NUC Five Star Central Top 30

Photo by: National Underclassmen Football Combine

NUC Five Star Central Top 30

Courtesy: David Schuman / National Underclassmen Combine           Release: May 03, 2012

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High school football prospects from across the central area converged on Springfield, IL as they sought to showcase their skills in the NUC Five-Star Showcase. NUC President and CEO Dave Schuman along with NUC National Recruiting Analyst Barry Every evaluated the top players at the Five-Star Central Showcase as several players performed in hopes of improving their stock in the all-important recruiting process.

Less than 200 players were chosen for the event, where they took part in one-on-ones and various other drills, to be evaluated by the coaches. From the pool of players that participated, MVPs were chosen for each position, in addition to the one player who exemplified leadership among his peers.

Without further ado, here's the top 30:

B 8	30	Doug Difusco of Neuqua Valley, IL is a 5-10, 155 pound cornerback with great cover skills in man-to-man, good footwork, good jam technique and good patience.
B 53	29	Mason Burnett of Foh Zumnalt East, MO is a 6-4, 205 pound linebacker who is a long tanker, but needs to put weigh on and stay lower.
B 72	28	Joel Hylton of North Shore Country Day, IL is a 6-3, 280 pound defensive lineman who is very strong, stout and has a great punch.
W 14	27	Chris Harris of Sacred Heart Griffin, IL is a 6-0, 186 pound running back who is very athletic, has excellent hands and can also play receiver.
W 66	26	Tanner Farmer of Highland High, IL is a 6-3 ½, 283 offensive lineman. He must work on getting hands inside without leaving and work on getting extension. He's stout at the point of attack.
W 45	25	Devin Roberts of Warrenton, MO is a 6-2, 185 wide receiver.  He's a good route runner, has great ball skills and is a playmaker.
B 13	24	Ethan Runnebohn of Shelbyville, IN is a 6-3, 252 defensive lineman. He's very explosive off the ball, has great speed and is very athletic.
B 31	23	Reggie Spearman of Simeon, IL is a 6-2, 219 linebacker. He has good size, aggressive, very strong, but needs to work on technique more. He can play defensive line also.
W 5	22	Nate Deno of McCutcheon, IN is a 6-0, 160 pound wide receiver. He has amazing hands, good speed and makes amazing plays.
W 17	21	Christion Gibbs of Waubonsie Valley, IL is a 6-0, 167 pound wide receiver. He makes catches, is a playmaker with very good speed and runs crisp routes.
B 14	20	Pierre Gee-Tucker of Belleville West, IL is a 6-1, 200 pound linebacker. He can play SS also and is very athletic.
B 54	19	DJ Spurling of Slinger, WI is a 5-11, 210 pound linebacker. He's very athletic, has good feet and is a playmaker.
W 33	18	James Butler of Bartlett, IL is a 5-8 ½, 195 pound running back. He has great hands, is very smooth and athletic and makes plays.
W 10	17	Christopher Covington of Al Raby, IL is a 6-2, 205 pound quarterback with great upside. He has a good release and an excellent arm.
W 2	16	Joe Zito of Glenbard West, IL is a 5-8, 171 pound running back. He has good hands, good feet and great playmaking ability.
B 59	15	Khari Bailey of Sulian, IL is a 6-3 ½, 234 pound weakside defensive end who already has two offers. He's very athletic, has great pass rushing moves and an excellent first step.
B 57	14	Gelen Robinson of Lake Central, IN is a 6-1, 232 pound defensive lineman. He's explosive, very strong and unblockable at times.
W 65	13	KiJana Evans of Harlan Community Academy, IL is a 6-3 ½, 318 pound offensive tackle. He's very strong and has a great stance.
W 41	12	Shakir Carr of Clay, IN is a 6-4, 291 offensive lineman. He's a great athlete, quick on his feet and has great technique.
B 144	11	Brendyn F. McKinnon of Crown Point, IN is a 6-1 ½, 220 pound linebacker. He has good speed and is a vocal leader.
W 43	10	Kevin Wellev of Benet Academy, IL is a 6-1 ½, 220 pound quarterback. The QB MVP and Leadership Award winner, he has a great arm, good accuracy and a good drop.
B 10	9	Christopher Thompson of Veise Academy, IL is a 5-8 ½, 179 pound safety. The DB MVP, he is a great athlete, has great cover skills, is very strong and a good break on the ball.
W 52	8	Malik Turner of Sacred Heart-Griffin, IL is a 6-2, 202 pound wide receiver. The Underclassmen MVP, he has amazing hands, great speed and is a great overall athlete.
B 51	7	Tony Lashley of Rockhurst, MO is a 6-0 ½, 226 pound linebacker. The LB MVP, he is strong, fast and big.
W 16	6	Mike Dudek of Neuqua Valley, IL is a 5-11 ½, 170 pound wide receiver. The WR MVP, he was very quick, has great hands is extremely fast.
W 42	5	Logan Larson of Pleasant Plains, IL is a 6-3, 245 tight end. The TE MVP, he has excellent and enormous strength.
W 32	4	Brian Jennings of MacArthur, IL is a 5-10 ½, 190 pound running back. The RB MVP, he's very fast, has great hands, great strength and is an excellent playmaker.
B 55	3	Demetrius Cooper of Julian, IL is a 6-5 ½, 203 pound defensive lineman. The DL MVP, he's very fast, has great feet and is an amazing athlete.
W 62	2	Joseph Gibson of Rockhurst, MO is a 6-3 ½, 279 pound offensive lineman. The OL MVP, he has great technique, is very athletic, great strength and is a big time recruit.
W 20	1	Aarion Penton of CBC High School in St. Louis, MO was the Overall MVP. The ATH has great hands and can play on either side of the ball. He's committed to Mizzou.