Al Pops’ Class of 2027 Prospect Evaluations – 11/23

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's Thanksgiving week and middle school football seasons are reaching the later stages, or in some states, has already wrapped up. National tournaments are looming in the next few weeks and it's all starting to get real. The prospect landscape is starting to become clearer and below is a look at some class of 2027 prospects (athletes in 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 {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["475380"],"_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":"Duncanville High School in Texas is one of the premier programs in the country, currently 11-0 and ranked the No.3 team in the state and No.11 team nationally. A program like Panthers isn't just good by coincidence, as they have tremendous feeder programs such as Byrd Middle School and Kennemer Middle School, which helps develop athletes such as [player_tooltip player_id='475380' first='Jonathan' last='Barnes']. Barnes is a 6-foot, 180-pound back that helped the lead the ground game on an extremely loaded middle school team. At this point, I can't verify the 4.58 in the forty yard dash and the 10.8 in the 100M that he claims, but Barnes can scoot. He has the power and strength to withstand the hits between the tackles and then flashes the breakaway speed when he gets to open field. Overall, a really impressive looking prospect that should do his part in keeping Duncanville among the top programs in the country.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["522493"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='522493' first='Elijah' last='Sherman'] is a prospect who burst onto my radar recently, after a big eighth-grade season in Pennsylvania. Sherman will head to Cumberland Valley High School next year, just 20 minutes from the state capitol of Harrisburg. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound Wide Receiver/Athlete had a big year for the Eagles, earning the Offensive Player of the Year award in the National Conference of the CFA Football League. Though his team came up a bit short in the championship game, Sherman opened a lot of eyes with his play. He showed the ability to consistently run past Defensive Back's on deep routes throughout the season. That same burst of speed allowed Cumberland Valley to get creative with Sherman, even lining him up in the backfield for direct snaps. In fact, in the aforementioned championship game, he took a direct snap 72-yards to paydirt leaving everyone else on the field in his dust with the closest defender being 20+ yards away when he crossed the goal line.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["517112"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"I recently wrote about Bixby Middle School Quarterback Barret Standley and his special athletic ability that led to an 8th Grade Offensive Player of the Year award. His favorite target as a Wide Receiver, and also the 8th Grade Defensive Player of the Year, was [player_tooltip player_id='517112' first='Lincoln' last='Fugate']. Fugate proved to be a valuable weapon for the Spartans on both sides of the ball this year, scoring touchdowns as a Wide Receiver, Defensive Back and as a Return man. Fugate flashed a lot of speed on plays when he was sent in motion and forced defenses to account for his whereabouts on every play. He's also a carbon copy of his older brother [player_tooltip player_id='194065' first='Cale' last='Fugate'], a 2023 prospect who recently picked up his first offer from Air Force. The last name u0022Fugateu0022 will continue to be heard on the loudspeaker at Bixby High School for the next four years, as the tradition continues.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["488482"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Hailing less than an hour south of Columbus, in the heart of Buckeye nation, [player_tooltip player_id='488482' first='Brice' last='Johnson'] is one of those strong, muscular Linebacker/Running Back throwback type of player, that makes old school football fans like me happy to watch his film. The Zane Trace Middle School prospect looks like he was born to play the Mike Linebacker position as he stands 5-foot-10 and 185-pounds. While he does have good enough speed to outrun most of his competition at this level, everything about his game screams power. Johnson reads his keys well and appears to understand attacking angles to an advanced degree. At the point of contact does a good job of bringing his hips through the tackle and not just putting his weight on the ball carrier. Also throws shot put and discuss.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["513683"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"An extremely long and lean Wide Receiver, there is a lot to be optimistic about when looking at the play of Bunt. Standing 6-foot-2 and 160-pounds, to the naked eye he looks significantly taller than that because of how high-cut he is and how long his legs are. The size and length give him a frame that is desirable for coaches at the next level, with the hopes that he can add weight and muscle. Bunt does a phenomenal job at high-pointing the ball, at both Wide Receiver and as a Safety. Watching plays from several games this year, he was good for at least one catch a game where a ball appeared to be way overthrown, yet, he would come down with it. Being as tall and long as he is, there is a bit of u0022baby deeru0022 in his route running, which should work itself out as he continues to mature physically. If you're going down the Wide Receiver checklist, he does check many of the boxes the next level is looking for. Living just 20 minutes from Philadelphia, but on the New Jersey side, all signs point to him suiting up for Paul VI High School for the next four years. He will hopefully be a big piece of the puzzle, for the Eagles future success.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["489155"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Perhaps I'm biased, but I like certain pairings: I like Linebackers who wrestle, I like skill guys who run track and I like Quarterbacks that are the son of a coach. Louisiana's [player_tooltip player_id='489155' first='Parker' last='Robinson'] fits the bill for the last pairing, as the eighth-grader is the son of St. Frederick (Monroe, La.) Head Coach, Andy Robinson. Parker is a 2027 prospect that already has some varsity experience under his belt, and at 6-foot-2 and 180-pounds, there's a lot more varsity time in his future. With his size being an obvious plus, having a coach around at all times is another big reason he's had the success he has, to this point. Robinson appears to understand the game at a much higher level than many other quarterback prospects at this point. Also a standout in basketball, he has enough athleticism to win a lot of game based off pure talent but mentally he gets it, too. Does a good job of getting rid of the ball in a timely manner and putting it right where his target needs it. He has the potential to be a really good one.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["503584"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Double trouble is a phrase that comes to mind when looking at 2027 California Athlete, [player_tooltip player_id='503584' first='Ethan' last='Coach']. Ethan is the twin brother of  [player_tooltip player_id='503585' first='Justin' last='Coach'], who we featured two weeks back. Having nearly identical size at nearly 6-foot-4 and 200+ pounds, that Coach boys have some impressive ability. They're both listed as Athletes, however, the duo looks like the poster children for the Outside Linebacker/Defensive End/Edge position that has risen to popularity as of late. Long arms and great explosion off the snap make Ethan a tough assignment for would-be blockers. Perhaps the scariest thing about both Coach boys is that they also have the speed and ball skills to play in the secondary if asked to. Long strides allow for them to get from point A to point B very quickly, which makes passing lanes disappear faster than an ice cube in the SoCal heat. It will be an exhilarating ride watching the careers of these two play out.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-637e4741aa03f"} /-->