Prospect Spotlight, Hidden Gems In Philadelphia Pt. 2
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Corey Wright PA #185 ATH #32 HEIGHT 5'10" WEIGHT 165 POS ATH CLASS 2023 View Profile Corey Wright State: Pennsylvania School: Imhotep Institute Corey Wright Corey Wright 5’10” | 165 lbs | ATH Imhotep Institute | 2023 State PA is…
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Continue ReadingCorey Wright Corey Wright 5’10” | 165 lbs | ATH Imhotep Institute | 2023 State PA is a legitimate top 100 talent who just barely missed that cut. Wright could flourish on both sides of the ball, I expect him to contribute big time whenever Imhotep isn’t running the football. The stable of backs might limit the overall passing production for Wright, yet I still see plenty of 3rd and long opportunities for Wright to eat. Wright’s got the change of direction ability and twitchiness to do damage in the short to intermediate parts of the field if defenses key to stop the run game.
There is no bigger Semaj Carmichael Semaj Carmichael 5’11” | 185 lbs | RB Boys Latin Charter | 2025 PA fan than myself. I expect Carmichael to take the reigns at Boys Latin, taking over on both sides of the football and putting up monster numbers at running back. I hope to see his role expand further, as many key seniors have moved on from the program. The load will be a heavy one for Carmichael to carry, I’m confident he will be able to do so.
Highlights
One of the hotter prospects in the Public League, Zymir Laury Zymir Laury 6’4″ | 170 lbs | DB Mastery Charter | 2023 State PA can finally be scratched from my un-offered list as of two weeks ago. Waynesburg University saw enough in both tape and build to offer Laury a spot at the program. Laury received a low D2 grade out of myself, a ceiling that is still very much obtainable, especially when you consider his capabilities on both sides of the ball. At the PPL level, Laury can legitimately serve as your number-one receiver, yet his calling card is without a doubt at linebacker. Call it a roaming safety role, a robber, or a hybrid LB/S, Laury fits that role and does it well. He has a chance to cement his name at Mastery Charter with another great season this Fall.
Over the past couple of years, this upcoming season included, Northeast has deployed incredible depth and talent at seemingly every position on defense. A name that is often overshadowed, Rodney Benjamin Rodney Benjamin 6’1″ | 180 lbs | DB Northeast | 2023 State PA should finally have his shine this Fall. The 6’1 DB doesn’t have any offers to his name, yet I could see that changing relatively quickly so long as he and the Viking defense comes out of the gate hot. It’s tough to find DBs with this size who are willing to hit in the front seven. A boost in pass coverage ability would solidify his chances for collegiate opportunities.
Here’s a Bartram player that doesn’t get enough love on the site. The young man’s stature presents a good problem to have if you’re the Bartram coaching staff. Symir is 6’1, carrying a bulky 220-pound frame. At times, McKoy looks to be served well if he lost some pounds, then he’s shaking kids much smaller than him in the open field. Then he’s showing off linebacker reps that show off real instincts. Then he’s at camps, running downfield with wideouts from a LBer spot, next time you see him he’s winning reps at IDL against quality opponents at camps. Very intriguing prospect who is going to be aligned pretty much anywhere for Bartram, he will be relied on heavily this Fall.
Jaylen Johnson Jaylen Johnson 5'9" | 170 lbs | ATH Upper Darby | 2025 PA
Jaylen Johnson Jaylen Johnson 5'9" | 170 lbs | ATH Upper Darby | 2025 PA
We spoke about Jaylen Johnson Jaylen Johnson 5’9″ | 170 lbs | ATH Upper Darby | 2025 PA ‘s game in a recent underclassmen post profiling new names to our 2025 rankings. Johnson has the tools athletic tools to rack up numbers in the Pub. The kid has a ton of room to grow underneath his pads, a crucial step forward needs to be made in that area, he’s young.
Abraham Fofana
Abraham Fofana
Abraham Fofana kicks off a trio of brand new prospects to the site. Almost annually at this point, Central trots out an athlete at the EDGE position that warrants some looks. Fofana might be next in line. I see how raw his junior tape looked, albeit still impressive. The kid has a ways to go from a technical and rep standpoint, yet there’s a lot to love looking at the kid initially. Some initial power to his game off the snap. Fofana shows the willingness to fight through gaps to secure tackles. The kid’s motor is revving, showing he can play to the whistle consistently. Central might have a solid piece to the lineup with this young man.
David
David
Here’s an unranked trench player who can provide quality reps at center and nose guard. Solid upper body strength allows Nguyen to steer opponents out of A gaps. Quick hands combined with solid overall power allow him to clog lanes on the opposite side of the ball. Pieces like Nguyen are vital to systems that want to run the football consistently.
Vernon Young
Vernon Young
Got word to check out Vernon Young’s tape from the coaching staff at Ben Franklin. The program doesn’t get enough shine on the site, so profiling this kid is a step in the right direction. He’s one of the few prospects that are now on my radar from the team. Tape is incredibly limited but there’s a lot to like. What pops is his early skillset that allows him to align at multiple positions. I can see a scenario where Young operates as a run-stopping linebacker, also contributing at running back because of the correlation to seeing running lanes open up. This role might suit his game best. The kid has a ton of room to improve, we are still searching for the prospect to separate themselves from this school. Young could be him.