opportunity to showcase my talent in front of the coaches and legends that came back to watch,” Richardson said.
Hindsley offered his own take on Paradise Camp.
“The coaching staff was great, especially with the alumni,” Hindsley said. “I liked listening to Lamar Thomas and Michael Irvin. I love learning from the greats and the current players.”
NOTE: Paradise Camp was the final event of this summer offseason for the aforementioned standout players. They will now shift their attention to the regular season, as fall training camp will begin today.
