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Cold weather and overcast clouds rolled into Oakland on Saturday for the 15th Nike SPARQ Combine of the spring season at Laney College.

Close to 1,100 athletes attended the Northern California stop of the national tour and if there was a theme it was the high number of players who played primarily as backups last season that could become major standouts this fall.

Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.) running back Matt Smith captured that theme perhaps more than anyone else, as he posted the top mark of the day with a 128.46 SPARQ rating. Smith’s effort was strong enough that it ranks third-highest among all combines in the nation this spring.

Top Rising Senior

Chris Solomon, ATH, West Covina (West Covina, Calif.)

Solomon increased his rating 28 points from last year and continues to build his reputation as a national recruit. After missing the Long Beach Nike SPARQ Combine due to another obligation, he trekked to the Bay Area and nailed a 106.17 SPARQ Rating. He blazed to a 4.58 time in the 40 to go with a 3.97 shuttle.

The 6-foot, 185-pound athlete isn’t just a workout warrior, as he produced on the field last year, earning Cal-Hi Sports junior all-state honors and he was the San Gabriel Valley Tribune Player of the Year. He rushed for 1,958 yards with 23 touchdowns plus eight interceptions, 90 tackles and four fumble recoveries on defense.

Rising Senior Honorable Mentions

Pio Vatuvei, DL, Patterson (Patterson, Calif.)

Last year, the small San Joaquin Valley town of Escalon was known for winning the CIF Division III state title. This year, the small San Joaquin Valley town of Patterson may be known for having Vatuvei, an emerging national-level Division I college prospect.

At 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, he displayed excellent athleticism by registering a 4.31 shuttle and 29-inch vertical jump. His 110.91 SPARQ Rating was the second highest of the day. He racked up 72 tackles and 12.5 sacks as a junior.

Tavita Taito, OL, Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.)

This sturdy guard prospect, who is getting serious attention from Oregon,  plays tackle for the Wolverines and has been on the radar of Northern California fans since he was chosen to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore Team two seasons ago.

On Saturday afternoon, Taito he flashed great lateral quickness for a player his size with a 4.62 shuttle. His 41-foot, 5-inch foot powerball also was tied for the best throw of the day.

Michael Martens, WR, Centennial (Bakersfield, Calif.)

He had the benefit of catching balls last season from quarterback Cody Kessler, who was among the nation’s top signal callers and is now at USC. Martens snagged 24 receptions for 507 yards and three scores during his junior campaign.

At Laney College on Saturday, the pass-catching threat posted a 35.5-inch vertical leap and ran a 4.74 in the 40. He is receiving recruiting mail from Colorado State and San Jose State.

Matt Smith, RB, Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.)

The under-the-radar rusher earned the highest SPARQ Rating of the day with a 128.46, which also puts him among the top-three in the nation and makes him a contender for the SPARQ Rating national championship.

The major marks that helped Smith score so high included a 4.51 in the 40 and a 3.90 in the shuttle. He played mostly as a backup as a junior, but made the most of his opportunity at the combine. Smith said he is interested in Iowa and has received a few letters from the Hawkeyes.

Valentino Miles, Jr., RB, Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco, Calif.)

Despite missing a couple of starts with an ankle injury, Miles still managed to rush for 1,225 yards in seven games and scored 17 touchdowns this past season. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound Miles notched a 95.67 SPARQ Rating in Oakland after finishing with a 70.83 at the Long Beach combine in April. Boise State, Colorado, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah are showing interest.

Shedric Allen, FB, Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.)

You have to wonder if one of the reasons why Pleasant Grove’s Mark Jenkins rushed for 2,700 yards last season was due to Allen playing the fullback position. The 5-foo-9, 225-pounder shined at Laney College with a 98.31 SPARQ Rating. His best single test probably was the 40; he clocked a 4.72, impressive for his weight.

Andrew Fink, LB, Foothill (Tustin, Calif.)

Fink is a testament to the value of a reaching 100 points or higher for a SPARQ Rating. He recently reached 97 at the Long Beach combine and made a special effort to get to Oakland on Saturday. The effort paid off; Fink ended up with a mark of 105.33, the fourth-highest of the day. The second team all-leaguer played primarily as a defensive end as a junior and says he’ll play outside linebacker this season.

Top underclassman

Brandon Monroe, RB, Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.)

The Del Oro product is a multi-sport star who runs track in the off-season. Monroe flashed excellent speed and quickness with a 4.64 in the 40 and 4.15 in the shuttle. He tallied 27 TDs at the JV level last fall, but was moved up to the varsity for the playoffs. With the type of offense the Golden Eagles run and the competition they play, Monroe could be a breakout performer this fall. He likes Oregon, USC and Oregon State and deemed USC as his dream school.

