‘23 VA ATH Cameron Seldon (Tennessee Commit)

#4,753
#4,753
Forgive my ignorance, does anyone know who the kid is in middle between Dobbs and Charles Nimrod... I initially thought maybe Dont'e Thornton but he's 6'5" and unless the angle or perception is off, that guy is not 6'4 / 6'5
 
#4,754
#4,754
ERvolsfan said:
Forgive my ignorance, does anyone know who the kid is in middle between Dobbs and Charles Nimrod... I initially thought maybe Dont'e Thornton but he's 6'5" and unless the angle or perception is off, that guy is not 6'4 / 6'5
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I was wondering that myself.
 
#4,761
#4,761
Plove23 said:
Anybody read the article on Cam on 247sports?
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Tennessee is looking to build off a breakthrough 11-win season in 2022 and go a couple better next season, and the offseason preparations began a few weeks ago not long after the Vols added more than two dozen newcomers to the program. In addition to eight transfers, the new group included 19 players from Tennessee’s top-10 2023 recruiting class. Those newcomers have jumped straight into winter workouts and will go through spring practice when it begins on March 20.

For the fourth straight offseason, GoVols247 will be profiling each of the early enrollees to take an in-depth look at what he can provide for the 2023 team and beyond in our Newcomer Profile this month.

Next up is Top247 running back/wide receiver Cameron Seldon.
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OVERVIEW

Despite playing just four games as a sophomore and eight as a junior in at a low level of football and doing virtually nothing in terms of the camp circuit, Seldon emerged as a top target for Tennessee in 2022, and the Vols ultimately beat out Penn State and Maryland to land the elite athlete last summer. He was ranked a top-25 player in the 2023 class by 247Sports at the time of his commitment and wound up the No. 76 overall player in the final Top247. Out of Northumberland High School in rural Northern Virginia, Seldon was ranked the No. 3 athlete and the No. 1 player in Virginia.

As the best player on the field for his high school team, Seldon played all over the field, lining up at running back and wide receiver on offense and edge rusher and safety on defense and handling kickoff and punt returns on special teams. His senior season saw him total 551 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 20 yards per reception with five touchdown catches and scoring four return touchdowns (three kickoffs, one punt). Seldon also played basketball and was a sprinter and jumper during track-and-field season – the definition of an athlete.
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STRONG SUITS

Seldon looks like a man among boys in his senior-season highlights video as he dominates low-level competition with his speed, explosiveness and power. He was nearly impossible to tackle, and there’s a lot of times where his teammates are doing more watching than blocking – not that anyone can blame them for not wanting to miss an electric play. With Seldon potentially a running back, wide receiver or both, you’re evaluating his skill set with those two positions in mind.

The eye-opening part of Seldon’s game is the combination of his speed with his 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame. It shows up on film when he’s bouncing runs to the perimeter and running away from everybody in the open field, but you can’t just point to the competition level because it is backed up by verified track numbers. Seldon clocked personal-best times of 10.74 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.75 seconds in the 200 meters and won state titles in both events.
When running between the tackles, Seldon shows decent vision and body lean, and in traffic he has good balance for his size. As a receiver, Seldon isn’t an advanced route-runner – it was a lot of take-off routes, bubble screens and an occasional post – but he does well tracking the football in the air and making plays on the football, which also showed up when he played in the secondary. Seldon was able to use his frame well on jump balls, and when he gets the football in space, he’s obviously electric with his speed and suddenness.
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IMPROVEMENT NEEDED

Seldon admitted this to GoVols247 last month, but he faces a big learning curve from a technical standpoint given what he’s coming from. Playing in such a low classification of football, things were really easy for Seldon, and his team often wisely kept it simple with him. They could just get him the football via toss sweeps, bubble screens, direct snaps and the like and let him run past or through the opposing defense.

As a running back, he’ll have to learn how to read blocks, press holes, have patience and adjust to not being able to simply bounce the play outside and outrun everybody. There’s a couple of clips of him blocking in his highlight tape, but pass protection will be part of learning how to play running back, even though he's not the kind of player the Vols might ask to do that very often. As a receiver, Seldon needs to develop as a route-runner and sharpen the details needed to get in and out of breaks and read coverages.

