Jersey Gridiron Scout Features Area Talent pt.1

There was so much talent at the Jersey Gridiron Scout Showcase I had to make more than one article to do it justice. We are blessed in South Jersey to have someone like Coach Tom Pajic, who cares so much about these players and providing an opportunity for college exposure with over 50 college coaches in attendance! I’ve been lucky enough to go to more than a few camps and showcases over the last few years, and Jersey Gridiron Scout puts on great events for players and coaches. Also, thank you to Rodrick Self of D2 Athletics, Mark Trible of the Hats off Podcast and James Moton II from Gridiron Access for covering the event. You may never know what these men and their staff have done for South Jersey football and they all inspire me to keep grinding for our local talent. [player_tooltip player_id="215740" first="Angelo" last="Rodriguez"], Jr., RB, Highland Twitter: @lowstro24 Angelo was very impressive at the showcase with his speed and elusiveness, and his film reflects this. Listed at 5’10, 205 lbs., he has an excellent combination of size and speed allowing him to burst through the second level of defenders. Some players only look fast at camps, but Angelo has true top end speed. His film shows long runs of him pulling away from defenders, often breaking the pursuit angles of defenders on his way to his 1300 rushing yards. He’s definitely not just a speed back though. He shows tough running as well, breaking tackles and displaying good lateral movement for 19 total touchdowns this season. Angelo was also named 1st team All-Liberty Division for the Highland Tartans. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16440483/Angelo-Rodriguez">https://www.hudl.com/profile/16440483/Angelo-Rodriguez</a> Jalexin Pimentel, Sr., WR, Ridgefield Park<img class="size-medium wp-image-258034 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/20211218_153116-e1640617663297-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Twitter: @JalexinPimentel First things first, he’s all of 6’2, which scouts love but not all tall guys can play and not all tall guys actually play tall. Check on both for Jalexin. He was very impressive. During the showcase he used his body to shield defenders and tracked the ball over his head for some impressive downfield catches. This was also apparent in his film as he made great adjustments with the ball in the air, allowing him to use his length to leverage defenders. The thing that really stood out in his film though was his on field awareness. He made great possession catches, toes barely in bounds on the sideline for first downs and touchdowns. You may see one of those type catches in a High school players film but he has multiple plays of this kind. This shows me that Jalexin is the kind of heady players with a high football IQ that I’m sure college coaches are going to love. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11169743/Jalexin-Pimentel">https://www.hudl.com/profile/11169743/Jalexin-Pimentel</a> &nbsp; Justin Kurc, Sr., DB, Brick Township Twitter: @JustinKurc I watched the drills and was struck at how smooth an athlete Justin is. He went through the drills and was so light on his feet you couldn’t even here his feet hit the ground. He was also very smooth through his drills, which is unusual for a 6 ft, 190 lb. player. Justin’s film shows impressive athleticism on offense and defense but this young man is built to play safety. A true ballhawk Justin has great range in zone coverage and attacks the ball at it’s highest point for those pretty interceptions that jump out on film. He also comes down in the box in run support like a boss, zeroing in on running backs for solo tackles on runs that would have definitely been big gains. Truly must see film! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11501674/Justin-Kurc">https://www.hudl.com/profile/11501674/Justin-Kurc</a> &nbsp; Omari Owes, Sr., RB, Bordentown<img class="size-medium wp-image-258038 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/20211218_112448-e1640617716725-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Twitter: @omariowes_ Omari is a well-built Running back at 5’9, 195 lbs who showed great footwork through his drills at the showcase, exploding out of his cuts and his film shows much of the same. He’s a ground and pound RB with good speed and vision for cutback lanes. What impressed me in particular was his balance, something I find sorely lacking in high school running backs these days. Omari is strong, allowing him to run through arm tackles, drag or sometimes just plain run over defenders for extra yards. Anyone looking for a downhill runner with good size would do well to give Omari a look. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11546173/Omari-Owes">https://www.hudl.com/profile/11546173/Omari-Owes</a>