New York Jets’ 11-on: Friday’s 7v7 Standouts, Part II
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On Friday, July 7 I was lucky enough to take in the final qualifying round for the New York Jets’ 11-On event. This event featured 7on7 competition for the skill players and a lineman competition for the bigs. Across two…
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Continue ReadingOn Friday, July 7 I was lucky enough to take in the final qualifying round for the New York Jets’ 11-On event. This event featured 7on7 competition for the skill players and a lineman competition for the bigs. Across two days and several “pods,” the two platoons competed against their counterparts from other high schools within the region to aggregate a total score for their respective teams. The top scoring teams from each pod would be invited back for the playoffs during the event’s third and final day.
I first took in the lineman competition, having a chance to scout players here and here and therefor I was unable to watch every team during 7on7 pod play. We will take a look at the skill positions and the athletes who stood out inside the Jets’ practice bubble that I was able to watch perform. Click here to revisit Part I of the standout skills.
Standout Performances: Cedar Grove
A perennial team to be reckoned with in Group I, Cedar Grove had an opportunity to enact revenge against the same team that ended their season earlier than they would have liked last year – Weequahic. The two teams faced off in the Friday night pod championship game – a game that went back and forth and was seemingly never going to end. Traditionally a Wing-T team, Cedar Grove featured plenty of QB Waggle and took those downhill principles of their rush offense and applied it to their defensive unit. On both sides of the ball they had a 2025 graduate who stood out.
Despite being in a run-first, misdirection-type offense Paradiso demonstrated the ability to succeed in just about any offense. The junior quarterback showed mobility and quick feet – a must when orchestrating a Wing-T offense – along with the requisite arm strength and gall to succeed. Paradiso slung absolute bullets all over the field and was especially apt at hitting receivers running flood patterns with precision. Lastly, Paradiso seemed unafraid and in full command of the offense. He challenged defenders and fit the ball into tight windows as well, all without committing turnovers.
Highlights
Tronio impressed me leading as he led the Panther’s defensive unit. For as big as he is, 6’2″ 215lbs, he covered a lot of ground in pass coverage. He got to his drops efficiently, in a hurry, and was not out leveraged. Additionally, Tronio plays to the defensive scheme extremely well as he passed off receivers to the next zone without issue. Given his size he also clogged passing lanes and limited throwing windows, thus forcing the opposition to look elsewhere. Speaking of his size, Tronio showed the physicality to match. When lined up over #3 in trips Tronio did an outstanding job of jamming his matchup, disallowing cheap & easy releases.
Standout Performances: Elizabeth
The Elizabeth Minutemen showed tremendous upside competing in the 7on7 portion of the event. A mix of young-and-old, there seems to be something special brewing over near Bayway. They featured one for-certain FBS-caliber prospect, a talented offensive compliment any other team would love to have as their featured playmaker, a safety I found hard to believe was just a sophomore, and a freshman quarterback nobody believed was a freshman.
If you are unfamiliar with McDaniels, you ought to acquaint yourself. McDaniels dominated in each and every game he participated in. Offensively, the talented senior scored in each of the Minutemen’s games. Aside from blazing the field with his speed, he showed great ball skills and excelled at high pointing the ball making him a bonafide field stretcher. He catches with his hands and his routes are crisp in-and-out of his breaks. As well as he did on offense, defense might be his penchant. Across four contests McDaniels only allowed one catch from his cornerback position. His long arms make it difficult for his matchup to get a release and he leverages the boundary very well. Yes, he has outstanding play; however his athleticism might be what makes him a FBS prospect. In brief conversations with the staff, McDaniels registered a 39″ vertical jump at the Monmouth Camp and ran a 4.42 second and a 4.40 second 40-yard dash at the Penn State Camp. Remember his name: Ibn McDaniels Ibn McDaniels 6’3″ | 185 lbs | ATH Elizabeth | 2024 NJ .
For as much attention as McDaniels brings, Canty is one of the benefactors who lines up opposite him. Canty is also a 4.4 second 40-yard dash runner. Although he is athletic enough to line up outside, he butters his bread working in the slot. Canty did a nice job running sharp routes and pivoting, changing directions on a dime. When he runs his routes Canty did a nice job of setting up defenders, leaving them looking silly at times. Despite being a bit shorter, Canty is ferocious how he attacks and comes back to the ball: if it is thrown to him, it is his to come away with. Lastly, if McDaniels was not scoring on defenses, Canty was.
Perhaps the biggest benefactor of all of the Minutemen’s explosive, talented skills is their quarterback. Fleming, who is just a freshman, seems to be projecting to start under center for Elizabeth. It was as evident as the sky is blue that with every spin he took Fleming’s confidence grew. A little unsettled at first, which is understandable for a prospect who still has never stepped foot in a high school hallway and was thrust into competition in a NFL facility, he consistently put the ball in the right place as the evening turned into night. What was impressive to the naked eye was that he puts good pop on the ball and has a quick release time. Fleming has the arm talent to make every throw that was asked of him. On multiple occasions, I heard coaches remark “no way this kid is a freshman.” With Fleming and fellow class of 2027 teammate Nahjae Smith Nahjae Smith 5’11” | 175 lbs | WR Elizabeth | 2027 State NJ in the fold for four full years, the duo seems to have a bright future ahead of them.
Grown-man size with a baby face: that is what made Williams such an anomaly to me. Standing at 6’2″ with the ability to run like the wind, Williams impressed both me and his competition with his ranginess from his safety spot. He typically played over the top in cover 3 and totally eliminated half the field in cover 2. As talented as he is, Williams is only just a sophomore. With each spin he took, you saw him gaining a deeper understanding of Elizabeth’s defensive scheme and built trust with his teammates being in their spots and doing their jobs. Lastly, Williams is not afraid to be physical. On short passes he got downhill in a hurry. He corralled the ball carrier quickly and took any air out of any cutbacks by tracking his nearside hip. When pressed on #2 in twins, receiver releases were practically non-existent.