Al Pops’ Class of 2027 Prospect Evaluations – 10/20
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As we head into a new season of youth and middle school football around the country, below is a look at some class of 2027 prospects (athletes beginning their eighth-grade school year) that have come across my desk. As football…
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Continue ReadingAs we head into a new season of youth and middle school football around the country, below is a look at some class of 2027 prospects (athletes beginning their eighth-grade school year) that have come across my desk. As football recruiting and evaluating continues to change, the eighth-grade season is becoming a pivotal time for young athletes to garner early attention from Universities. Here’s a look at some prospects that are on the trajectory to be playing a high level of football for years to come.
Clay-Chalkville High School in Alabama is one of the top programs in the state year-in and year-out, currently sitting at 7-1 on the season and ranked No.5 in the state. The success at the high school level should come at no surprise when you look at their feeder program (the middle school team) and kids like 2027 prospect Isaiah Brown Isaiah Brown 5’10” | 205 lbs | LB AL . At 5-foot-10 and 205-pounds, Brown is a thick Linebacker that can really bring it. Physically he’s built like a traditional Mike Linebacker, but on film there are clips of him playing Sam, Will and Mike. He moves quite well for his build and shows off some impressive agility and athleticism, Plays Running Back on the offensive side of the ball and was a chore for defenses to bring down.
On the west coast of Florida there’s a 6-foot-3, 185-pound Wide Receiver/Tight End prospect that coaches need to take note of quickly. We wrote about Wolny a few times last year, but after re-classing to the 2027 class this past off-season, he is playing on another level. With his size and speed there isn’t much he can’t bully himself into doing on the field for the Naples Gators. He runs routes like a Wide Receiver, which leads to a ton of versatility and creativity. On film he shows the ability to take screens and short/intermediate routes the distance with his open-field catch-and-carry prowess. The walking, breathing, receiving mismatch can also take the top off a defense and go vertical, easily outmuscling smaller Defensive Backs for balls in the air. Just how much speed Wolny adds during his transition into high school should dictate if he ultimately ends up at Wide Receiver or Tight End. If he ends up at the latter, the kid isn’t afraid to get physical and block if asked to, either. Reminds me a tremendous amount of another former Naples resident, and current Washington State Tight End, Andre Dollar.
Highlights
Glasco is another prospect that is no stranger the headlines of Prep Redzone Next, as he was covered multiple times last season. We’ve also talked about Glasco several times this year, with prospect evaluations in September and October, showcasing some of his Grayson teammates. Today we’ll look a little more at the 5-foot-9, 130-pounds Georgia prospect and his ability on both sides of the ball. Despite missing some time this season, Glasco was “pushing P” and showed me a lot of promise as a Running Back. He hit the hole hard and while he doesn’t have elite speed at this point, he certainly has more than enough speed to run in the Gwinnett Football League, one of the best youth football leagues in the country. With that said, I think it’s pretty clear his future is going to be on the defensive side of the ball in the secondary. Some say tackling is a lost art for Defensive Backs in today’s game, watching Glasco play should restore faith in their ability to bring ball carriers down. He can flat out lay the wood. Comes up in runs support, does not shy away from contact and looks like he enjoys inflicting pain.
When talking about New Jersey youth football programs, the list has to include the Silk City Cardinals. The program based out of the Patterson concrete jungle has the reputation for turning out a ton of promising next-level prospects, just like Willis. The elastic athlete plays along side several other top kids in the state, such as Mikahi Allen Mikahi Allen 6’2″ | 215 lbs | DB Don Bosco Prep | 2027 State NJ , Kobe St. Hilaire, Marlon Williams Marlon Williams 6’4″ | 245 lbs | OL Bergen Catholic | 2027 State NJ , Bryan Porter Bryan Porter 5’11” | 180 lbs | WR Bergen Catholic | 2027 State NJ and others on a very loaded squad. In speaking on Willis in particular, he’s another versatile kid who looks like he can play a number of different positions. Though there are clips of him taking handoffs out of the backfield this season, he looks to be a future Wide Receiver. Has the build you want for a 2027 prospect on the perimeter and it’s not going unnoticed. Many of New Jersey’s top private high schools are already in the mix for Willis. Stay tuned.
Life can be funny and run in parallels, some times. The other day I did a writeup on 2027 Quarterback Canon Bronson Canon Bronson 6’1″ | 185 lbs | QB Deer Creek | 2027 OK , whose late father Jason Bronson played at Oklahoma and was a Student Assistant on OU’s 2000 National Championship team. Today, I head back to Oklahoma to cover another 2027 prospect in Tight End Case Alexader, whose dad Stephen Alexander, was a teammate of the elder Bronson and dawned the crimson and cream. The Tight End ability in the Alexander household runs deep. As previously mentioned Stephen played at Oklahoma before a 10-year NFL career, that saw him voted into the Pro Bowl in 2000. Case, an eighth-grader at Washington Middle School, is also the younger brother to Cooper Alexander Cooper Alexander 6’4″ | 205 lbs | TE Washington | 2024 State OK , a 2024 Tight End prospect with a Tulsa offer. Standing 6-foot-2 and 170-pounds right now, Case is built with the same long, lean build his older brother has. Athletically, Case certainly looks like he could have the edge long term. A three-sport athlete who also plays basketball in addition to track and field, the youngest Alexander can also bring it as an Outside Linebacker/Edge type as well. At this level he’s dominant on both sides of the ball, but I’m willing to bet I know what position he ends up at in the future.