AYF National Tournament: PRzNext's QB and TE Standouts

PrepRedzoneNEXT had an awesome time covering the vaunted AYF National Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida and we are very much looking forward to coming back in the future to find, scout, and evaluate some of the best youth football teams in America. To wrap up my individual content from the tourney I will be highlighting class of ’26, ’27, and ’28 talent from every position on the football field that I got my eyes on during the three days I spent in Central Florida. To start things off I will be breaking down the game of the quarterbacks and tight ends I liked at the AYF Championships, and before I begin I wanted to make sure our readers know that I was not able to watch every team in the 14, 13, and 12U brackets, so the below selections are from the pool of athletes I got to check out myself. There were definitely stud QBs and TEs I unfortunately did not get to see, but don’t let that take away from the talent of the 10 gunslingers and big boys mentioned in this PrepRedzoneNEXT article. These dudes can ball and will soon be featured across high school gridirons all around the U.S. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Quarterbacks Maika Eugenio (Vegas Strong) C/o 2026. @eugenio_maika Of all the positions on the football field I am the most dubious when scouting quarterbacks. Especially at the youth level, it is really hard to predict and determine a number of factors for young QB's development, including size, arm strength, and decision making, so I am hard to impress when evaluating signal-callers. All of that being said, I saw a lot of good things out of 14U Vegas Strong QB Maika Eugenio and he was my favorite player at the position I saw during my time at the AYF Tournament. Despite being smaller in statute compared to some other QBs in his division, Eugenio had one of the best arms I saw in Kissimmee and was by far the most accurate. He could make every throw asked of him by his OC and showed solid ball placement on throws at all levels of the football field. He also possessed clean footwork, a quick release, and saw the field well. He was smart and confident with the football despite facing an onslaught of pass-rushers from the OG Ducks front-seven in their 14U All-American heavyweight matchup. If he can hit the weight room hard and continue to sharpen his technique I think he may be a star in the Nevada High School football scene in the coming years. Zachary Benitez (San Diego Bolts) C/o 2027. 6', 185 lbs. @ZacharyBenitez3 The most hyped-up quarterback I heard about coming into the San Diego Bolts matchup with the Motor City Jaguars, Benitez had good size for a 2027 prospect who was strong in the pocket and a physical runner when he tucked the ball and took off. Although sometimes streaky in his accuracy, Benitez could rifle the ball into windows with impressive zip and also possessed the arm strength to get the ball downfield and threaten defenses vertically. He also did a good job of leading receivers as well as delivering balls through contact. He's a tough kid who is a physical specimen for his age and a strong arm with a lot of promise. Definite name to keep an eye on in the 2027 class. Koa Smith-Mayall (Oceanside Warriors) C/o 2027. IG: warriorkoa12 Athletic and mobile 2027 QB who showed off an ability to deliver accurate passes from a variety of different angles either in/around the pocket or out on the edge when rolling out and/or buying time. Quick release, good footwork, and showed a lot of poise and presence when leading his Oceanside Warriors squad in the AYF National Tournament. On the smaller side, but has a lot of time to grow and develop his frame as well as his arm for downfield throws. Mark Holden (Marshall Heights Bison) C/o 2026. Had a cannon attached to his shoulder and could throw the deep ball in eye-popping fashion. The ball would fire out of his hand and he could consistently hit a tight spiral on downfield passes that would float through the air like a baseball catching the wind as it flies for a stadium's outfield. However, there were a lot of overthrows despite the ball's prettiness, so there is still work to be done in both Holden's mechanics as well as timing. Arm talent is definitely present, though! <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Mark-Holden-Marshall-Heights-crop-637x418-1642547169.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-271964" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Mark-Holden-Marshall-Heights-crop-637x418-1642547169-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Mark Holden - Marshall Heights Bison Brandon Holmes (Eastside Cowboys) C/o 2026. 6', 140 lbs. A lean, long, and explosive signal-caller who brought a lot of dynamic athleticism to the position, Holmes did a great job of spreading the football out to his many talented offensive weapons on the loaded Detroit-based Eastside Cowboys team and was their unquestioned leader who came through in some clutch situations for the Cowboys as they made a deep run at the 14U All-American AYF National Championship. Holmes could put a ton of zip on the football and was particularly effective at hitting slants and out routes between the pockets of opposing defenses zone schemes. He was also dangerous as a runner and had a ton of shake and wiggle in the open field. He was fun to watch and a handful for defenses to try and contain. