Shake-Up in Philly, Same Names, New Places

Over the past two years, I’ve had the pleasure of familiarizing myself with many of the names and faces in the PPL, PCL, as well as District 1 as a whole. This Spring, many of those familiar names have announced a change of scenery. Thankfully, none of these changes are too far away, so many of the names below will still be involved on the site, thus still covered by myself this Fall. I hope that each athlete below, that has considered a transfer, ends up in a better situation than they were in before, whether that be financially, academically, or on the field. We wish nothing but good luck to each of these prospects. That being said, let’s get into some big-time Philly talent that will put on new jerseys this Fall.   [player_tooltip player_id="27734" first="Semaj" last="Bridgeman"] | Archbishop Wood - Imhotep Charter We begin with one of the highest-ranking prospects in this group. Linebacker and four-star recruit [player_tooltip player_id="27734" first="Semaj" last="Bridgeman"] will have a new home for the second consecutive season after his move to Archbishop Wood after Bishop McDevitt (Wyncote) folded. The stud will play for Imhotep Charter this Fall, which will act as an incredible boost to the defense that lost a number of quality prospects. This move is certainly part of a reload, rather than a rebuild as Imhotep will continue their hunt for a state title behind numerous national recruits and a well-equipped coaching staff. Bridgeman will presumably fill in [player_tooltip player_id="27571" first="Maurice" last="Beverly"]’s role in the middle of the defense. No matter his usage, be prepared for Bridgeman to tear into the Public League this Fall. [player_tooltip player_id="146677" first="James" last="Heard"] | St. Joseph’s Prep - Camden HS [player_tooltip player_id="98506" first="Richard" last="James Jr"] | St. Joseph’s Prep - Camden HS Continuing with top Pennsylvania recruits, we are sad to see [player_tooltip player_id="146677" first="James" last="Heard"] and Richard Wink Jr. move into New Jersey, as I won’t be able to personally cover them on the site. No matter, we are excited to see what Camden is cooking up. Bringing in two huge talents along the defensive line, I can imagine a huge shift in stock in the right direction for this program. The talent level of each of these prospects cannot be talked about enough. I have had the pleasure of watching [player_tooltip player_id="146677" first="James" last="Heard"] compete at a couple events this year, as well as live this past Fall. The young man is an instant difference-maker. As for SJP, the program is well equipped to handle these loses on paper. No matter the program, losing two national recruits along one unit is going to hurt. We will how badly this shift will affect SJP this Fall. My guess is, not too much. Anthony Torres Jr. | Frankford - Cheltenham [player_tooltip player_id="66046" first="Kion" last="Wright"] | Northeast HS - Cheltenham HS [player_tooltip player_id="140959" first="Julian" last="Arthur"] | Norristown - Cheltenham HS The shift to Cheltenham isn’t necessarily surprising considering the new regime and direction the program is headed into. As long as I have been covering Cheltenham, they have produced quality, hungry prospects who want a shot at playing college ball. That notion isn’t going to change. Frankford’s stud QB Anthony Torres is on his way to lead the Panthers and provide some stability at the position. Combine this addition with the addition of [player_tooltip player_id="140959" first="Julian" last="Arthur"] and you already have a potential duo that can break a game open by themselves. A dynamic pair to add to the offense. [caption id="attachment_121561" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-121561" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/03/IMG_4436-300x277.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="277" /> Photo: Zamani Zamani Feelings[/caption] The cherry on top is national recruit [player_tooltip player_id="66046" first="Kion" last="Wright"] joining the program. The highly sought-after defensive end has multiple SEC & Big Ten offers. This young man is expected to anchor in a defense that is going to surprise many. I am already fond of many of Cheltenham’s current players, adding these three will put them in the contention this Fall. [player_tooltip player_id="27741" first="James" last="Bermudez"] | Archbishop Wood - Northeast HS [player_tooltip player_id="140968" first="Tyrese" last="Whitaker"] | Archbishop Wood - Northeast HS Two notable Catholic League prospects will keep their Viking moniker. RB [player_tooltip player_id="27741" first="James" last="Bermudez"] and DE/LB 3-star recruit [player_tooltip player_id="140968" first="Tyrese" last="Whitaker"] will don the red and black. Much like Imhotep Charter, these two key additions will act as a reload for Northeast, with [player_tooltip player_id="27559" first="Ken" last="Talley"] moving on as well as [player_tooltip player_id="66046" first="Kion" last="Wright"]. [player_tooltip player_id="140968" first="Tyrese" last="Whitaker"] is a top-30 potential prospect in this class, he should fit in very nicely to this versatile defense. The coaching staff brought the most out of national prospects before, they can do the same with Whitaker. [player_tooltip player_id="140926" first="Terail" last="Greene"] | Northeast HS - Lincoln HS Running back [player_tooltip player_id="140926" first="Terail" last="Greene"] may not have a national spotlight, but he does have a spot on Prep Redzone’s stage. The under-rated running back will now tote the rock for Lincoln HS, a program loaded with talented underclassmen, all of which are ready to leap onto the scene.