Under Recruited Athlete
NCEC DMV 2026 Camp at Morgan State: Where Exposure Meets Opportunity
Baltimore, Maryland – On a brisk 53-degree day at Morgan State University, the NCEC DMV 2026 Camp transformed into a national proving ground for high school football talent. Athletes traveled from across the country—including Texas, New York, and Canada to bring a high level of competition to the DMV and reinforce the region’s growing reputation as a football hotspot. For many, this was not just another camp. It was a platform for exposure, education, and opportunity for four athletes, who received scholarship offers on the spot.
From Atlanta to the DMV: A Proven National Blueprint
Before the DMV stop, the NCEC Camp opens up in Derrick Tatum’s home base of Atlanta, where he has built a platform and a reputation as the largest and most influential football camp in the South. A proven platform where under-recruited athletes gain real evaluation and exposure before breaking out. For over 12 years, this camp has consistently attracted top-level talent and expertise, featuring current NFL players, NFL veterans, Super Bowl champions, former FBS coaches, college recruiters, national recruiting services, media outlets, regional organizations, former college standouts, and elite trainers and influencers.
The NCEC Camp has helped more than 500 athletes receive college offers, and more than 200 athletes go on to college programs. This shows impact in the volume and development, not necessarily a widely published alumni list of household names.
NCEC has been a platform and stage that has seen elite talent come through, including:
Current Collegiate Athletes:
- 5-Star (ATH) Chief Borders – Univ. of Florida Commit who transferred to Nebraska and is now at Pittsburgh University
- 5-Star (QB) JuJu Lewis – Starting QB at the University of Colorado under Coach Deion Sanders
- 4-Star (WR) Cam’Ron Wilson – Arizona State commit who transferred to Indiana University, winning a National Championship
- 4-Star (QB) MJ Morris – Maryland Commit who transferred to NC State, then Coastal Carolina, and now is at Texas University
- 4-Star (QB) Carlos Delrio – Univ. of Florida Commit who transferred to Syracuse and is currently starting for Marshall University
- 4-Star (Edge) Jay Beamon – Penn State Commit who transferred to Illinois University
Notable NCEC Alumni in the NFL:
- Trevor Lawrence – 5-star athlete committed to Clemson, drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 1st Round and is their franchise QB.
- Derrick Brown – Auburn University Defensive Tackle, who was the SEC Defensive Player of The Year. Drafted 1st Round and currently plays with the Carolina Panthers
- Mecole Hardman – 5-star athlete committed to Georgia, drafted to the Kansas Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowl Championships.
- Kyle Hamilton – Notre Dame Safety, who was Drafted 1st Round by the Baltimore Ravens.
Along with numerous current college standouts and rising prospects who used the platform as a launch point into national recruiting conversations. The significance is clear: this isn’t a new event, it’s an extension of a system that already works.
For the past two years, the NCEC DMV, hosted by Under Recruited Athlete (URA), has created a real sense of urgency around evaluation and exposure in DMV. Today’s high school athletes aren’t just competing against their peers; they’re also competing with players in the transfer portal, while college recruiters are increasingly looking for high school prospects who are ready to contribute immediately at the FBS level.
Coach Alonzo McDowell of URA and his team approach this differently. Their mission is to prepare underexposed DMV athletes to be truly competitive while showcasing talent often overlooked by colleges that prioritize larger, powerhouse public schools and nationally ranked private schools over smaller public schools. The DMV is rich with talent, yet has an overwhelming number of rural and small 3A-1A division schools with players capable of playing college football. Unfortunately, the DMV is somewhat behind in promoting football, despite being surrounded by numerous schools and conferences across the area. It remains underrecognized nationally as a football hub, despite producing numerous top-tier NFL athletes.
“The pipeline and development start with education and evaluation testing,” explains Alonzo McDowell. “Athletes and their parents need to understand where they stand against national competition so they can build a realistic plan for getting recruited. In today’s landscape, that investment may include working with a consultant or recruiting service to help navigate the process”.
College recruiting has changed; coaches aren’t traveling from school to school the way they once did. They’re going where the visibility is: camps, showcases, and platforms driven by hype, national media, and social media exposure. While programs still rely on analysts, tools like MaxPreps, and relationships with local scouts and high school coaches to identify talent and manage travel budgets, exposure has become more centralized.
That’s why it’s critical for athletes to visit local colleges, not just to gain visibility but to build genuine relationships so that programs in the region understand they’re a serious option. It also gives both athletes and parents a realistic reference point, helping reset expectations around Division I aspirations, level of competition, and campus facilities.
In addition, families should attend games across all divisions to truly understand the differences in player size, speed, and overall skill level. Seeing it live provides clarity on where an athlete currently stands and what it takes to compete at each level. From there, take that insight and develop a plan with your trainers to improve in key areas, while learning from individuals who have already reached that level of play.
