Al Pops’ Class of 2027 Prospect Evaluations – 12/23
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‘Twas the week before Christmas and the page has officially been turned on youth careers. High School and the football futures of many prospects are getting ready to hit the accelerate button. The prospect landscape is starting to become clearer…
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Continue Reading‘Twas the week before Christmas and the page has officially been turned on youth careers. High School and the football futures of many prospects are getting ready to hit the accelerate button. 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 year 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.
-A Tight End with very good size for only being an eighth-grader, standing in the neighborhood of 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds right now (size is unverified currently)
-Also a skilled basketball player which aids with footwork and hand-eye coordination, specifically when attempting to make a catch in traffic
-Made big strides in physical stature and overall ability based off clips from seventh-grade compared to eighth-grade. Would still love to see him become a more fluid, natural athlete when moving around
-Did not know of him before AYF Nationals and am very glad I got to see him play live in a few games because he’s a playmaker
-The younger brother of former University of Pennsylvania, now UCLA Bruin Defensive End Jake Heimlicher. At 6-foot-3, “little” brother had a knack for getting it done on both sides of the ball
-I feel he specifically shined at Tight End while in Florida, hauling in multiple touchdown passes and chain-moving grabs in the games I watched
-One of many talented athletes on the Duval Jags 13U team that finished second in the nation at AYF Nationals
-Saw him for the second time in the past six months and walked away impressed again. Was a dangerous weapon on the outside and really had an opportunity to shine with some single coverage
-He’s unofficially listed at 5-foot-11 and 165-pounds on the roster. With that size and his ball skills, the Ribault Middle School student-athlete is one to keep watching
-Freakish athletic ability at 5-foot-8 and 145-pounds that translates to the baseball diamond as well as the football field
-Wide Receiver and Defensive Back are the position he excels at, but he looks like a lock to play Corner as he progresses in his football career with his quick-twitch
-Most impressive thing in regards to Hudson is his speed. Blazing speed. He has been clocked as low a 4.5 in the forty-yard dash and is training to drop that even lower before he hits high school in the fall
Highlights
-Massive Offensive Lineman at 6-foot-4 and 255-pounds with a very high ceiling as a next-level prospect. Has long legs and a frame that can be built upon
-With his size and ability it should come as no surprise that he had some good film as an interior Defensive Lineman as well
-Played on both a club team and a school team this year, and combined had a 14-2 record. He’ll hope to continue his winning ways at Salina Central High School in the fall, where the Mustangs finished 8-3 this season
Highlights
-While I don’t have any legitimate times, he looked like one of the fastest players I saw during my time at AYF Nationals
-A nice chess piece for coaches to play with. Plays with a ton of versatility and can be bumped around from Corner to Safety to Wide Receiver to Running Back
-Long and lean right now with a wiry muscular build that looks like he will be able to really pack on muscle once he gets into a high school weight room