Recruiting Runway: Class of 2027 Prospects to Know – 11/16
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We are halfway done with November and middle school football seasons are reaching the later stages, or in some states, has already wrapped up. The prospect landscape is starting to become clearer and below is a look at some class…
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Continue ReadingWe are halfway done with November and middle school football seasons are reaching the later stages, or in some states, has already wrapped up. 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.
JaMario is a quarterback coming out of the highly sought after state of Alabama that people need to start paying attention too. He started waking some folks up after being called up to the Clay-Chalkville varsity team as an eighth-grader and getting some playing time, as the team pushed towards the playoffs. Unfortunately the defending State Champions couldn’t repeat this year, but he gained invaluable experience. After reviewing some of his tape, it is clear that JaMario already has the tools to perform at a high level. One of the biggest things that stuck out when watch his tape was his throwing motion. JaMario has a very smooth throwing motion that allows him to deliver accurate passes to his targets. Along with his throwing motion, the steps that he takes in the pocket allow him to stay on time and work through his progression quickly and effectively. Overall, it is clear that JaMario is one of the better quarterbacks in the class, and I am excited to see where he goes over the next four years and beyond.
Elijah is a very talented edge defender coming out of the state of Arizona, playing for the Future U Pop Warner team. Future U is made up of a lot of very talented kids, some of which are headed to perennial powerhouse Saguaro High School. After picking through some of his film, there are serval things that Elijah does that makes him and elite defensive linemen/edge player. One of the most important things for any defensive linemen to do is explode of the ball, Elijah has no problem with his explosion and he uses his explosiveness to own the line of scrimmage and get into the backfield. Elijah also does a very good job of using his eyes to take him to the ball. When he gets his hands on an offensive linemen, his eyes shoot into the backfield and from there he uses his hands and tenacity to go and make a play. Lastly, Elijah has the speed to blow through pass protections and attack the quarterback. With all of this being said, it is all too clear that Elijah could become one of the top edge rushers in his state and I am excited to watch him develop throughout his career.
Highlights
Dahriyon is a speedy two-way athlete coming out of the talent factory state of California. Playing both wideout and defensive back, Dahriyon proves that he can do pretty much anything on the football field. At wideout, Dahriyon has the speed to blow the top off of any coverage and any defensive back. Along with that, Dahriyon has no problem high pointing passes and bringing them down for completions. As a defensive back, Dahriyon shows off his ball skills when he is defending in coverage. With his experience at wideout, Dahriyon plays defensive back like he is a receiver. He does a great job tracking with the quarterback, and if the ball is thrown his way, you better expect that his is going to make a play on the ball. Dahriyon’s tape was a lot of fun to watch, and I am expecting a very bright future in football for Dahriyon. He’s already beginning to get a tase of the next level, having visited USC already.
Highlights
Jordan is a big time wideout hailing from the greater Orlando area, in the highly recruited state of Florida. After watching his tape, it is clear that Jordan has all of the attributes to be an absolute weapon at receiver. With his very good size at 6-foot-1 and 160-pounds and his straight-line speed, Jordan can be a problem for defenders to keep the ball out of his hands. Jordan has a capability to blow through coverages and become open almost immediately. Along with that, Jordan does a phenomenal job tracking the ball when it is the air. If the ball is thrown in his general direction, there is a very good chance that he is going to go and get it. Lastly, Jordan has the vertical ability to high point passes, making it almost impossible to defend him in the back corner of the end zone. People need to have Jordan’s name circled in this class, with everything that he has shown in his tape, it is clear that he could become a very recruitable player.
I’m not sure what there is left to say about the game of JR Harris JR Harris 5’9″ | 165 lbs | QB Central Carrollton | 2027 State GA . We’ve covered him as much, or more than, any other player on the pre-high school level since PRZ Next’s inception. He is an elusive and exciting quarterback to watch coming out of the state of Georgia, who actually played JV this season as an eighth-grader. After watching his tape, it is clear that with is talent, the only option for defenses to stop him is by bringing in the house. When he is feeling pressure, JR has an unreal ability to extend the play with his feet by rolling out of the pocket. JR also does a really good job of keeping his eyes down field and trying to find an open target when defenders are in his face. After that, JR has the arm talent to thrown perfect passes on the run which allows his wideouts to make plays in broken coverage. It is needless to say that JR’s tape was a blast to watch and the comparisons to Steve Young and Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M years) are completely justified. The closer he can get to that 6-foot height, the more doors will open for him.
Highlights
Arieus is one of the more electrifying running backs that I’ve seen out of this class. After deciding to reclass last winter, he let his stats speak for themselves this year, as he accumulated over 3,000 yards (unofficial) on just 99 carries. When Arieus has the ball in his hands, it seems like nothing can stop him. His athleticism allows for him to make defenders miss when they are in pursuit of him, and his speed makes it almost impossible for anyone to catch up to him when he is running in the open field. Arieus also runs with extreme tenacity on the field, he refuses to go down as defenders seemingly bounce off of him when he has the ball in his hands. Arieus runs hard through groups of defenders by always running his feet through contact as he makes his way to the end zone. Talent wise, Arieus is one of the top running backs that I have seen out of this class so far. Although he’s just 5-foot-6 and 145-pounds right now, I think we could be looking at the next Deuce Vaughn. Vaughn is a 5-foot-6 running back at Kansas State who was named a Pre-Season All-American ahead of this season.