Al Pops’ Prospect Evaluations – 10/6

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Interested in reading this and more? Use the code&nbsp;<strong>AlPops30</strong>&nbsp;for 30% off a&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe/?brand=next">Prep Redzone Next Subscription</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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 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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633edec70acaf","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["467347"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"There are a lot of gifted kids out there dominating on the middle school or youth football scene across America. However, deep in southern Georgia, 2027 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='467347' first='Jalondi' last='O'Hara'] out of Ware County Middle School appears to be special. In speaking with several people close to the Ware County program, there's a collective thought that O'Hara has the potential to be the best prospect to ever come through the system. That's saying something, consider former Buffalo Bills first round pick, Leodis McKelvin is also from that program. O'Hara certainly looks the part with long, lean muscle and giant hands. Dominant is understatement when looking at what he's doing on the middle school level this year, scoring almost at will. Expect to see him get varsity time early next year, on a Ware County High School team that is currently ranked No.21 in the state.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-65c55962af828"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633edec70acb0","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["283615"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"If you read my evaluations, my tweets or have ever had a conversation with me, you know how much I believe in genetics and how they play into a prospect's potential. For [player_tooltip player_id='283615' first='Ezekiel' last='Su'a'] out of California, having an older brother like Leviticus Su'a, means the genetics are on point. While the elder Su'a is a four-star recruit at Mater Dei with over 15 offers, little brother Ezekel already holds a pair of offers before high school. After making the decision to reclass to the class of 2027, Su'a picked up his first offer from Louisville back in March. His second offer came from the Maryland Terrapins just a few weeks ago, when Su'a and his OG Ducks teammates were in Maryland for a game against the Maryland Heat. Su'a is one of those kids that you just love to watch play football. He flies around the field like a man possessed and is the unquestioned leader of his team. He's accomplished pretty much everything a youth player can, and all signs point to Mater Dei having another Su'a terrorizing opponents next year.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-65c55962af861"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633edec70acb1","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["446637"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The Brownsburg Bulldogs, currently ranked the No.1 high school team in Indiana and No.60 team overall in the country, are showing no signs of losing fire power any time soon. Next year they'll welcome a host of talented athletes in the class of 2027, but none appear to be more talented than [player_tooltip player_id='446637' first='Chance' last='Adams']. Adams played a big role in Brownsburg East Middle School capturing the eighth-grade conference championship this year, a year after the same group went undefeated as seventh-graders. Adams looks destined for a lot of next-level attention with his prowess in all three phases of the game. Watching him on film, he's playing at a different speed than everyone else. Whether he's on the receiving end of touchdown passes from u003cstrongu003eOscar Frye u003c/strongu003eand creating something out of nothing in the return game, Adams looks to be a future Big10 target.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-65c55962af88c"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633edec70acb2","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["466352"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"I could have very easily listed [player_tooltip player_id='466364' first='Tate' last='Wallace'] as an Athlete because of his ability to play multiple positions. However, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound prospect looks like he's set to become one of the top Linebackers in the state of Iowa for the class of 2027. A devastating hitter, Wallace is muscled up with a physique significantly more defined than his eighth-grade peers. He's a three-sport athlete, also participating in basketball and baseball, with the ultra competitive gene that many of the elite have. While he may play Quarterback on the offensive side of the ball, he makes living hunting them on defense. Whether blitzing up the gut or off the edge, he gets to the signal caller in short order. Quarterbacks in the greater Iowa City area are well aware of Wallace and it should only be a short amount of time before the Hawkeyes, Cyclones and other next-level programs do too.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-65c55962af8b8"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633edec70acb3","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["465296"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The town of Sterlington, Louisiana, located in northern Louisiana, is only 2.3 square miles. However, it's populations has more than doubled since 2010 and no resident seems to have more hype around them, than eighth-grader [player_tooltip player_id='465296' first='Devyn' last='Downs']. The 6-foot, 170-pound athlete is a two-sport superstar in the making and is already starting to receive attention from the next level in both baseball and football. On the diamond the righty has already been clocked at 82 mph with his fastball on the mound and was recently selected to play in the New Balance Future Stars Series in Arizona. On the football field he's a treat to watch as a Running Back. In watching his clips everybody in the bleachers knows the ball is going to the kid wearing No.1, but there's nothing they can do to stop it. He has good speed and a thicker lower body which helps him explode upfield. Ultimately I think he's a recruitable player in both sports, with baseball having the edge right now.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-65c55962af8e2"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633edec70acb4","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["465272"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"There's a lot to like about Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='465272' first='Carter' last='Zingelmann'] out of Crownover Middle School in Texas. Already 6-foot-1 and 165-pounds, Zingelmann looks like he could be the future for Guyer High School at the Quarterback position. Crownover Middle School feeds into Guyer High School, which is currently ranked the No.1 team in Texas. Zingelmann looks like the prototype if asked to create an ideal Pro-Style eighth-grade signal caller. Despite his season ending a bit prematurely with an injury, Zingelmann and his right arm are very promising. He's a confident passer who trusts both his arm, and his guys on the outside, to make the play happen. That wasn't more obvious than his performance in a late-September game against Navo Middle School where he went 17-out-of-19 passing, in a 30-0 victory. During that game he made several off-platform throws and threw a few deep balls up for his receivers to go up and get. I'll take a gutsy Quarterback who believes in himself and the guys around him any day. In a loaded program it may take him a bit to see significant varsity time, but college programs should certainly come knocking before that.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-65c55962af910"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_633edec70acb5","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["447365"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"In the last few weeks I've written about both [player_tooltip player_id='444734' first='Cohen' last='Thomas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='458752' first='Jaylen' last='Huff'] of Smiths Station Junior High in Alabama. The third member of a pretty substantial trio, is [player_tooltip player_id='447365' first='Trevon' last='Kee']. After watching his film, I originally had Kee listed as a Running Back with what I saw. While Cohen was tossing the pill all over the yard, and Huff was making people miss in a phone booth, Kee was more of your traditional north and south Running Back that kept the chains moving. While he certainly does make plays at Running Back, after further film study, I think the 5-foot-10, 150-pounder projects more as an Outside Linebacker. He uses a lot of the same skill set in terms of vision and getting from point A to point B quickly, but he brings a different thunder defensively. He closes very quickly and arrives with bad intentions. Even on plays when a ball carrier or receiver is trying to get out of bounds, Kee u003cemu003eescortsu003c/emu003e them to the sideline with attitude. Plays the position the right way and makes it a chore to pick up additional yards when in his vicinity. He's not totally there yet, but Kee is someone to keep an eye on going forward.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview","anchor":"acf-block-65c55962af93f"} /-->