Tennessee can afford to keep it simple with Seldon – just get him the football and let him do what he does – but how much he improves mentally and technically ultimately will determine how he’s used. The Vols won’t want to bog him down too much too soon in that regard. It’s also good he’s going in with an open mind and expecting to learn.

EARLY OUTLOOK
Tennessee’s initial plan with Seldon is to start him out at running back, as he told GoVols247 last month, and expand from there as he settles into the offense. More will be added to his plate based on how quickly he learns the scheme and how to play the position at this level. From Tennessee’s standpoint, the spring will be big for evaluating just what he can bring to the offense right away and going from there.

“You’ve got to get him good at one thing first … (then) start growing a guy like that’s extra roles,” offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said last week.
Opportunity shouldn’t be an issue in Tennessee’s backfield. Jabari Small and/or Jaylen Wright could be limited and/or in maintenance mode, and the Vols need to build their depth at running back. Seldon was one of the few early enrollees who didn’t go through bowl practices, so the Vols will be getting their first true evaluation of him in spring.

EXPECTATIONS

Like a couple of other skill players in this class, it’s hard not to get excited about the possibilities of adding a player with Seldon’s skill set to an explosive offense like Tennessee’s. The Vols like to create matchups with their best playmakers and add wrinkles to the game plan every week, and a hybrid athlete like Seldon, who can be used as a running back, a gadget-play guy or a wideout, fits the bill perfectly. Between the explosiveness and speed giving him home-run potential and his versatility to be used all over the field on an up-tempo offense, it’s easy to see why the Vols are so excited about him, even though both he and staff realize he’s raw with a lot to learn.

There’s also some return-game potential here as well because Seldon did it in high school – it’s another way to get the football in his hands. Our best educated guess before his first Tennessee practice is Seldon turns out to be more of a running back than a wide receiver, and the path for him to significant playing time is likely in the backfield. With a versatile piece like him, though, his position might not underline either his role or his impact.
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- 247
 
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#4,763
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allvolrecruiting said:
- 247
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Thanks for putting this out there. I have been and continue to be excited about his POTENTIAL not his PROBABILITY of instant impact at this level of competition. I am really glad he has evidently passed the initial eye tests and warrants this level of inquiry and discussion. IF IF IF he is a believer in his need to incrementally add these different skill sets and is a fast learner (TBD), it could be a fun career to follow if he avoids severe health and injury issues. Size and speed alone won't achieve that. Inherent vision, twitch, burst and reflexive response are either there or they are not. Learned skills can close the gap, but not as effective as adding production to that inherent base through practice and game reps. I have no problem with anybody requiring demonstration of the elements of his total package, especially due to the level of competition he experienced in HS. I will hope his deployment this spring and fall indicates he is a fast learner and did in fact arrive with superior athleticism that is not yet maxed out. I am not yet ready to start seeking out some prop bets with the services, but I do smile a lot when thinking about his potential. I don't know how to factor in the impact of D1 training tables, strength training, and speed training for HIM.
 
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#4,764
#4,764
GUNTERSVOL said:
Thanks for putting this out there. I have been and continue to be excited about his POTENTIAL not his PROBABILITY of instant impact at this level of competition. I am really glad he has evidently passed the initial eye tests and warrants this level of inquiry and discussion. IF IF IF he is a believer in his need to incrementally add these different skill sets and is a fast learner (TBD), it could be a fun career to follow if he avoids severe health and injury issues. Size and speed alone won't achieve that. Inherent vision, twitch, burst and reflexive response are either there or they are not. Learned skills can close the gap, but not as effective as adding production to that inherent base through practice and game reps. I have no problem with anybody requiring demonstration of the elements of his total package, especially due to the level of competition he experienced in HS. I will hope his deployment this spring and fall indicates he is a fast learner and did in fact arrive with superior athleticism that is not yet maxed out. I am not yet ready to start seeking out some prop bets with the services, but I do smile a lot when thinking about his potential. I don't know how to factor in the impact of D1 training tables, strength training, and speed training for HIM.
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Well said my brother
 
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#4,769
#4,769
utvols83 said:
Wright took a big step forward from his freshman to sophomore year. I wouldn't bet against him being even better next season. He might end up being a lot more elusive in 2023.
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No doubt sometimes players get better as they go. Wright did take a good step last year. No need to fight about who is better, we need all of them. Competition makes everybody better. GBO!
 
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