Placer, Del Oro, Colfax prospects shine at Sac State Rising Stars Camp

The top football prospects on the west coast flocked to Sacramento State on Wednesday and Thursday for the annual Sac State Rising Stars Camp, where they had a chance to showcase their skills for college coaches. Coaches and scouts from several Division I programs, including Sacramento State, Arizona, USC, Boise State, Oregon State, Fresno State, Wyoming and more were in attendance and took notice of several local stars. There was no shortage of players from the Auburn area with athletes from Placer, Del Oro and Colfax participating in the camp. "I really like how there's a lot of different kinds of coaches here," said Placer lineman Ivan De Silva. "There is not just one school or one set of coaches so I have more than one opportunity to show out for these different schools." De Silva, a two-way lineman with offers at Northern Arizona and Cornell, said camps such as Sac State give him an opportunity to talk to coaches at schools that may not have been on his radar before. "I was able to talk to a bunch of schools: Wyoming, Air Force, San Jose State, Nevada and more," De Silva said. "Wyoming was one school where I didn't really think I was on their radar that much, but now it sounds like I am. Air Force as well." De Silva said the camp gave him an opportunity to test himself against other top prospects and learn new skills as well as find things to work on. "It was a little bit of a challenge at first when I got here, but I think I did all right," De Silva said. "I'm getting to play against elite competition. There's definitely some talented people here so facing them helps boost my confidence knowing that I'm ready for this." Some players attend the camp in hopes of receiving their first Division I offer. Placer running back Baylor Kelley fits that bill. The reigning Foothill Valley League MVP and Auburn Journal Athlete of the Year has generated plenty of interest from programs in the Big Sky, Mountain West and even the Big 10 but still awaits his first official D-I offer and hopes a strong showing at Sac State can help reel one in. Kelley stood out in one-on-one drills and showcased his skills as a pass-catching back, beating his defender a majority of the time. He said he didn't have any nerves competing in the camp and just had to go about his business as usual. "I've been playing this game for as long as I can remember. It just comes down to doing what I've been trying to do all these years," Kelley said. "I think I really played as hard as I could today. I'm excited to just keep working and getting better." Kelley said he was confident he could hold his own at the camp, knowing all the players in attendance were among the best of the best on the west coast. Kelley added he is not zeroed in on any schools and just wants to let his play speak for itself. "I like to keep my options open," Kelley said. "I just go compete and then reach out to as many people as possible because you never know what the opportunity might be. You never know what's in store. It's all in God's hands." While Kelley has plenty of stats that will help with his college interest, some players are entering their senior year with minimal game film to send to coaches, making their camp performance crucial to their recruitment. That is the case for Del Oro's Jonah Unfried, who is poised to assume the starting quarterback position this season after backing up Sierra Foothill League offensive MVP Caden Pinnick. Unfried showcased his strong arm and ability to fit the ball into tight windows, standing out in his quarterback group. While he didn't pick up any offers Thursday, he was happy with his performance and felt he showed the coaches what they wanted to see. "I think I did pretty good," Unfried said. "I was able to compete with everyone else, which was a big part for me. It's about coming out here and getting better, that's the biggest part." Unfried wasn't fazed by the magnitude of the camp and the presence of college coaches. "I'm pretty confident going into this and throwing the ball because this isn't the real game. I'm just out here having fun trying to get a look so the nerves will come when it's like gametime," Unfriend said. "Right now, it's pretty easy for me." Even the small-school players had a chance to shine at the camp, including Colfax tight end and linebacker Luke Tonini. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior has worked hard all offseason to improve his footwork and get stronger in hopes of picking up an offer to play at the next level. Tonini, an athletic and physical two-way star for the Falcons, had an impressive showing Thursday and jammed several receivers on their routes and forced multiple incompletions. He said he felt good about his performance but noted there is always room for improvement. "I just need to keep getting better," Tonini said. "My speed from last year is a lot better and I gained 20 pounds. So I am stronger and faster." Tonini said he knows he will have to work extra hard to impress some of the D-I coaches in attendance since he doesn't have the luxury of playing at a big school against other top recruits. "I just need to work that much harder in order to compete with the players from big schools because of how much smaller of a school we are," Tonini said. "I just make sure that I work twice as hard." While the Sacramento State camp is done, the prospects will have several opportunities to prove themselves at other camps across the country. Many players will be in attendance at Nevada's camp this weekend and have traveled up the west coast and even as far as Florida to compete.