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Published May 17, 2019
Preview: Rivals Camp
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Tim OHalloran  •  EdgyTim
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The Rivals 3 Stripe Camp Series final stop will be this Sunday at East St. Louis High School and this invite only camp will feature several top names from the State of Illinois as well as drawing from several state across the Midwest.

I will be in attendance to cover this event and follow me on Twitter @EDGYTIM along with following @Joshhelmholdt @RivalsCamp all day long on Sunday for updates video etc.

Here are just a few of the many storylines to watch on Sunday.

Will the weather (hopefully) be better than last year's Rivals 3 Stripe Camp?

While you truly never know about the weather in the Midwest until it happens at this time of the year...I'm semi-confident that we will hopefully not see the below 40 degree 25-35 mph winds on the East Side that we had last year at College of DuPage for the Rivals Camp. Again the key here is "semi"confident.

Can the Illinois side hang with the St Louis area talent?

One thing that has been clearly evident over the past few recruiting classes, and that is that the overall talent level in the greater St. Louis area has been strong, and as strong as I can ever remember. After getting to see the talent level live again in person back in April at The Opening in St. Louis, the Illinois kids will again be seriously tested by the home area kids.

Will the Host School will be well represented on Sunday?

Yes. Look for several East St. Louis names to again take center stage on Sunday and the continued flow of talent in the Flyers program hasn't slowed up whatsoever. Keep an eye on East St. Louis 4 star ranked S Antonio Johnson, 3 star ranked WR Lawaun Powell, OL Javontez Spraggins plus DL Kendrick Scarbrough.

Will the Land of Lincoln Classes of 2021 and 2022 stand up?

I've never been a big fan of the early big hype pieces in regards to various camps because in too many cases kids will RSVP and then unfortunately not show (happens in literally every camp these days)...but if the names who have RSVP'd for the Rivals Camp show up....I fully expect more than a few younger kids to steal some headlines and catch some big time notice and attention. The Class of 2022 in particular has a handful of names who no question can and will hang with the older kids here. I've already told Rivals Midwest analysis Josh Helmholdt that if the invited names from the Illinois 20212 and 2022 names show up...they could steal some serious headlines on Sunday.

Who are a few Class of 2020 Under The Radar State of Illinois Names to Watch on Sunday?

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Peoria WR Kaevion Mack- Mack committed early to NIU but has since reopened his recruiting process and Mack has seen more looks and Power 5 offers including Iowa. Mack has great size and length, runs well and just brings toughness and a great attitude to the field. Mack I felt all along is a Big Ten caliber player at the college level.

Decatur MacArthur S AJ Lawson- Lawson, who has seen more and more Power 5 attention this spring has the size, speed and overall tools to become a much higher profile name this late spring and summer. Several Power 5 schools who haven't made the drive down to the Decatur area might just regret not making that stop this spring.


Burlington Central TE/DE Matt Muetterties- Great sized kid here (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) who is athletic and will continue to add more size and strength at the next level. Muetterties hasn't experienced these showcase camps deals very much but if he can get comfortable and get into an early groove he has the tools to become a name on the rise.

Barrington DE Lukas Van Ness- Van Ness is starting to see the FBS level offers start to trickle in this spring, yet with his overall size, length and frame Van Ness is very capable of adding say another 20-30 pounds of muscle at the college level. Van Ness is also experienced in these type of camps and won't be too fazed at the higher competition level.

Normal West QB Carson Camp- Camp is already committed to South Dakota but I felt all along that he has MAC level abilities and potential. Camp, who is a big time thrower and competitor has a chance to really show well against a stacked group of quarterbacks.

Marian Central Catholic OL/DL Jayden Thiergood- Has a lot of upside and the college coaches have started to take notice and hop on board this spring. Physically, Thiergood still has room to grow and this will be his first big showcase event and has a chance to open up some eyes here.