Top prospects shine in 2024 Polynesian Bowl

Dozens of blue-chip prospects from the 2023 cycle played in the sixth annual Polynesian Bowl over the weekend in Honolulu. The game, which was aired on NFL Network on Friday night, is the last time we will see the participants on the field as high school players.

The players were split into two teams – Team Mauka and Team Makai – with Makai taking the 28-17 victory in a sloppy affair that saw around double-digit turnovers. Despite the top prospects turned in strong showings over the course of the game, led by Tennessee EDGE signee Jordan Ross and Texas A&M athlete commit Terry Bussey.

Jordan Ross shines off the edge

No player flashed more throughout the Polynesian Bowl than Tennessee EDGE signee Jordan Ross. The 6-foot-4.5, 220-pounder lived in the backfield all evening. Ross’s athleticism and dogged effort level popped off the screen. He showed an outstanding burst off the line of scrimmage, pushing offensive tackles into the backfield leading to multiple tackles for loss.

Early in the game we saw Ross beat touted Texas offensive tackle signee Brandon Baker around the edge to make a play in the backfield to end a drive. He flashed elite play speed on a number of occasions tracking down ball carriers in backside pursuit. Ross particularly made life tough for quarterback Dylan Raiola, delivering a few pops in the open field and bringing down the Nebraska signee for a sack late in the contest.

Overall, the Polynesian Bowl was another strong all-star showing for Ross, building on a great week of practice that the Under Armour All-America Game earlier in the month. The athleticism and pass rush ability off the edge along with his high effort level has stood out in both settings.

Terry Bussey shows electric two-way ability

Terry Bussey worked on both sides of the ball on Friday night and made big plays as a wide receiver and corner. The Timpson (Texas) High standout simply moved at a different speed than any other player on the field. Bussey saw a handful of targets as a slot receiver and flashed an electric burst with the ball in his hands, easily generating yards after the catch and making defenders miss in space. He flipped over to cornerback midway through the first half and had one of the game’s biggest plays, picking off Ty McCutcheon and ripping off a long, weaving return down to the five-yard line.

Bussey, who was a historically prolific star player as a quarterback and safety at the high school level, has genuine positional ambiguity, with notable upside on both sides of the ball. With that said, his athleticism and ball skills look to stack up very well as a defensive back, in our opinion. Bussey is one of the top unsigned prospects nationally. He’s been committed to Texas A&M since September but his recruitment remains active leading up to the February signing period. The Lone Star State standout is set to visit Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M over the coming weekends.

Pickett, Oklahoma signees active on the defensive front

The defensive fronts for both teams were highly active throughout the game.

Miami EDGE signee Booker Pickett lived in the backfield all evening. Pickett’s combination of twitch and flexibility made him a big-time mismatch as a speed rusher. The Tampa native is extremely slippery and difficult for offensive tackles to wrangle. We counted two sacks and multiple pressures for Pickett. The showing wasn’t a surprise, given what we saw from Pickett throughout the week at Under Armour.

The duo of Oklahoma defensive line signees – David Stone and Jayden Jackson – were highly active throughout the game. For starters, the pair were around the football all night, with each pouncing on live footballs for touchdowns. Jackson flashed a high motor and violent, active hands. Stone showed the same. Both play with a level of violence and effort that was noticeable throughout the game.

Five-star Miami defensive line signee Justin Scott flashed rare athleticism and movement skills at his 6-foot-4, 310-pound size. He’ll need to polish up his hand usage, but the fluidity and twitch were notable.

Michigan State EDGE signee Kekai Burnett was another player along the front who was highly active. The local Hawaii product lined up all over the formation and consistently applied pressure. Burnett flashed an active motor, notching at least one tackle for loss and a sack.

Oregon signee Dylan Williams and Texas A&M signee Jordan Lockhart had flashes among the linebacker group. Williams had an outstanding high-point interception and Lockhart showed ability to fit the run when flowing downhill.

Clemson signee Elyjah Thurmon had what looked to be the cleanest game among the offensive linemen. The interior offensive line prospect was strong in run game, generating a push. Thurmon plays with excellent leverage and is always under control.

Blue-chip tight ends flash skill sets

A pair of top 100 tight ends flashed intriguing skill sets during the Polynesian Bowl, with Nebraska signee Carter Nelson and Clemson signee Christian Bentancur each making big plays.

Coming from 8-man football in rural Nebraska, Nelson attacked the game with a noticeable chip on his shoulder. Well known as a top multi-sport athlete, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder was eager to show his skills can easily translate with the elevated level of competition. Nelson had several nice grabs, included a beautiful catch on a well-thrown seam ball from fellow Husker signee Dylan Raiola, that went for a 33-yard gain. Nelson’s athleticism transferred to every level of the field. He showed the ability to separate vertically and in the intermediate areas in addition to picking up yards after the catch. We also loved the vigor and physicality he showed as a blocker in the run game.

Bentancur was a favorite target for his quarterbacks. He was targeted early and often by Utah signee Isaac Wilson and got deep for a touchdown in the first quarter, but the play was called back. The Clemson signee is a highly dependable target over the middle of the field, flashing strong hands and the ability to make contested catches, finishing through contact. He also showed some ability to pick up yards after the catch. It’s not hard to see Bentancur’s skill set easily translating to the next level.

Skill players make splash plays

Tennessee wide receiver signee Mike Matthews had one of the game’s biggest plays, beating the corner off the line and coming down with a pass over the middle from Dylan Raiola before streaking into the end zone for an emphatic touchdown. Matthews’ athleticism was readily apparent. He’s an explosive mover with long speed and vertical twitch. He had some inconsistent moments at the catch point throughout the game, but the big play ability is certainly there.

LSU running back signee Caden Durham had a strong drive in the second half, showing his elite speed in getting to the edge. Durham’s combination of straight line speed and his low center of gravity make him a mismatch when given a runway to operate.

UCLA wide receiver signee Kwazi Gilmer was the most reliable target among the receivers, showing strong hands and coordination at the catch point, coming down with multiple grabs in the intermediate area.

San Diego State defensive back signee Jason Mitchell had a very strong second half, getting his hands on several passes. Washington State signee Kayo Patu also came down with an interception and showed striking ability.

Mixed bag for the quarterbacks

As noted above, the game was turnover-laden, with up-and-down quarterback play often being the root cause. Nearly every quarterback threw an interception. With that said, Nebraska signee Dylan Raiola and Utah signee Isaac Wilson had some positive moments and looked the most comfortable among the signal callers.

From a pure passing standpoint, Raiola was clearly the top arm talent on hand. We saw the touted Husker signee deliver some beautiful vertical passes. Raiola has easy downfield arm strength and can really push the ball when kept clean. His throws were able to cut through the wind better than any other quarterback. As was the case throughout his high school career, there is room for improvement with his movement skills and urgency when operating against pressure.

Wilson had a strong start to the game, completing his first 12 pass attempts. A prolific dual-threat at the prep level, we were able to see the Utah signee get outside the pocket and make some very talented defenders miss in space. Wilson’s play dipped a bit in the second half, but the flashes were encouraging.

On3 National Scout Cody Bellaire contributed to this story.