Five 2022 NJ prospects you should get to know
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Prep Redzone is always looking to find those hidden gems when it comes to New Jersey high school football. These players have put in the work on the field but have gone under-the-radar when it comes to recruiting. To help…
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Continue ReadingPrep Redzone is always looking to find those hidden gems when it comes to New Jersey high school football. These players have put in the work on the field but have gone under-the-radar when it comes to recruiting. To help bridge that gap, I’ll be talking with some of the people “in the know” when it comes to identifying some of the best under-the-radar talent in New Jersey. I recently talked with former South Carolina linebacker and current St. Joseph’s Academy coach Kaiwan Lewis about several prospects. Lewis also runs a sports performance company called Stay Humble Eat Crumbs (SHEC). Here are a few athletes that came up during our conversation.
Jahqir Haley Ι 6-1 Ι 190 Ι Safety Ι St. Joseph Academy
Haley had a junior season in 2020 that should’ve caught the eye of college coaches. His ten interceptions last year were good for No. 1 in New Jersey and No. 2 in the entire nation. Hill also forced five fumbles and deflected six passes. It goes without saying that he’s a highly instinctive player. He does a great job of taking cues from the quarterback and anticipates where the football is going. He’s very opportunistic and ball tracking comes naturally to him. He’s always looking to punch out fumbles and create turnovers. I can see him being a hybrid safety/linebacker as the next level.
Nasir Hill Nasir Hill 6'1" | DB St. Augustine | 2022 State NJ Ι 6-1 Ι 190 Ι Safety Ι St. Augustine Prep HS
I’ll start off with Hill by mentioning that, according to Lewis, he is “on the cusp of being a straight-A student” and that all his teachers say “he’s a pleasure to have in class”. On the field, Hill accounted for six touchdowns and three interceptions last season. I have to admit, he’s not exactly “under the radar” with offers from Buffalo, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Temple. It remains to be seen if he’ll be able to gain interest from schools outside of the northeast in the upcoming months.
Elijah Steward Elijah Steward 6'0" | 165 lbs | WR Holy Spirit | 2022 State NJ Ι 5-10.5 Ι 166 Ι Wide Receiver Ι Holy Spirit HS
I love the way he goes up in the air to high-point the football when it comes to 50/50 throws that come his way. Based on his highlights, he did the most damage when he was lined up on the inside and matched up with a safety. That’s smart game-planning by his coaches. Steward has over 60 receptions, over 1,000 receiving yards, and 17 touchdowns in his career thus far.
Kenneth Selby Ι 5-10.5 Ι 170 Ι Cornerback Ι St. Augustine Prep HS
Selby was good for four interceptions during the 2020 season. He’s good at closing and tackling quickly after the catch. He doesn’t lose sight of his receiver in zone defense. Better than average burst to recover or attack the throw. Needs to do a little better with his jam at the line-of-scrimmage. Maintains feel in early stages of the route and is able to crowd the receiver. Adept at reading the quarterback’s eyes from Cover 2 or Cover 3.
John Lista Ι 6-2 Ι 215 Ι Linebacker Ι Rumson-Fair Haven HS
Lista had a monster junior year. He made 75 total tackles (20 of them for a loss), sacked the quarterback four times, forced four fumbles and recovered three of them. After watching his highlights, the only surprise is that he doesn’t have more offers from FBS schools. Lista currently holds offers from Penn, Lehigh, Monmouth, Kent State, Dartmouth and Navy. The first play of his film sets the tone of a tone of plays showing his tackling prowess, speed in which he gets to the ball carrier, blitzing ability against the run and pass….. you get the drift. He’s a dominant player on the field that could benefit from being able to work out in front of college coaches this summer. As Lewis told me, his film speaks for itself.