Overlooked Senior Prospects Worth A Look, Philadelphia County
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Gabriel Smalley PA #464 QB #34 HEIGHT 6'0" WEIGHT 200 POS QB CLASS 2024 View Profile Gabriel Smalley Twitter State: Pennsylvania School: Abraham Lincoln Former Palumbo kid I was fond of finding last Summer. Now at Lincoln, you can find…
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Continue ReadingFormer Palumbo kid I was fond of finding last Summer. Now at Lincoln, you can find his mid-season tape not on Hudl, but on YouTube. Arm talent makes every Lincoln weapon potentially open downfield, a secondary will have to honor his arm. Works in a spread system, his footwork out of gun is suitable at this level, not asked to drop back much in a traditional set. Love his decision-making, especially when it comes to targeting vertical shots down the sideline. A quick flick gives his wideouts a catchable ball downfield. Operates in zone-read sets where he is a clear threat to tuck and run. Looks slightly in better shape as opposed to last year. Run for firsts or big chunks. Smalley has opened up the playbook for the Lincoln coaching staff. Want to see him work in person before the season ends.
Highlights
Christopher Dalton Christopher Dalton 6'0" | 185 lbs | LB Archbishop Ryan | 2024 State PA
Christopher Dalton Christopher Dalton 6'0" | 185 lbs | LB Archbishop Ryan | 2024 State PA
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- ABR’s leading rusher
- registered a pick
- second on team in total tackles.
Leading rusher, yet can catch the football out of the backfield and/or play the pass and stop the run, a great all-around prospect with suitable size too. Mid-season tape conveys exactly that. Is asked to play out of the box at times too, almost as a safety, which again, an area the kid is clearly comfortable in. Can serve as a passable back at this level, yet I think he’s best suited on the defensive side of the football. Has slot WR reps on tape, as well as lead-blocking reps at FB. Again, he’s a football player you can win with.
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- 6’1, 350 pounds
- 400-pound squatter
Guard and nose tackle are obvious stations for this mammoth of a prospect. Has legitimate tape, tough for Public League linemen to get real looks outside of Imhotep prospects. A solid mover, he’s 350 so you take what you can get. Really like his coil and explosion out of his stance, he might not move his feet quick of course, but the kid packs plenty of punch early in reps. A tight-elbowed strike from a kid this big is bound to throw opposing players off balance. Plenty of pancakes, both in run support and in pass-pro sets. Will likely be asked to bring his weight down to 325 at the least, within the first two years of college if he decides to pursue that route. Like him at NG at the next level, as opposed to guard.
One of my favorite prospects out of the Philadelphia area happens to attend my alma mater. Former camp standout is a name I’ve sent to FCS schools recently. Seven touchdowns in five games, tack on three interceptions to boot, Central’s Vance Johnson Vance Johnson 6’1″ | 170 lbs | ATH Central (Philadelphia) | 2024 State PA starts his tape, not with a score or a pick, but with a tone-setting block on special teams. You can find the splash plays later throughout the film. The stride and glide I’ve become accustomed to still looks as smooth as ever, with Johnson torching DBs after outside releases off the LOS. Johnson’s sprinting capabilities, matched with his 6’1 frame, will be his calling card to coaches, yet the kid is hardly a one-trick pony. His role and position versatility should have him stacked next to some of the better D1 prospects in the area. Wild-cat QB, any wideout position with the ability to attack all three-levels of the field, corner, safety, can return punts and kicks too. A real gem in the Public League.
I’m a broken record at this point. Yet here we are, halfway through October, Father Judge’s Nymeir Appling Nymeir Appling 6’2″ | 185 lbs | WR Father Judge | 2024 State PA is still without an offer. Legitimately believe he’d be a steal at the FCS level, let alone the PSAC, who are all over the kid from what I’ve heard. His junior tape alone should have garnered suitors. If not, his senior tape should do the trick. 600 receiving yards to his name through seven games, all of this on just 24 receptions. Appling also leads his team in overall scoring, which is rare for a wideout to do at any HS. Has scored in every game this season except one, scored twice while I was in attendance against PJP2. I’ll be excited to see how Appling is doing this time next year, likely making his future coaches wonder how he fell to their level. Either way, this is one of the best two-way prospects the PCL has to offer and has been for some time now.
Highlights
A second Judge prospect on this list, Denzel Dunbar Denzel Dunbar 6’3″ | 215 lbs | DL Father Judge | 2024 State PA is another name colleges should know. Tied for the team lead in sacks, tied for the team lead in TFLs, he’s the freak along the beefy defensive front-four at Judge. 6’3, 225, holds a 3.1 GPA. Also a basketball player. No tape to his name yet, so he’ll be a tough sell right now if I bring him up. We’ll have to wait for a senior season tape to drop to really pump his name out. I imagine Eastern PA PSAC programs will likely dip their toe at some point.
Practically a top-ten senior linebacker who is currently unoffered to my knowledge. 6’2, 225, has a two-minute mid-season tape out. Tape shows a great understanding of run-play set-ups. Understands to attack holes pulling guards are attempting to pave, no much hesitation in this kid’s game. Not too many Pub running backs that can win 1v1 against Reid between the tackles, the young man brings all of his momentum with him. Love the power he can generate without much of a wind-up or running start. Much of Reid’s mid-season tape showcases him plugging holes, hopefully the final tape improves on showing off his versatility as a backer. Value is still to be had either way.
Up in measurables, now 6’5, 270. No offers to his name. Center reps for the Imhotep senior, you don’t see too many centers this big between the A-gaps. Can pull at this position, his mid-season shows plenty of kickouts as the lead-blocker headed into C-gaps or outside of tackles. Still carries his weight like he’s 250 pounds, a huge plus for him. Coaches might question where exactly to put him at the next level, tackle might be the answer. Has some reps chipping and passing off, has some reps showing off his lateral movement. Finishing plays, aggression, these areas are lacking but again, this is just his first four we are working with. This kid is deserving of some looks.
Terell Farris Terell Farris 5'11" | 210 lbs | ATH Washington | 2024 PA
Terell Farris Terell Farris 5'11" | 210 lbs | ATH Washington | 2024 PA
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- 5’11, 210
- can serve as a FB, RB, or DE. Has a backer build.
Has a thick build, one that stood out to me in person. Coaches might struggle identifying a position for Farris at first look. His height/weight combination makes him an ideal fit at linebacker at the next level, yet he’s much more accustomed to front-four play at George Washington. Not every D2/D3 DE is 6’4, 235 pounds, so removing DE possibilities might be doing the kid a disservice, it’s still possible he gets looks along the defensive front. He needs to work on getting as much tape out as possible, however. I’ve seen him live, so the first impression is made with me, yet coaches I talk to are going to want to see his skillset for themselves. 3.31 GPA, that’s good.