New York Freshman Friday I
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The start of a new series in New York called Freshman Friday! Shoutout to Oscar Galindo from PRZ Nebraska for having great success with this and inspiring me to bring it to New York. Every Friday, I will highlight some…
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Continue ReadingThe start of a new series in New York called Freshman Friday! Shoutout to Oscar Galindo from PRZ Nebraska for having great success with this and inspiring me to bring it to New York. Every Friday, I will highlight some of the top freshmen in the state and the skillset they bring to their teams. Additionally, some freshmen in New York are already receiving some solid recruiting interest which will be detailed on a prospect-by-prospect basis. The point of this is to showcase the up-and-coming youngsters in the state of New York and the next generation of top recruits, many of which are already contributing to their varsity teams.
I saw Jaire Edwards Jaire Edwards 6’0″ | 250 lbs | DL Mount St. Michael | 2026 State NY in person in the NYCHSFL AA2 Championship this past fall and I came away super impressed. In-person Edwards upfield burst is very noticeable and his initial engagements with OL are very physical. At 6’2, 257lbs Edwards already has great size for a freshman and as he grows older I would expect him to round out his physical build while adding more strength in his upper half. Edwards has a really strong base and is tough to move on the inside. He does a good job of releasing and shedding off blocks to make contact with ball carriers through the LOS. Edwards also has some positional versatility showing he can be an impact DT playing 3-tech or even further out as a 5-tech but also showed he can be a dominant NT who eats blocks and frees up other defenders.
I saw Jaizen Warren Jaizen Warren 6’0″ | 300 lbs | DL Bennett | 2026 State NY play against Orchard Park and although down the stretch he did not seem to play as much due to Bennett’s very deep veteran defensive line he is a player to watch. Warren has no twitter or hudl highlights, or at least that I can find but his skillset should be showcased. Warren is big at 6′ 300lbs, unprecedented size for a freshman. Warren eats blocks and can fight through double teams. He also is a really solid finisher for a player of his size, once he gets hands on someone he rarely lets them go. Limited information should not deter anyone from checking out Warren, who should be in line for a much bigger role this season.
Aiden Simon may be a smaller target but he played snaps on both sides of the ball for Long Island Lutheran as a freshman and showcased really solid athleticism with quickness and really good twitch as a route runner. As a receiver Simon plays bigger than he is but often finds himself pretty open due to his route running ability. As a defender Simon has solid instincts and his ability to close on the ball quickly allow him to make plays at the catch point on defense. Simon has a high ceiling and refining his game on both sides of the ball in addition to adding even more physicality to his game will make him even more of an impact player.
Gianni Velazquez Gianni Velazquez 6’0″ | 200 lbs | LB Geneva | 2026 State NY is a LB prospect from Geneva who has a ton of potential. Geneva had a really strong LB corps last season so opportunities were limited for Velazquez but he is a very quick player who processes plays really well. Velazquez’s play speed is one of the best amongst all freshman regardless of position and his ability to win through blocks with quickness is one of his best traits. Velazquez is 6′ 160lbs so adding some more weight and strength will help him continue to develop at linebacker these next few seasons.
Highlights
Kenneth Dillon did not start initially for Kennedy Catholic at the beginning of the 2022 season. However, after struggling to throw the ball throughout the season Dillon effectively took over week 7 against St. Peter’s. Dillon had a three game run where he threw for over 140 yards in each contest and had 4 TDs to 2 INTs with a completion % of 67% until a really tough matchup in the second round of the playoffs against eventual champions Xavier. In those three games, Dillon showed that he and Kennedy Catholic have a bright future at QB. Dillon has a quick release but his best attribute is his poise in the pocket, which is at the level of an upperclassman, making it even more impressive. Dillon has a bright future, and with a full season could really have a strong season at quarterback.