Stock Up Showcase Defensive Breakdown
Now that we have covered some of the top performers and had a chance to shine a light on the offensive players that participated, let’s look at some of the New York defensive players that attended the Stock Up Showcase in Waldwick, New Jersey.
Melan Williams Melan Williams 5'10" | 190 lbs | LB Holy Trinity | 2024 NC Holy Trinity 2023
I have had multiple opportunities to watch Melan perform in person, and he was impressive once again at the showcase. He has a muscular base and moves fluidly in every direction. Williams excelled in coverage and positional drills; he was always under control and quickly got to his drops. RBs had trouble separating from Williams as he doesn’t panic in coverage and always seems comfortable. He had impressive reps against some of the top backs at the camp. Watching him compete against fellow teammate Jameer Reeder Jameer Reeder 5'10" | 180 lbs | ATH Holy Trinity | 2024 State NY in 1 on 1s was great, as you could tell they push each other in competition. What I like about Melan is his versatility, possibly fitting an overhang-type position at the next level, as mentioned here. Williams is a 4.0 student and just a fun, bright player to be around.
Nick Parisi Nick Parisi 6'2" | 235 lbs | LB Holy Trinity | 2024 State NY Holy Trinity 2024
Parisi was one of the bigger LBs that made it out to the event. Having watched Parisi in person and on film, I was interested to see how he performed in a camp setting with no contact. I watched him through the testing, and he did better than I expected with his initial burst and lateral quickness. Almost all the players had footing issues on the surface when making tight cuts, so I was more concerned with his stop and go ability and fluid hips. Nick succeeded here and had tight coverage in the pass reps that I witnessed. As a younger, bigger LB, Parisi already has ample starting time under his belt and will need to continue to improve being out in space as expectations will continue to grow for the talented sophomore. He will be crucial to the dominant Holy Trinity defense. The LB core of Parisi, Jameer Reeder Jameer Reeder 5'10" | 180 lbs | ATH Holy Trinity | 2024 State NY , and Melan Williams Melan Williams 5'10" | 190 lbs | LB Holy Trinity | 2024 NC is as gifted as any returning group in the area.
Hugh Wilkinson Hugh Wilkinson 5'11" | 220 lbs | LB Malverne | 2024 State NY LB Malverne 2024
Wilkinson is a LB prospect that I couldn’t get eyes on till later in the event, but the stout young LB is solidly built at around 220 lbs and did move well throughout drills and competition. It’s tough for LBs in open field competition because there is no contact, but I saw Wilkinson break down for good fit leverage. His sophomore season Wilkinson was a tackling machine for Malverne, and I expect him to have a good offseason and am looking forward to watching his journey.
Enoch Thomas II Enoch Thomas II 5'7" | 160 lbs | DB Holy Trinity | 2025 State NY DB Holy Trinity 2025
This young DB took advantage of the top-heavy offensive numbers at the event. Enoch II got many valuable reps in going against some top competition and disrupted passes against some of the best there. He has a muscular build for such a young DB, and he will only get bigger. He showed good quick feet in individual drills and looked natural in all his backpedal work. In addition, he was able to get some varied matchup reps against bigger players like Menghi and all-out burners like Braithwaite. He is someone to keep an eye out for next season!
Dominic Deguire Dominic Deguire 5'10" | 170 lbs | DL Shaker | 2024 NY DL Shaker 2024
Dominic showed up with his older brother Donovan who competed at RB/FB. The younger Deguire was able to get a lot of work in because of the limited DL numbers, and he took advantage. When I watched him in 1 on 1s, he was quick off the ball and could get into bigger OL to use his leverage and aggression. He is lighter now, and I am interested in seeing if an LB hybrid-type position is a future spot for him because of his athletic ability. The Deguire brothers were a pleasure to meet and are both high-effort players who took well to the college coaching.