Jersey Shore AYF All-Star Tryouts: Running Back Standouts

On a beautiful, sunny, late-September day, the reigning AYF 14u All-Star Division National Champions held their official tryout for the 2021 season. Jersey Shore AYF had well over 100 players hit the field in Jackson, N.J. in an effort to travel to Florida in December and contend for a national championship. Here’s a look at some of the running backs that shined. <strong><img class="wp-image-212560 size-thumbnail alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/NajeeCalhoun-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />Najee Calhoun | Southern | 2026</strong> Calhoun left absolutely no doubt in my mind that he’s one of the top 2026 prospects in the entire state after what I saw at the tryout. At 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, Calhoun was absolutely chiseled and brought it on every rep. The soft-spoken star was a standout at both running back and linebacker throughout the day but solidified himself as one of the three backs the Jersey Shore AYF should take. He displayed a combination of speed and power that most backs on this level don’t have and made everything seem easy. The scariest thing about Calhoun is that is just scratching the surface for how good he could be. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-212561 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/AmiereMassie-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />[player_tooltip player_id="212381" first="Amiere" last="Massie"] | Long Branch | 2026</strong> Leading up to the tryout there was a lot of talk and hype about Massie from multiple coaches and athletes—and he did not disappoint. Massie has game-changing speed that was on display, specifically when athletes ran the 40-yard dash. Athletes were in shoulder pads and helmet, running against the wind and without any specific instruction on how to properly run—and he still turned in an unofficial, hand time, 4.58. His speed and quick feet made him a chore to keep up with during mirror drills and overall, he had a dominating day. <strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-212562 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/JonahGlenn-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />[player_tooltip player_id="212391" first="Jonah" last="Glenn"] | Jackson | 2026</strong> A virtual unknown to me heading into the tryout, Glenn was another athlete who stood out almost immediately. Some athletes just have a look to them and Glenn has “that look”. Standing at a very solid 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, Glenn was the most versatile of the standout running backs. With speed, quickness and elite ball skills to boot, he looks like he could be a situational/mismatch type of player that could have a big affect offensively. Glenn also showed that he could be moved into the slot, catch balls out of the backfield and or be split out wide if he needed to be.