Future Stars Game: 2028 Prospects That Caught My Eye – Part 3
While the recruiting world continues to speed up and the times continue to change drastically, the seventh-grade school year is poised to become the year when the scholarship conversation begins to happen. The change has been coming for years and…
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Continue ReadingWhile the recruiting world continues to speed up and the times continue to change drastically, the seventh-grade school year is poised to become the year when the scholarship conversation begins to happen. The change has been coming for years and it’s now here. The rising ninth-grader (class of 2027, who just finished eighth grade) athletes have received a record number of verbal offers, which has caused this 2028 class (will be eighth graders in the fall) to also report a record number of verbal offers.
The Future Stars Game event is no stranger to elite talent early. For years they’ve been pinning elite middle school competition against each other, and this year was no different. Earlier this week, we looked at Part 1 and Part 2 of the 2028 prospects that caught my eye. Today, we’ll look at Part 3.
– One of the top defensive back’s in the 2028 class that I’ve seen, not just in North Carolina–but the entire country. Does a great job covering the back half of the secondary as a free safety
– After seeing him in the Future Stars Game as a sixth grader, I noted his length. This year, as a seventh grader, he got even taller and longer. Sits right around 5-foot-10 and 140 pounds right now
– Has the potential to become a big time free safety if he continues to develop physically. Hope to see him add some muscle/weight in the months until I see him play live
– A returner from the sixth grade Georgia Future Stars team a year ago, Kinchen came back as seventh-grader and was one of the best pure athletes on the field
– His quickness is what really stood out to me this year and has clearly spent obvious time working on his feet.
– Was a starter at both cornerback and wide receiver, making plays on both sides of the ball. One of his biggest plays of the week came in the championship game, hauling in a 64-yard touchdown from Cannon Robinson, to get Georgia on the scoreboard
Highlights
– There weren’t official stats kept for the week, but it also wouldn’t matter for Bryant. A lot of what Bryant did to stand out, probably wouldn’t fill up a sheet–but it was important
– When Bryant was on the field, the defense had to account for him because of the skill set he has. Whether lined up at quarterback or in the backfield, he was a threat to run or pass. Florida coaches used him well
– A really thick, solid kid at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds with agility (see the feature picture) and speed to boot. Listed as an athlete because I could see him playing a number of positions. A true Swiss army knife
Highlights
– Sticking with the theme of returning players, Brochu was back for his second stint as quarterback of the South Carolina Future Stars, in as many years
– Brochu is really starting to come together as a quarterback prospect, in demeanor, size/build and ability. As a sixth grader he had the passing ability and this year his size really kicked in at 6-foot and 170 pounds
– The South Carolina Future Stars seventh-grade team had a pretty rough time all week long, but Brochu and fellow quarterback Ethan D’Water did what they could to keep the offense fighting
Highlights
– Really impressive athlete that could have been a top performer at quarterback or defensive back based off what he did all week
– Stands 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds right now and I swear he got taller from the first time I saw him at practice to game day. Exceptional straight line speed and agility
– Originally caught my eye in practice when he was lined up as a wide receiver–and then didn’t even play the position on the game days. A really gifted athlete with a tremendous upside
Highlights
– After coaches and our scouts raved about his tryout for the Georgia Future Stars back in March, I was excited to see him play in this setting–and he did not disappoint in the least
– Passed the eye test right away in terms of having an athletic build. Then, watching him closely during one of the first practices, I could see what everyone else was talking about. His versatility and diverse skill set was impressive to watch on display
– He’s another prospect I have listed as an ATH because he can play a lot of positions. During Future Stars played the “Sniffer” position–which was a new term to me, but benefitted Lawson. It’s essentially a hybrid running back/tight end/H-Back position where he used his size/strength (5’11, 175 lbs.) while blocking, but also allowed him for him to be eligible as a receiver
– On a Florida Future Stars team full of athletes, Hines easily stood out as one of the top two receivers on the squad alongside Terriel Harmon. The duo made for quite the one-two punch
– While Harmon had the more physically developed, muscular and varsity-ready body, Harmon struck me as the more natural wide receiver. He was a big play threat at all times and came up with a number of big catches and was open downfield consistently
– Hines has all the potential in the world to become a D1 football player at this point. Listed on the roster at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds but I’m not sure he weighs that much. I hope I’ll get to see him play live again in a few months to see how he has filled out
– Very similar to the situation with X’Zavier Edmond, whom he shared the backfield with, Person was a back that stood out to me very quickly during position drills in the first practice
– Edmond and Person were a nice duo that helped pace the ground game for the North Carolina Future Stars seventh grade team. Complete with similar builds and running styles, it was truly a 1 and 1A situation in the backfield
– Had a slight injury during one of the early practices and missed a little time. However, come the game day(s), he showed no signs of being dinged up
– I fell in love with Hand in the practices leading up to the seventh grade Georgia Future Stars game’s against South Carolina and Florida. Some of our scouts at our PRZ Next Camp in Georgia mentioned there was a seventh-grader that could spin it…and they weren’t wrong
– Stands 5-foot-11 and 150 pounds right now and reminds me a lot of former four-star recruit and current Louisville Cardinal quarterback, Harrison Bailey. Both stand tall in the pocket, have a beautiful throwing motion and can run if situation called for it
– During the games, Cannon Robinson did his thing at quarterback and won the overall MVP in the championship game over Georgia. However, I saw everything I needed to see out of Hand in the reps he got leading up to the contests
Highlights
– The North Carolina Future Stars seventh grade defensive back’s were tested early in game one, by a Florida team with a pair of Wide Receivers that both project to D1 prospects–and they were up to the challenge
– Williams originally stood out to me in practice as a good player, but after watching his performance against Florida, I left the event thinking he’s a great player. In fact, had an interception against Florida and South Carolina
– Listed at 5-foot-7 and 135 pounds, he gave up a ton of size but he made up for it with absolutely perfect technique and was essentially lock down. That lack of size I mentioned, looks like it’s going to change too. He has long legs and a shorter torso, which tells me he has more growing to do. Really, really impressed by him
Highlights
– If you were looking for Dallas on the seventh-grade field, you weren’t going to find him. The 2028 quarterback actually played up with the eighth-grade class, participating against class of 2027 athletes
– The Future Stars Game week was the third time I saw him play live in the last calendar year and the kid keeps on ascending. I’m not the only one who sees it, as he picked up his first two offers from UAB and Arkansas during the week
– Up to 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, he’s shaping up to be one of the top dual-threat prospects in the class. A lefty with a ton of ability and even more upside because of he moves. Also, an incredibly likable kid that had the respect of all the coaches and his teammates. I’m excited to see where this young man goes