Be the Hammer not the Nail: Returning Stud LB who Levy Punishment
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The old football colloquial goes, “you would rather be the hammer and not the nail.” This set of linebackers hailing from the North Jersey Super Football Conference are all the evidence you need for this adage to ring true. As…
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Continue ReadingThe old football colloquial goes, “you would rather be the hammer and not the nail.” This set of linebackers hailing from the North Jersey Super Football Conference are all the evidence you need for this adage to ring true. As it rings true, so do the bells of the offense.
As Mountain Lakes teammate Cosmo Fusco Cosmo Fusco 6’4″ | 245 lbs | DL Mountain Lakes | 2024 NJ leads the battle along the trenches, LB Marco Dzamba Marco Dzamba 6’1″ | 190 lbs | DL Mountain Lakes | 2024 NJ patrols and commands the defense with versatility and toughness. At 6’1″ 200lbs, Dzamba made 80 stops on defense (12 for a loss) and forced 3 fumbles; on offense he slashed 17/406/4 through the air for the Herd. Dzamba also plays lacrosse and basketball for the Herd too.
First thing I noticed that Dzamba does, which I was initially a bit puzzled by, was that he plays all over the field. We see instances of him lining up at WR, TE, CB, and LB. When he is lined up at CB, it is typically over a single receiver on the short side of the field with help over the top. This does not prevent Dzamba from getting hands on and being physical, but rather it enables him. From this short side set, he also can effectively get home when blitzing from this position. If the play is ran away from him, Dzamba pursues and hustles, looking to make the play himself. Dzamba reads his keys effectively and will stop to retrace his steps against screens. Similarly disciplined, Dzamba pressures scrambling QBs who break out to his side. He blows up reach blocks and gets his outside arm free to make a tackle. Finally, Dzamba is a sure tackler. On his film colleges would like to see more clips of him in pass coverage.
Dzamba is an athletic, versatile weapon on the defensive side of the ball who can make plays all over the field. Will he continue to be used this way, or hone in one skillset in 2023? Stay tuned to find out.
We recently covered Ramsey’s big-bodied o-lineman Logan Bahn Logan Bahn 6’6″ | 295 lbs | OL Ramsey | 2024 State NJ and how he levels defenders. Now follow that up with a battering ram of a fullback trailing behind him. That is exactly what the Ramsey Rams have in 6’3″ 200lb FB/LB Luca Gemma Luca Gemma 6’1″ | 195 lbs | LB Ramsey | 2024 State NJ . Gemma, who also plays lacrosse for the school, rushed 43 times for 472 yards and 10 TDs, while defensively he was credited with 42 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 Int, and 2 PBUs.
Gemma does a great job of reading his keys and reacting to what he sees. He is moving in both forward and toward the play’s direction within milliseconds of the ball being snapped. Gemma has another speed when running in a full sprint in hot pursuit of the ball carrier. In a similar sense, he does an outstanding job getting a jump off the line when called to stunt. He moves well enough in space to cover the #2 receiver in either twins or trips sets. Should he be in in a trail position or near the opponent’s goal line, Gemma does a nice job of playing to strip the ball. The only thing I would like to see Gemma improve on is his pad level when going to make a tackle.
A very talented prospect, Gemma already holds an offer from Central Michigan and recently added one from Navy too. He is certainly one of Jersey’s top under-the-radar prospects for the class of 2024.
If Warren Hills is home of the Blue Streaks, then Anthony Ferroni Anthony Ferroni 6’1″ | 210 lbs | LB Warren Hills | 2024 NJ might just be the comet that leads the way. At 6’1″ 210lbs, Ferroni wrestles for the school, while having made 70 tackles and 5 sacks on defense at LB. Offensively from either the FB or TE position, he caught 6 passes for 48 yards and 2 TDs.
Ferroni is very fast when at full speed, with several instances of him hawking down opponents on his film. As a wrestler I am not surprised about the physicality he brings to the game, absolutely obliterating RBs who are in pass protection. Needless to say, they do not stand a chance. He reads his keys well in run support and sniffs out screens effectively. Ferroni is an A1 run blocker. His full speed and physicality translates to offense as he is an total wrecking ball, absolutely decking opponents on trap or kick-out. He keeps his feet through contact when blocking, continues to drive his feet while blocking, and has the presence of mind to maintain his three points of contact when engaged with an opponent. All this, plus he can win jump balls when dragging across the front or back of the goal line for a score. It would benefit Ferroni to include clips of him in pass coverage on his film at LB.
Although he earned superlatives on the defensive side of the ball, after watching Ferroni’s tape I truly enjoyed the smash-mouth, physical, nasty lead blocking element he brings to the game. It honestly reminds me of a fullback I once coached who ended up going to Old Dominion. Ferroni is that good and I believe his future might just be as a FB.
At listed 5’9″ 155lbs Colin Foley Colin Foley 5’9″ | 165 lbs | LB Pascack Valley | 2024 NJ is of somewhat unassuming stature. Also a lacrosse player for Pascack Valley, the LB led his pack of Panthers with 105 tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries.
Foley did earn post season superlatives within his division and conference, however there is not any available film for us to diagnose his game. With this level of production, Foley is a prospect we are only left to track this upcoming season to see if he can replicate and expound upon his production as he enters his senior season.
Akin to Foley, Nick Graziano Nick Graziano LB Parsippany | 2025 NJ is an athlete we are only left to wonder about. The only difference? Graziano is a year younger and a rising sophomore for Parsippany. There are no significant stats worth mentioning from last season, as they appear severely underreported.
We do, however, know this about Graziano: he earned second team all division for a Red Hawks team on the rise as just a sophomore. This makes Graziano a player to keep in mind and our radar as he prepares to play his junior campaign.