Blue-Grey All-American Combine: Desert Regional Scouting Report (2018)

Big Sky Conference target Xamoi Penn was among the many prospects at the Blue-Grey All-American Combine (Desert Regional).

Back again, for yet another year, Mark McMillian and his NFL veteran coaching staff returned for the Blue-Grey All-American Combine (Desert Regional).

Once there, with assistants George Martinez and Jerome Daniels, McMillian & Co. gave back to the game that gave them so much in the not so distant past.

The winners, naturally, were the individuals on hand at the facility for the Arizona Cardinals. That said, here’s a much closer look at some of the highlights.

Keegan Freid, QB, Sunrise Mountain (AZ): The 6-3 and 175-pound junior did his best to stand out in the crowd. Accordingly, UNLV reached out not long ago.

Gabe Friend, QB, Basha (AZ): The 6-2 and 180-pound sophomore seems to be headed down the right path. So is Matthew Purnell from Desert Ridge (AZ).

Xamoi Penn, RB, Sunnyslope (AZ): The 5-11 and 185-pound junior took advantage of the opportunity in front of him. Northern Arizona could be in the mix.

Lucas Wright, RB, Desert Ridge (AZ): The 6-2 and 210-pound junior opened up eyes. No surprise, both Stanford and Washington have some expressed interest.

Noah Smith, RB, Lincoln County (NV): The 6-2 and 175-pound junior was explosive. Same thing can be said about Aaron Logsdon from Mountain View (AZ).

Deavon Crawford, WR, Chaparral (AZ): The 5-11 and 180-pound sophomore, with Pac-12 Conference interest, might turn out to be the best of the bunch.

Jordan Blakely, WR, Foothill (NV): The 6-2 and 171-pound junior did well and has some interest from the Mountain West Conference, specifically Air Force.

Kain Ream, WR, Thunderbird (AZ): Fresno State is among the teams who have contacted the 6-foot and 185-pound junior. Others could soon follow suit.

Kyle Hester, TE, Highland (AZ): The 6-4 and 225-pound junior was seemingly a man among boys. Accordingly, he’s talked with Northern Arizona and UNLV.

Cameron Brown, DB, Casteel (AZ): The 6-foot and 195-pound junior recently landed his first offer from Penn and the bandwagon figures to fill up fast.

Mandrell Garrick, DB, Buena (AZ): The 5-11 and 175-pound junior did a little bit of everything, most of it well, in this setting. Montana has talked with him.

Edward McClendon, DB, Mesa (AZ): Not afraid of anyone, or anything for that matter, the 6-1 and 193-pound junior didn’t back down from challenges.

Aurek Boutte, LB, Palm Springs (CA): The 5-11 and 195-pound junior was as strong as they come. Once his speed catches up with his strength, watch out.

Andres Finlayson, LB, Williams Field (AZ): Eager to prove himself, the 5-10 and 215-pound junior earned respect, along with Greg Allie from Pinnacle (AZ).

Roman DeWys, OL, Basha (AZ): junior Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado and UNLV are among those on the bandwagon of the 6-5 and 290-pound junior.

Alex Beringer, OL, Sumner (WA): With feelers from schools in the Big Sky Conference, the 6-3 and 295-pound junior has a bright future ahead of him.

Kyle Badaly, OL, Desert Mountain (AZ): The 6-4 and 270-pound junior did well, with Andrew Simek from Shadow Ridge (AZ) and Ben Roots from (Desert Mountain).

Michael Zipprich, DL, North Pointe Prep (AZ): The 6-4 and 225-pound junior certainly passed the eye test and established that he was more than just a big body.

Kody McPherson, DL, Empire (AZ): Never one to back down from a challenge, the 6-2 and 255-pound junior was intense, as was Zeke Gravitt from Empire (AZ).

Jourvon Olivo, DL, Palm Springs (CA): The 6-4 and 243-pound sophomore held his own, with fellow underclassman Edward Weigl from Desert Vista (AZ).

Editor’s Note: For more information about the nationwide series of All-American Combines, specifically speaking the statistics, we’ve got you covered, look no further and follow the link (click here).

Additionally, those who did well at this workout, in due time, could be invited to one of the brand’s All-American Bowls held at NFL stadium and nationally broadcast on ESPN’s family of networks.

The games take place at one of several well-known venues: Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium and Jacksonville Jaguars’ EverBank Field. 

Moving forward, the Blue-Grey Football Selection Committee will consider a number of different factors before making an all-important decision on invites to the All-American Bowl. Stay tuned.