AYF National West All-Star Standouts
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The AYF National All-Star game is taking place on Saturday, February 5th at prestigious Bishop Gorman. The game will feature 60 of the top eighth grade athletes in America, who excelled for their local AYF program and now have earned…
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Continue ReadingThe AYF National All-Star game is taking place on Saturday, February 5th at prestigious Bishop Gorman. The game will feature 60 of the top eighth grade athletes in America, who excelled for their local AYF program and now have earned national recognition.
The athletes arrived from all over the country earlier in the week and have had two practices a day, in addition to a number of team-building activities. Furthermore, they will be guests of the NFL at the Pro Bowl on Sunday, following the AYF National All-Star game the previous night.
Let’s take a look at some players who have stood out on the West team.
CJ Sadler | Michigan | Quarterback
Without question, the most impressive 2026 prospect I saw at the AYF National All-Star Game. In fact, he could be one of the best eighth grade prospects I’ve seen in a long time. He’s a dual-threat guy who is an elite athlete. Stands around 5-foot-10, 170 pounds right now. Strong, accurate arm is impressive enough on it’s own, but he’s also a legit 4.5-4.7 guy right now. Already holds offers from Michigan State & Kentucky.
AJ Marks AJ Marks 5'8" | 140 lbs | DB Orchard Lake St. Mary's | 2026 MI | Michigan | Defensive Back
Marks is no stranger to the PRZ Next spotlight, as we’ve covered him a number of times since we launched. A shut down corner who can eliminate his side of the field with ease. Plays on the same 7-on-7 team, Sound Mind Sound Body, as Sadler. Doesn’t say much on the field, but gets the job done play after play. Gives up a little height at this point, but it hasn’t proven to be a negative by any means.
Trey Jackson | Nevada | Running Back
One of only two local products on the West squad, Jackson is an electric running back. On the first play I watched at practice he followed his blocks on an outside run, found the hole as it was developing, and accelerated into the endzone. Has excellent speed and quickness for a back at this level.
Jaymien Tuitele | California | Offensive Line
Tuitele was the unquestioned leader of the West offensive line, as he lined up at center. Didn’t see one bad snap all day out of him. Great first step as he snaps the ball. Strong, thick lower body gives him a good base. Did a borderline elite job of walling off the interior defensive tackles on plays running over the guards. Doesn’t talk much, but doesn’t have to. He’s the leader of the line and gets the job done.
JuJu Parm | California | Wide Receiver
Oozing with the So. Cal swag that you can expect out of athletes that play for the OG Ducks during the regular season. Slippery athlete who will play wide receiver and also see time at defensive back during the game. Very good route runner who finds the windows that makes it easy for the quarterback to find. Reminds me a lot of of former OG Duck and current Arizona State reciver, LV Bunkley-Shelton.
Cedrick McClintock | Texas | Running Back
Very impressive looking prospect with a tremendous build. Built like a future star in any sport he chooses to pursue, as he’s also an elite baseball player. Very strong prospect who explodes through the hole and runs behind his pads. Not afraid to run between the tackles with power, then has the speed to run away from guys in the secondary.
Daniel Odom Daniel Odom 6'2" | 180 lbs | WR St. John Bosco | 2026 State CA | California | Wide Receiver
Odom looks like he could suit up on Friday nights right now and have success at any of the Trinity League schools in southern California. Another prospect from the famed OG Ducks program, Odom is a big receiver at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds. Knows how to use that size to outmuscle defensive backs who try to get in the way. Can get up and highpoint the ball exceptionally.
Jaquan Stennis Jr Jaquan Stennis Jr 6'8" | 190 lbs | ATH Old Redford Highschool | 2026 MI | Michigan | Wide Receiver
The first kid I noticed at practice was Stennis. He’s every bit of 6-foot-5 and is physically impressive based off his size alone. Had coaches and teammates calling him a giraffe out on the field. Still growing into his length a bit. Also has some good muscle on him. Long term, wouldn’t shock me to see him beef up and move to a pass catching tight end. Would become an even bigger matchup nightmare.
Sagisagi Moala | California | Linebacker
A big, thick linebacker that looks more like a defensive end than a mike linebacker. Already 6-foot-3 and estimated around 200 pounds, he covers a lot of ground behind the defensive line. Was the leader of the defense all day long. Really impressive in his play against the run, as he completely shutdown runs between the tackles. Will be interesting to see him develop in high school and see what position he ends up at.
Ditrec Brown | Texas | Defensive Back
A vocal defensive back who spent most of the day at safety for the West squad. He reads and understands offenses very quickly and was almost always the first one yelling out adjustments to his teammates. Physical kid who sits back and looks to take heads off with big hits. I wouldn’t be shocked if he caused a fumble or two in the all-star game.
Noah Banhie | Arizona | Defensive Line
A stout, bottom-heavy defensive lineman that is tough to block on the interior defensive line. Low center of gravity makes him tough to drive out of the hole. Strong at the point of contact, Stands about 5-foot-11 and 285 pounds. Powerfully thick lower allows him to generate explosion and quickness out of his stance. Aggressive first step with excellent quickness off the ball.
Aaron Bohannon | Kansas | Running Back
Despite being one of the youngest and smallest kids on the team, the dude they call Deuce made an impression on me. Just a few months removed from a great AYF National Tournament in Florida, he showed what my other scouts told me. Very quick running back who has the benefit of ducking behind his offensive line and springing for significant runs.
Eli Cronin | Arizona | Linebacker
Linebacker that covers a lot of ground quickly. Almost built like a bigger strong safety at this point. Can play the Will or Sam linebacker spot. Very athletic kid that rarely got beat to the outside by running backs trying to gain the edge. Liked his ability to come up in run support, but also equally adept at dropping back in pass coverage. Will attend Basha High School next year.
Maddux Sorenson Maddux Sorenson 6'3" | 270 lbs | OL St. John Bosco | 2026 State CA | California | Offensive Line
The tallest offensive lineman on the West team, Sorenson looks to be about 6-foot-3 and 260 lean pounds. Great frame to add a lot of muscle and size as he continues on. Is an ideal left tackle at this stage of the game. As is the case for most taller offensive linemen at this age, has a lot of room for strength improvement. One of the few Cali boys who knows what HS they’re going to, he’ll be at St. John Bosco next year.
Ted Tuimauga | California | Defensive Back
Perhaps the most intriguing prospect for me on the West is Tuimauga. He looks like he could grow into a crazy athletic outside linebacker or he could stay as a defensive back. Didn’t look super comfortable dropping back covering some of the stud receivers the West has, but when it came time to compete for a ball or stick his nose in there for a tackle…he did it at a high level. He has a very high ceiling at this point.