AYF National Tournament: PRZNext's Hardest Hitters

What's your favorite part about the game of football? Deep passes that make a crowd hold their breath when the ball is the air? Well-timed cuts and jukes that send a defender sprawling? A perfectly executed stunt or pass rush move from a DL? If you ask me: I love big hits. I know this isn't the most original answer and I'm not the only one to share this affinity for explosive contact, but I don't mind, as it is what sets football apart from every other sport and makes its players the toughest dudes on the block. Since I was a little kid I always naturally kept track of different teams biggest hitter, and it wasn't long before I was nonstop Youtubing highlights of Steve Atwater, Jack Tatum, John Lynch, and my favorite player of all time: Sean Taylor. During my time scouting middle school talent at the AYF National Tournament in Kissimmee, I saw some massive sticks. From safeties coming downhill, LBs filling a gap, lineman pulling, and the occasional RB truck stick, I saw it all, and below I will be highlighting the hardest hitting players I saw during my three days scouting some of the best youth football teams in the nation. For the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and exciting coverage of youth football across the U.S., make sure to subscribe to PrepRedzoneNEXT. Thanks for reading! Kyon Riley Jr. (Eastside Cowboys) DB. C/o 2026. 5'7, 150 lbs. Although he wasn't the biggest defender I saw during my time in Kissimmee, Detroit native Kyon Riley Jr. was pound-for-pound the most explosive hitter. #25 of the Eastside Cowboys was a lean, wiry, and longer safety with a nose for the football and a ton of natural pop in his pads. Riley Jr. did a great job of bringing his hips and exploding through contact and would freeze ball-carriers in their tracks at first contact. Although he didn't always wrap up, he really didn't need to, as the location of first contact and how much force he brought did more than enough to halt RBs, WRs, and QBs in their tracks. Whether the man in front of him was 135 lbs. or 210, he didn't care in the slightest, and I don't think I saw him miss a tackle in the two games I saw him play. Yet another 313 athlete to know! <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-271303" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Kyon-Riley-Jr-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Kyon Riley Jr. - Eastside Cowboys Skylar Lendsey (OG Ducks) LB. C/o 2026. 5'10, 190 lbs. @SkylarLendsey Rocking an intimidating #00 and sporting a thick, powerful build at the MLB position, OG Ducks thumper Skylar Lendsey was hard to miss at the AYF National Tournament. He was a traditional ILB in both his mentality as well as physique, and his downhill style of play kept the pads crackin' all game along against the powerful Vegas Strong 14U All-American squad. He was a force when taking on blocks and was able to absorb contact from oncoming pullers as well and maintain body control to hold a gap and make a play on the football. When he got ahold of ballcarriers he crumpled them once getting his hands on them and was consistent in keeping his feet pumping after initial contact and didn't allow ballcarriers to fall forward for extra yardage. With the tradition of LBs coming out of the Ducks program I'd keep my eye out for the name Skylar Lendsey in the next four years. Ezekial Su'a (OG Ducks) LB. C/o 2026. I've already mentioned Mr. Su'a in one of my previous PrepRedzoneNEXT features highlighting my overall favorite players at the AYF Tourney as #55's flowing hair and pedal-to-the-metal playstyle were reminiscent of many great Polynesian players before him coming out of California and the West Coast. Su'a played fast and was able to explode through ballcarriers thanks to his outstanding angles and the overall force he could generate even off of a could of steps. He was quick out of his stance, identifying the play, and when changing directions, all of which combined to make him a magnet for the football in Kissimmee, Florida. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-264104" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Ezekial-Sua-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Ezekial Su'a - OG Ducks Mike McClenton (Osceola Kowboys) MLB/RB. C/o 2026. The Central Florida native played like a semi whose breaks cut out. He'd bounce off hits and contact with ease from both the LB and RB positions thanks to a strong lower body and a consistently low pad level. It was especially fun to watch him tote the rock offensively, as he could pin ball weaker tackle attempts off his thigh and shoulder pads like Derrick Henry. As the captain of the Kowboys defense he was also perfectly suited to crack pads with lineman inside the box, and he always made sure to bring the physicality at the point of attack and left more than a few opponents hurtin' after meeting him in the hole. McClenton was the hammer, not the nail. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-271295" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Mike-McClenton-crop-640x421-1642470454-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Mike McClenton - Osceola Kowboys Aldarius Johnson Jr. (Miami Gardens Ravens) DB. 6', 145 lbs. C/o 2026. @AldariusJr Great size for safety at the youth football level. Long frame that is going to really develop well in a high school lifting program. Technically sound and rarely missed a tackle from the free safety position. Great in space and could track and trigger on the ball well to boot. Johnson Jr. caught my eye and certified his name for this list after coming downhill like a bat out of hell, completely enveloping the RB and picking him high up into the air for a violently impressive body slam. This happened multiple times in the Miami Gardens matchup with the Glen Lea Lions, and Johnson Jr. just did a great job as the last line of defense for the Ravens. