Team FSP Standouts At The Northwest Showcase
In this article:
Western Oregon University hosted their annual Northwest Showcase last weekend. The event has grown into one of the biggest showcases in the country, featuring open signups that netted 1,300 players, and dozens of universities from all levels in attendance. The…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWestern Oregon University hosted their annual Northwest Showcase last weekend. The event has grown into one of the biggest showcases in the country, featuring open signups that netted 1,300 players, and dozens of universities from all levels in attendance. The majority of Washington’s best players came representing Bellevue-based industry titan Ford Sports Performance, who brang nearly 100 total prospects. These few stood out with some of the camp’s best overall performances.
Tanupo took home the camp’s overall MVP award as he dominated the lineman session. He’d been solid during the Spring Tackle season and put together good tape as a junior but was a different beast to begin the summer. One twitter clip shows him feint both ways before a nasty spin move that prevents the OG from getting in front of him in any meaningful way. He gets close enough that even though the Guard had started with a decent stance on the balls of his feet, he’s completely on his heels when AJ comes in to bat his hands outside before spinning in. At this point, AJ is stiff arming him out of contention while getting home, and has rendered his arms useless for the entire rep. Tanupo also put him backwards with his lower body, meaning there wasn’t much he could do without being the more violent of the two, another rarity going against the hungry interior DL. AJ got all of his physical advantages working against him quick and showed big energy with his ideal frame, netting him the award at this showcase and giving him recruiting momentum heading into the summer. Idaho offered the following week, and he now holds Portland State and Montana State offers as well, a list that should continue to grow before his senior season.
Highlights
Loumoli is the best 8th grader in the state that I’ve seen, on film or in person. He hardly gets tired and is a force in every rep he takes. Coaches were wowed by him from individual drills, to linebacker drills, to 1-on-1s. He’s as strong as the lineman his age and as fast as the skill players his age, and his explosiveness stands out above all the rest. He looks and acts far above his age but still has tons of room to grow. He already earned offers from Louisville, Penn State and Washington, but his camp performance has furthered the high hopes of many that he could be the state’s top player in his class, and likely a top player in the entire country by the time it’s all said and done. He’s a must offer if there ever was one.
As Team FSP rolled up to the showcase, many still wondered if Manning could be as big as his listed size of 6’7″ 340. They’d ask where the big dude was with skepticism, to which I’d point him out and they would go “Oh!” as he fills out every bit of that frame and is still a growing 15-year old. He dominated at the camp as expected, but the most surprising part about him isn’t even his size; it’s the way he moves with it. He doesn’t get beat inside, keeping his arms extended and pressing kids around and into the ground. If you want to bend the edge on him, you’ll have to deal with surprising mobility, power and length that can set his feet without rising and leaving his athletic stance. He’s improved the quickness that seemed to be his biggest weakness drastically, and is among the conversation for the best lineman prospect in the state heading into his Junior year.
Wassie was an awesome TE and LB for Eastside Catholic as just a freshman, but is just beginning to unlock his vast potential. He combines elite size with quickness and aggression to overpower older and bigger players on both sides of the ball. He performed as an LB at the showcase to coaches delight, especially the University Of Washington’s, who offered him on the spot. He has the ability to win the rep any time he steps on the field, and the confidence to use his gifts to his advantage, knowing they won’t fail him. Lugolobi is one of the best ’26s in the state and will collect offers by the dozen before his senior year.
Marsh took home the overall DB honors, standing out heavily among the rest of the camp. I haven’t seen him lose a rep all spring, as his fierce competition keeps him in reps as much as his athletic prowess. He had an awesome spring tackle performance with a few big hits, an interception, and a punt return for a touchdown. He may have been motivated by receiving a Utah Tech offer the day before the camp, or by his brother signing with NFL teams and going through training camp in the days and weeks prior. He showed out, receiving offers from Portland State, Idaho and Eastern Washington on the weekend, as his stock continues to rise through the summer camp season.