Underclassmen Ready to Make the Leap: NEPSAC/ISL-7 Football
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Sampson Onuoha HEIGHT 6'4" POS DL CLASS 2025 Sampson Onuoha School: Belmont Hill 6’4, 220-pound EDGE rusher out of Belmont Hill School. Sampson Onuoha, who is currently offerless at the moment, saw his first year of real football and impressed…
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Continue ReadingSampson Onuoha
Sampson Onuoha
6’4, 220-pound EDGE rusher out of Belmont Hill School. Sampson Onuoha, who is currently offerless at the moment, saw his first year of real football and impressed early on. Raw and green from a pass-rushing point of view. Onuoha still has to develop and hone his hand usage when applying pressure. Shedding at the point of attack, being able to blend both power and speed is something everyone can’t do. Luckily, Onuoha is early in the process. The raw physical attributes are there, there’s no doubt in my mind this kid could test well. It’s all a matter of consistently putting it together on tape. All of this being said, Onuoha’s tape still provides quality reps. He can stand up his tackle and set the edge. He can win when taking inside rushes to the quarterback. Good pursuit and effort to the football. He’s in and around turnovers. Certainly a name to watch for. I’ve witnessed prospects like this blossom into spectacular players in their junior seasons.
AJ Azuakolam
AJ Azuakolam
AJ Azuakolam’s sophomore tape begins showcasing two things. Alignment versatility being the first, serving as both two-high and single-high safety when needed. The second, active hands around the football, recording forced fumbles, PBUs, and interceptions from his safety spot. Attacks the catch point with force, tough to bring down balls downfield if Azuakolam is the one contesting the catch. Plays through the hands, again attention to detail when disrupting a pass-catchers radius. The BB&N sophomore provides value in pass coverage first and foremost, yet he isn’t a slouch against the run either, solid last line of defense. Solid angles to the football if a ball carrier breaks into the secondary. He even throws in an occasional rep at corner too. A lot to like.
Don’t see tapes start this way too often, especially out of underclassmen. First rep has him in the slot, showing off his ability to catch contested near the middle of the field. Next rep shows him catching balls out of the backfield for goal-line scores. Next, we’ve got Tony Silva Tony Silva 6’3″ | 205 lbs | WR The Governor’s Academy | 2025 New E reading the pass/route well and attacking the flat to come up with a big open-field tackle. Last but not least, we’ve got Silva aligning at tight end and working pre-snap motion sets. GA makes it clear they want the ball in Silva’s hands, scheming up multiple sets and alignments to get him involved in a myriad of ways. Silva doesn’t have much production under his belt, however, something that will change over time. I love what he brings to the table offensively, yet I have a feeling he might have a future at linebacker.
Highlights
Derek Schlupf Derek Schlupf 6’5″ | 300 lbs | OL Lawrence Academy | 2025 State New E starts off a string of linemen evals. Yet no linemen listed below carry more mass than Lawrence Academy’s Derek Schlupf Derek Schlupf 6’5″ | 300 lbs | OL Lawrence Academy | 2025 State New E . The sophomore’s tape shows off just how violent he is as a down-blocker from his left tackle position. Great location ability, gets off the ball, sees his assignment and goes. Not too many false steps when run-blocking. Aggressive finisher, carries much of that aggression from early on in his reps. Slides laterally well when zone-blocking. Eats up bullrushes without a flinch in pass-pro sets. Said pass-protection sets show off how special his build is. His frame is perfect for his role in the offense. Good testing numbers, he’s a prospect on the court as well.
Highlights
Samuel Morales
Samuel Morales
Promising run-blocking left tackle. Samuel Morales is solid out of the gate, yet he excels at second-level blocks. His ability to move up to the second level shows off how special his feet are in the open field. Awesome hand grip, can punch, grip, and steer kids out of the play, both off the snap and out of his stance or when flashing into the back seven and finding would-be tacklers. Active puller to both weak and strong sides of the ball. Can pull into open space and lead block or pull in trap sets. Limited pass-pro reps yet in the few on tape, his upper and lower body work in unison. Great base and footwork to anchor in position. Strong punch, a powerful back to absorb rushes. Don’t let this kid lock out his arms against you. If he does, he’s won the rep.
Giant 6’5, 300-pound right tackle prospect. Lucas Candiotto Lucas Candiotto 6’5″ | 305 lbs | OL St. Sebastian’s School | 2025 State New E is ranked inside the top five of his position for a reason. Elite power. Heavy limbs disrupt rush attempts at will. Candiotto is a juggernaut on the move, paving the way for outside zone runs. An effortless mover, which is crazy to say considering his size. Moves forward well, moves backward well. Coils and absorbs contact as if it isn’t present. Hips are fresh enough to absorb power if it comes his way, feet are disciplined and consistent to handle speed off the edge too. His reps in pass protection, along with his head-hunting reps when run-blocking lead me to believe this kid will have an FBS future. No offers to date.
Highlights
Christopher Talabi-Oates Jr.
Christopher Talabi-Oates Jr.
First freshman on this list. Talabi-Oates Jr. is a 6’1, 205-pound pass-rusher who caught my eye after initially when looking through Thayer Academies’ defense on tape. Lately, Talabi-Oates has caught my eye after earning Top Performer honors at Ed O’Brien’s All-State Preps Camp earlier in the month. I’ve finally had the chance to tap into his freshman tape, there’s much to like. Thayer Academy will kick CTO inside to provide some speed to their interior pass-rush. CTO provides reps with his hand both on and off the dirt. Surprised by his ability to uphold power and stand up blockers in his gap. His build doesn’t scream power, so the reps that show him handling opposing punches are promising when projecting his future abilities. Watch for his sack numbers to slowly grow year after year.