This is also why objective testing is so important. Zybek Sports, the official timing provider for the NFL Scouting Combine, Rivals, and other major camps across the country, provides standardized data that can be cross-referenced nationally. That means athletes can clearly see where they stand against others in their class and better understand what it takes to compete at the next level.
What sets this camp apart is the addition of Elite Talent Football’s NCEC platform and the national network of Derrick Tatum, whose relationships with college coaches span every level of the game. His experience, including operating at a high level within several national camps and events such as the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where he served as Director for Middle School and High School athletes, brings a proven national model to the region.
“We’ve brought to the DMV an NFL veteran who lives and breathes recruiting,” McDowell added. “This is the same camp model he’s successfully run in Atlanta—one I personally attended several times before partnering to bring it here to Morgan State University. We’re extremely grateful to Coach Damon Wilson and the university administration for recognizing the need and value of this camp. Bringing this model to the DMV immediately elevates the region into a national recruiting pipeline, connecting local talent to broader opportunities and visibility.”
Why Bringing NCEC to the DMV Changes Everything
The DMV has always had talent, but not always equal exposure.
By planting a proven platform like NCEC in Baltimore:
- Local athletes now compete on a nationally recognized stage without leaving home
- Out-of-state talent from states as far as Texas, Connecticut, Canada, and states regionally come into the DMV, raising competition
- College coaches and evaluators gain a centralized hub to assess talent
It shifts the region from:
“We have talent, that need to be seen” to “You need to come here to see it.” That’s a major shift in recruiting power for the DMV.
The Role of Under-Recruited Athlete: Media Meets Opportunity
A key driver of that shift was the collaboration among coaches from Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland to create a platform to properly showcase their athletes. Under Recruited Athlete played an important role in building trust across both public and private school programs, helping ensure that under-recruited athletes received the exposure they needed.
Coaches viewed this as an extension of their existing recruiting efforts, and the impact was immediate. Four athletes who entered the camp without offers left with scholarship opportunities.
In today’s recruiting world, talent alone isn’t enough; you need:
- A Network
- A Social Media Visibility
- Personal Branding
- Storytelling
URA has positioned itself as a major national media voice for overlooked athletes throughout the country, giving players:
- Highlight exposure
- Interview platforms
- Personnal Branding
- NIL Partnership Exposure & Opportunity
- Digital Presence That Reaches College Coaches
- National Visibility Through Storytelling
- Brand Consulting
At NCEC DMV, that role was critical.
This wasn’t just about performance. It was about the full process: learning, networking, gaining visibility, testing, skill development, and getting your film and verified data in front of college coaches at every level. Last year alone, more than 12 athletes received offers through our network, while many others gained the exposure that helped catapult their scholarship opportunities.
Together, NCEC + URA create a powerful combination:
- NCEC = Evaluation & Competition
- URA = Exposure & Branding
That synergy is what turns a good performance into a real recruiting opportunity.
A National Stage in the Heart of the DMV Delivers For A Second Year
The DMV has long been one of the most talent-rich areas in the country, yet many athletes still face barriers to consistent exposure from recruiters. The NCEC DMV Camp helped close that gap by bringing college-level insight, national media attention, and elite competition directly to the region. Instead of traveling across the country to be seen, prospects could compete in front of experienced evaluators and mentors, turning Morgan State into a central hub for recruiting visibility.
Hosting the event at a Division 1 HBCU added another layer of significance. Morgan State provided not just a field, but a college atmosphere rooted in legacy and opportunity, exposing athletes to pathways that extend beyond traditional Power Five programs. It allows student-athletes an opportunity to see firsthand a hidden gem in the DMV that boosts a historical legacy of Hall of Famers in multiple sports, notably producing four Pro Football Hall of Famers (Len Ford, Leroy Kelly, Willie Lanier, and Roservelt Brown.
A Powerful Diverse Speaker Lineup
What elevated the camp beyond competition was its lineup of respected coaches, trainers, and mentors who brought national-level insight:
- Derrick Tatum (NFL Veteran, Elite Talent Football) emphasized exposure and preparation in today’s recruiting world
- Alonzo McDowell (Under Recruited Athlete / URA Sports Show) spoke on visibility and athlete branding
- Michael Weinstein (Zybek Sports) highlighted performance metrics and measurable development
- Coach Scorpio Brown (Apprentice School) gave insight into college expectations and discipline
- Derrick McPherson (MacFitness Performance) discussed long-term athletic development
- Dr. Maurice Thorton focused on mental toughness and confidence
- Coach Ty Bailey (Former D1 Defensive Tackle) shared his journey from Baltimore standout to college football
- Keith Willis (NFL Veteran, 360 Elite Prep/ Recruiting)delivered perspective from the professional level
- Coach Bellamy (Former D1 Coach/ NFL Vet) broke down recruiting realities across all college levels
Together, they provided athletes with a 360-degree understanding of what it takes to succeed, from mindset to measurable performance.