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-271300" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Aldarius-Johnson-Jr.-crop-640x421-1642470600-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Aldarius Johnson Jr. - Miami Gardens Antonio Jones (Motor City) DB. 5'11, 150 lbs. C/o 2027 A physically imposing 13U prospect out of Detroit, Jones looked the part and backed up his look and attitude with a physical playstyle that really got in the heads of opposing WRs through the four quarters of a ball game. He made a couple big hits over the middle of the field on short and intermediate routes that leveled wideouts and had them keeping a lookout for #2 out of the corner of their eyes every time they ran a slant, dig, or post. Bradyn Cook (Cocoa Tigers) LB. C/o 2026 The leader of the fast and furious Cocoa Tigers 14U All-American defense was a menace between the tackles and was a thumper in every sense of the word whose hits echoed throughout the fields of the Austin-Tindall Sports Complex in Kissimmee. He did a great job of getting under the pads of bigger lineman as well as RBs and TEs and his thick build and natural strength produced some thundering blows that left pullers and ballcarriers on their butts wondering what happened. Did his best work in the box and against the run. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-271306" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Bradyn-Cook-crop-623x409-1642470858-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Bradyn Cook - Cocoa Tigers Trinity Hill-Caleb (Marshall Heights Bison) OLB. 6'1, 150 lbs. C/o 2026 With spider-like arms and a long frame with a big wingspan, Marshall Heights' OLB Trinity Hill-Caleb could completely envelop RBs and WRs to stop their momentum. Whether it was off the edge or in the flat or hook/curl areas of the zone, his overwhelming length helped him halt stronger opponents in their tracks, and he had an aggressive mentality that served him well in both the trenches and out in space. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-271302" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Trinity-Hill-Caleb-crop-623x409-1642470675-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Trinity Hill-Caleb - Marshall Heights DeAnthony Walker-McGee (Eastside Cowboys) S. 6'1, 160 lbs. One of the most impressive overall athletes I saw during my time at the AYF National Championships came out of Detroit and the explosive DeAnthony Walker-McGee. He also happened to be one of the hardest hitters I got to see while scouting in Kissimmee and could come down from his safety spot with a jarring amount of force that was devastating at the point of attack. His hits were some of the loudest I witnessed during the week, and he was able to get to the toes of ballcarriers so quickly that they rarely had time to react, attempt to get out of the way, or even brace themselves for the hit. It was like one second he was sticking his foot in the ground and the next he was already hip to hip with the RB or QB. Walker-McGee brought the boom! <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-264123" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/DeAnthony-Walker-McGee-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> DeAnthony Walker-McGee - Eastside Cowboys Daniel MacCharles (So Cal Trojans) LB. C/o 2026. 5'10, 215 lbs. @Dan32Mac Possibly the thickest 'backers I saw while scouting talent at the AYF National Tournament came out of Southern California and the So Cal Trojans' bowling ball of a LB Daniel MacCharles. Big #32 was a tank in the run game who required double teams to remove him from running lanes. He was strong enough to tackle ballcarriers head-on and higher than traditional tackling form suggests, which allowed him to halt runs as soon as he made contact and prevent extra yards and YAC. If he can add a few inches through the year he is going to be a serious run-stuffer at the high school level. There was no shortage of thumpers from California. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-271298" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Daniel-Maccharles-crop-640x421-1642470522-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Daniel MacCharles - So Cal Trojans Amir Parker (Cocoa Tigers) DE. 6'4, 220 lbs. C/o 2026 The most impressive DE I saw while in Kissimmee came from the talented Cocoa Tigers and their big #48 Amir Parker. With legit pass-rush moves and mobility off the edge, Parker absolutely wrecked QBs coming off the top of the arch and decimated gunslingers from the blindside. He'd hit kids so hard you'd be worried that they'd be out of the game, and with legit size, length, and strength, I think Parker has the chance to play varsity ball at the next level sooner than almost everybody else on this list. I'll be keeping a close eye on the East Florida product these next few years. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-264096" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Amir-Parker-crop-640x421-1641582078-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Amir Parker - Cocoa Tigers Terrance Page (South Philly Sharks) DB. C/o 2026 Another long, rangy safety prospect with noteworthy speed out of his breaks and an impressive ability to trigger on the football, Page was a very consistent tackler who was playing through pain and injuries but had himself a great game from the defensive backfield in the run game. He'd fire at the legs of RBs and WRs with so much force he'd look like a streaking missile, and he regularly upended ballcarriers and sent them flying through the air like they stepped on a land mine. He was also a violent runner from the RB position and was a heckvua athlete coming from the Northeast.