AYF Nationals: North Carolina & Georgia 2027 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a great week of football at the AYF Nationals in early December. Teams and athletes from all over the country earned their way to play for an AYF National title in Kissimmee, Florida. Here's a look at some prospects that stood out to me with what I saw on the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["561091"],"_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":"-Disruptive force on the interior Defensive Line that straight up took over periods of the game(s) I watchedrnrn-A strong, compact, stout kid with a bulldog-like build that played with leverage and physicalityrnrn-Plays with heavy hands and does a good job of creating separation in the trenches","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["366314"],"_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":"-A long athlete that plays Centerfield as a Safety at a high levelrnrn-Covers ground with long strides and has a very high football IQ, compared to other 2027srnrn-I think he's a lock at Free Safety rather than a Corner going forward, as his ability to use his length and blanket the back half of the secondary supersedes his quickness at this point","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["378921"],"_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":"-Undersized Running Back that produced in a major way at AYF Nationals, both running the ball and receiving out of the backfieldrnrn-Despite being shorter, Freeman used it to his advantage and did a great job of hiding behind the big guys upfront before exploding for big runsrnrn-Versatile athlete that I first saw this summer, added to the 2027 National Watch List and then saw again at Nationals. He added on some good muscle and looked better than ever","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["444280"],"_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":"-Big, physical athlete at 6-foot and 210-pounds right now. Versatile kid who can play a number of different positions on the field, depending on need and schemernrn-Also plays basketball a high level. At AYF Nationals was on the front line for an onside kick and used those soft hands and ball skills to catch and recover a tough multi-hopper ballrnrn-Played Defensive End during AYF Nationals but really think he will be a Linebacker or Tight End going forward. He's 6-foot now, but how much taller he gets will dictate a lot for the direction of his football career","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["378943"],"_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":"-I liked him a lot at the Future Stars event this past summer in June , but I fell in love at AYF Nationals in early December. Looks like he grew a bit and is probably in the 5-foot-10 range now with good muscle tonernrn-Checks all the boxes as an athlete for me. Can play Safety or Defensive Back on defense and can also scorch people deep as a Wide Receiver on offensernrn-Certainly a leader on the field and at half time. When he opens his mouth both coaches and players listen to what comes out of it","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["561378"],"_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":"-Built like an action figure at 5-foot-7 and 160-pounds, Smart was one of the more impressive athletes from a physical build standpointrnrn-Very strong kid who kept his legs pumping to pick up additional yardage after first contact. Right now is squatting over 325-poundsrnrn-Unquestioned team leader who did everything from leading stretches to breaking down the huddle. If he can get big enough, he'll be a plus for a lot of programs at the next level","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["561578"],"_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":"-Probably the most physically impressive athlete I saw during my time at AYF Nationals in early December. Was the first prospect I noticed when I walked over to the field to watch them warm up and then playrnrn-Standing 6-foot-3 and 215-pounds, he was literally a man amongst boys out there. Played a lot of Middle Linebacker because of his ability to turn, run and tackle but his future will be at Defensive Endrnrn-Played with a mean streak and literally gave the ball carrier a little extra every time he tackled one of them (which was frequently) and let them know about it","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63a3659cbff49"} /-->