EUGENE, Ore. -- Eddie Vanderdoes (Auburn, Calif./Placer) lived up to the hype. In fact, he exceeded it.
Everyone knew the 6-foot-3, 303-pound defensive lineman and No. 57 player in the ESPN 150 was going to be the top talent at Sunday's Oregon NFTC. But in the final stop of the 12-city NFTC tour, he went out and turned in one of the best performances of the year. When the dust settled, Vanderdoes was the only player to earn an invite to The Opening in July.
Vanderdoes was at his best when matched up against the two elite offensive linemen in attendance -- No. 171 Evan Voeller (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) and No. 183 Scott Quessenberry (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon).
With an explosive first step and a powerful frame, Vanderdoes put on a clinic against the undersized Quessenberry, which drew gasps from spectators on the field and in the stands. Against Voeller, Vanderdoes used his power to blow him off the line.
Overall, Vanderdoes proved that his scholarship offers from BCS powers like Alabama, LSU, Florida, USC and Oregon are well deserved.
In a camp that was thin on elite skill-position players, a familiar face dominated on defense.
Defensive back Trayvon Henderson (Sacramento, Calif./Grant) came to Eugene with hopes of making a name for himself after a solid performance at the Oakland NFTC last month. Henderson was more than solid Sunday, as he was clearly the MVP of the defensive back group. He appears to be next in a long line of Grant stars.
Two local athletes came out of nowhere to find themselves on the radar after this weekend's performances.
Offensive lineman Skyler Phillips (Eugene, Ore./Churchill) held his own against the top defensive linemen at the camp, including giving Vanderdoes his toughest rep of the day. His solid performance came on the heels of earning the highest SPARQ rating in the country by an offensive lineman at Saturday's combine in Portland, Ore.
The local standout has the size and skill to emerge as a Pac-12-caliber lineman if he can put together a solid senior season. Earning the offensive line MVP over Quessenberry and Voeller should raise his stock considerably.
At linebacker, Johnny Ragin (Wilsonville, Ore./Wilsonville) proved himself worthy of a serious look by some West Coast schools. The 6-2, 210-pounder showed good athleticism and versatility on his way to earning the linebacker MVP award.
One of the top signal-callers on the West Coast walked away with the quarterback MVP award after another solid showing on the camp circuit. Kelly Hilinski (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Notre Dame) has prototypical size at 6-6/220 and showed impressive arm strength and composure.
An unknown entering Sunday, Class of 2014 running back prospect Asan Neil-Evergin (Lacey, Wash./Timberline) walked away with the RB MVP after showing good vision and quickness. Neil-Evergin is undersized but has the skills to grow into a big-time prospect over the next year.
Two wide receivers made a statement with their performance. Raymond Hudson (Pleasanton, Calif./Foothill) is a good looking prospect who has garnered interest from a number of schools early on. His versatility and soft hands earned him the MVP award in the group.
One of the most interesting prospects at the camp was Jeremy Tabuyo (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Louis School). The wide receiver missed last season with a torn ACL, but he showed Sunday that he is nearly back to full strength. Look for Tabuyo to emerge with numerous offers as his senior film gets out to coaches around the country.