Scout’s Notebook – Linebackers from PRZ Next’s New Jersey Camp

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This weekend I was able to link up with my old colleague and friend, the one-man industry himself <a href="https://twitter.com/AlPopsFootball">Al Pops</a>. Being what I consider at least, the nation's savant of identifying middle school football talent, Pops did not disappoint. As the event went on I got a pretty good look at all position groups. Here are a few notes I took from what I saw out of the day's linebacker group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Linebacker Notes</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first linebacker I found my eyes stumble upon was DJ Butler. Uncommon at events this far north, the Commonwealth's native was a gangly, rangey linebacker. He was able to cover a lot of ground in only a few steps, got to his drops quickly, and clogged lanes with his wingspan......They say that <em>Virginia is for lovers</em>, and and I am sure Butler and fellow Virginia linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='489593' first='Desmond' last='Reeves'] were having a love fest once they got to talking. Reeves had great size at 5'10" 160lbs and was able to move well. He anticipates plays in front of him. For Reeves to level up, I would want to see him react to what is in front of him, as well as play with better body leverage. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I am not sure what is in the water down in Toms River, but [player_tooltip player_id='1014509' first='Dante' last='Koc'] sure looks like a solid bet to continue their recent run of success at the high school level at Toms River North. Given his size (5'11" 189lbs), I was <em>stunned </em>to find out that he was a current 7th grader, scheduled to graduate in 2029. Koc was extremely fluid as a mover and got to his drops very quickly. When he was matched up against live competition Koc allowed little-to-no-space for backs out of the backfield. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Koc is a competitor. He works to fight for his right to the ball, tipping it if he cannot cleanly come up with a play on it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps a late add to the roster, Ahmaad-Hassan Ellis might be a prospect who is <em>that good </em>in his local community. A bit smaller in stature than some of the other linebackers present, Ellis is a prospect that I can see moving to the defensive secondary as he ages. The distinct attribute I observed from Ellis was that he had a clear, distinct change in speed when was balling. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->