THE GAUNTLET: Offensive Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trench Combat Academy’s "The Gauntlet" lit up the stars and shined light on some young new faces. This showcase really put Maryland’s top lineman talent in perspective. The intense 1-on-1’s, agility and quickness drills, up close and personal evaluation, there’s been nothing like it for Maryland’s offensive and defensive linemen. Today we are highlighting the standouts from last week’s event. The numbers next to the players are their showcase jersey numbers.</p> <p><strong>#11.</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="321751" first="Josh" last="Crummitt"] </p> <p>Crummitt displayed good feet, and quickness at the center position. It was really hard for tackles to beat Josh with speed, he could kick step and keep in front of the majority. He demonstrated controlled aggression and good composure which would help any offense in the long run. Josh is a transfer from powerhouse Good Counsel to Oakdale HS who carries multiple college ready interior athletes, he’s no stranger to high level talent. As he develops over the next year and continues to get bigger and stronger, he may emerge as a beast in the middle of the OL.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/CrummittJosh/status/1466515716287475719?s=20&amp;t=flhTU9SVmV1OVz3dKr019g</p> <p><strong>#40. Miles Roberts | 2023 | OL | 6’3 280lbs| Gilman</strong></p> <p>#<span style="font-size: 1rem;">Roberts increased his value by showcasing his ability to be competitive and successful at 2 positions on the line, center and tackle. Roberts can recover fairly quickly when a D tackle gets out of reach or a faster jump off the ball. He does a good job of driving is opponent after initial contact, demonstrating good lower body strength. This off-season so far, he has been invited to 3 junior days including Georgetown, Colgate University, and Bowie State.</span></p> <p>https://twitter.com/MilesRoberts75/status/1495831100689637385?s=20&amp;t=flhTU9SVmV1OVz3dKr019g</p> <p><strong>#19.</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="321745" first="Brandon" last="Fuentes"] </p> <p>At 6’4 335lbs Brandon has the frame to play at the next level right now. Once he gets his hands on defenders they are stuck between his shoulders. With his size it was hard for about any defensive linemen to overpower and go through him, he forced defenders to bubble or take wide angles, taking them out of the play. If Fuentes builds more explosiveness, he could propel himself to a D1 no brainer. This off season he’s gotten interest from Saint Francis University, who invited Fuentes to their junior day in April. </p> <p>https://twitter.com/BrandonF_58/status/1486809310025953283?s=20&amp;t=flhTU9SVmV1OVz3dKr019g</p> <p><strong>#38.</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="175185" first="Ebubedike" last="Nnabugwu"] "Bube" </p> <p>Bube has proven that he belongs amongst the best. He consistently won reps on the offensive side of the ball then flipped to defense towards the end of the showcase and asserted his dominance as a defender. He possesses a strong punch and active feet that give defenders a run for their money. This offseason he has visited Georgetown, Old Dominion, Maryland, and Temple. With another dominant season you will see Bube’s recruiting increase, expect to see him signing to a school by next off season.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/d1bube/status/1478917764043747328?s=20&amp;t=flhTU9SVmV1OVz3dKr019g</p> <p>https://twitter.com/d1bube/status/1522593554136289280?s=20&amp;t=-CyNZHdGYTuzzt-Prmx1lA</p> <p>https://twitter.com/d1bube/status/1523432385605357568?s=20&amp;t=-CyNZHdGYTuzzt-Prmx1lA</p> <p><strong>#5. Keith Brooks | 2023 | 6’4 295lbs | Good Counsel</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13380477/6191bb72ab9d73007c1218a8">#72GC - [player_tooltip player_id="321749" first="KJ" last="Brooks"] Hudl highlights</a></p> <p>Brooks is an impressive prospect; he was very smooth and efficient in the kick step drills. He won reps at both tackle and guard and played really well against the bigger and faster DL out of the group. During 1-on-1s he demonstrated not only a fast kick step but balance and strength too. He’s able to stay square against the faster defensive ends while keeping his chest up. KJ absorbs the impact from the D linemen and maintains a good pocket for the QB to move. So far this offseason he has visited JMU, Maryland, Villanova, and North Carolina.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/_KJBrooks/status/1520835949948768257?s=20&amp;t=1oGtrCdYkjEgGyNVRZ9YhA</p> <p>https://twitter.com/_KJBrooks/status/1520947934489190401?s=20&amp;t=flhTU9SVmV1OVz3dKr019g</p> <p><strong>#15.</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="321746" first="Major" last="Dillard"] </p> <p>Dillard really made some noise at this showcase. He’s very powerful and can move faster than expected. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and brings energy behind his reps. His leverage plus his power allows him to stand defenders up and shift their momentum. He was very entertaining to watch, the physicality, excitement, and power are all there. Dillard even switched to defense at the end of the showcase and won his reps with some nice footwork and fast hand combat. So far Towson and Coastal Carolina have stopped by Fredrick Douglass HS and spoke with Major. With more performances like this over the summer his recruiting will start to bubble. </p> <p>https://twitter.com/fatboimaj99/status/1493305287805227010?s=20&amp;t=flhTU9SVmV1OVz3dKr019g</p> <p><strong>Honorable Mention:</strong></p> <p><strong>#47.</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="90644" first="Tamarus" last="Walker"] </p> <p>Walker was visibly dominant the entire day on both sides of the ball. He had one heck of a day.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/TamarusW56/status/1465864106821435393?s=20&amp;t=1oGtrCdYkjEgGyNVRZ9YhA</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->