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-267177" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Brandon-Holmes-Eastside-Cowboys-crop-623x409-1641954553-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Brandon Holmes - Eastside Cowboys [player_tooltip player_id="212219" first="Isaiah" last="Arriaza"] (OG Ducks) C/o 2026. @Isaiah_Arriaza Holds offers from Morgan State and UNC-Charlotte. Gifted and evading pressure in the pocket, extending plays, and improvising when things break down. Is a pass-first QB who always keeps his eyes downfield and will step into his throws and deliver balls through contact bearing down on him. Smooth, clean footwork. One of the strongest arms at the tourney with a ton of ability to stretch the field vertically. Was calm and collected leading the distinguished OG Ducks 14U squad and managed the game well, dinking and dunking downfield to his talented wideouts and making smart, safe decisions with the football. Very talented with a bright future. Tight Ends Amir Parker (Cocoa Tigers) C/o 2026. 6’3, 215 lbs. @Amir58451068 I've talked about the Cocoa Tigers 14U standout at length, as he was one of my favorite, most high school-ready prospects I saw during my three days in Kissimmee, but I've mostly discussed his game and skillset at the DE spot. As a TE, Parker was equally dangerous, and was a mauling blocker with a ton of natural pop to go along with a nonstop motor and an aggressive mentality that is always seeking out contact. He also had soft hands and was dangerous in the passing game and very hard to corral once the ball was in his hands. Great size to boot! <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-264093" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/Amir-Parker-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Amir Parker - Cocoa Tigers Kamarion Bodney (Wichita Cowboys) C/o 2027. 6’2, 190 lbs. A 13U standout from the Sunflower State and the talented and cohesive Wichita Cowboys squad, Bodney immediately caught my eye thanks to his impressive size. He was the biggest player on his team and wholeheartedly passed the "eye test" at glance of his frame and build, but was far from lacking in athleticism as I saw him line up at RB, FB, TE, LB, and DE in the Cowboys game against the large and aggressive Southside Wolfpack from Chicago. He was a hard-nosed, downhill runner with the ball in his hands and brought the pain to would-be tacklers thanks to his powerful lower body and low pad level. Bodney was definitely not fun for opposing defenses to tackle, and he translated that physicality to the TE position and was a mauling blocker who could pull, pass set, and finish bigger defensive lineman consistently, and had the balance and body control to continue to stay engaged with opponents. I really enjoyed watching him play. Keytrin Harris (Vegas Strong) C/o 2026. 6'3, 220 lbs. @KeytrinHarris27 A gigantic TE prospect with quick feet and the athleticism to help out as a RB, Harris was the most physically imposing player on a loaded Vegas Strong 14U team who I could barely keep my eyes off as I saw him battle against a ferocious OG Ducks defense. Although he did block from the inline TE spot, he seemed to be more interested and geared towards impacting games with the ball in his hands and showed versatility as both a runner and a pass catcher from all over the offense. With a strong lower body, solid contact balance, and soft hands, he was a massive weapon for the Strong's offense and fought his butt off against a tidal wave of Ducks defenders through the four quarters of play. He's going to make noise at the high school varsity level sooner rather than later and will most likely end up at a Las Vegas area prep powerhouse. Jaquan Stennis (Motor City Jaguars) C/o 2027. 6’6, 160 lbs. @jaquanstennis2 One of the tallest prospects I saw during my time in Kissimmee, Stennis had ridiculously long arms that hung down to his knees and had a frame that has the potential to be physically dominant at the high level if he can put on some weight and fill in. He had the versatility to line up in the traditional inline TE spot as well as flex out to the slot, and was particularly effective at stabbing defenses down the seam as a pass catcher. He could high-point the football like you'd hope for in a 6'6 recruit, win contested catches, box out defenders to win positional battles for the ball, and was also tough and physical as a blocker. I'm going to be incredibly curious to see how he continues to grow, as there is a lot of intriguing physical gifts combined with a basketball background and a eye-popping frame and build. 313 stand up! <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-266800" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/01/JaQuan-Stennis-crop-640x421-1641923924-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Jaquan Stennis - Motor City Jaguars Tyreke Edwards (Eastside Cowboys) C/o 2026. 5'11, 180 lbs. The final prospect to make this QB and TE highlight feature, Mr. Edwards was not the most physically imposing of the TEs on this list but boy was this kid a tough, hard-nosed, and balanced player with a ton of strength in his upper and low body. He possessed a thick build, some heavy hands, and a knack for finishing opponents hard into the dirt of Central Florida. There was a lot of talent on his 14U Cowboys team but many of them couldn't shine without the dirty work in the trenches from Edwards and his hard hat mentality.