Underclassmen honorable mentions

Rasean Jones, RB, Central (Fresno, Calif.)

Great looking underclass product who is hoping to get his name on the map among several other seniors at Central this fall. Jones actually played last year at San Joaquin Memorial, but was behind running back Chris Brown (now a senior and a legit Div. I prospect himself). At Central, Jones may have a better opportunity.

At the combine, Jones earned a 91.65 SPARQ Rating, and should see his name on the radar come next year if he cracks the starting lineup. He had a solid 40 of 4.67, and exploded with a 36.6-inch vertical leap.

Wayne Thomas, WR, Rodriguez (Fairfield, Calif.)

He had a stellar sophomore year with 41 receptions and double-digit TDs as a receiver at the JV level. Thomas has the speed to be a great vertical threat with a 4.64 in the 40 and ultra-quick 4.24 in the shuttle. If Thomas can compete at a high level on varsity next year, then his name should surface on some college recruiting lists.

Kevin Palma, TE, Mission Oak (Tulare, Calif.)

This All-Tulare County selection as a sophomore also was nearly picked to the all-state sophomore team. He tallied 33 receptions for 410 yards and four scores. On Saturday, Palma tossed the powerball 40-feet to go along with a 31-inch vertical, showing off his lower-body power. He also is planning to attend the Palo Alto Nike Camp this weekend.

Warren Long, RB, James Logan (Union City, Calif.)

Long has the size at 191 pounds to be a power back with solid linear speed. During the combine, he had a solid shuttle time of 4.40 and a vertical leap of 32.9 inches. He is staying busy on the off-season trail and will compete at the Nike Camp at Stanford on Sunday afternoon.

Lamar Bible, RB, Rio Linda (Rio Linda, Calif.)

The book on Bible is that he’s a speedy rusher who clocked a 4.77 in the 40 and a blistering 4.09 in the shuttle. The 5-foot-10, 165-pounder needs to add some muscle to his frame, but looks like an effective back. His 92.49 rating was third best among the underclass group.

Marcelis Logan, RB, Lexington Catholic (Lexington, Ky.)

Logan is the son of former NFL running back Marc Logan and will only be a sophomore this fall. He came to Oakland due to his father having previously played for the San Francisco 49ers and did very well. Despite turning 15 just a few days ago, Logan clocked one of the top-25 times in the 40-yard dash and had a promising 63.69 SPARQ Rating. In one game last year for the varsity, Logan scored on an 82-yard run.

Oakland Nike SPARQ Combine Top Fives

SPARQ Rating
1. Matt Smith, RB, Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.) 128.46
2. Pio Vatuvei, DL, Patterson (Patterson, Calif.) 110.91
3. Chris Solomon, ATH, West Covina (West Covina, Calif.) 106.17
4. Andrew Fink, LB, Foothill (Tustin, Calif.) 105.33
5. Alex Fong, DB, North Valleys (Reno, Nev.) 100.17

40-yard dash
1. Matt Smith, RB, Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.) 4.51
2. Jonathan Hong, RB, Vanden (Travis AFB, Calif.) 4.54
3. Josh Miguel, RB, Escalon (Escalon, Calif.) 4.57
4. Christopher Solomon, ATH, West Covina (West Covina, Calif.) 4.58
5. (Tie) Kevin Ezebuiro, LB, California (San Ramon, Calif.) 4.61

20-yard shuttle
1. Connor Graves, RB, Whitney (Rocklin, Calif.) 3.81
2. Matt Smith, RB, Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.) 3.90
3. (Tie) Alex Fong, DB, North Valley (Reno, Nev.) 3.91
3. (Tie) Andrew Ho, WR, San Mateo (San Mateo, Calif.), 3.91
4. Josh Hadley, RB, Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) 3.93

Kneeling Power Ball
1. (Tie) Pio Vatuvei, DL, Patterson (Patterson, Calif.) 41.5
1. (Tie) Tavita Taito, OL, Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.) 41.5
1. (Tie) Shedric Allen, LB, Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.) 41.5
1. (Tie) Chase Eldredge, OL, Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes, Calif.) 41.5
2. JoJo Bones, QB, Lincoln (Stockton, Calif.) 41.0

Vertical Jump
1. Kam Brenn Heatley, RB, Palo Verde (Las Vegas, Nev.) 38.1
2. Rasean Jones (’13), RB, Central (Fresno, Calif.) 36.6
3. Matt Smith, RB, Deer Valley (Antioch, Calif.) 36.5
4. Manuel Conde, RB, Clovis East (Clovis, Calif.) 36.4
5. Carter Blaise (’13), WR, Heritage (Brentwood, Calif.) 35.7

Stay tuned to ESPNRISE.com for more from the Oakland Nike SPARQ combine all week long.