2026 Rankings Update: Scout's Favorite Film, Part I

<p><strong><em>Enjoy our newest rankings release by using promo code “mankarious30” for 30% off your first subscription to Prep Redzone New Jersey</em></strong>!</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <p>Perhaps the single element of being on our ranking team that I enjoy the most is the opportunity to unearth hidden gems that are either overlooked, under recruited, or not yet on the radar. Creating media buzz, notoriety, and calling attention for deserving prospects that are is a selfless joy I partake in. That said, independent of any agenda, here are some player's tapes that I really enjoyed and are simply and outright good football players.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1054424' first='Ahmad' last='Jones'] is a tough quarterback to describe. After some clips, I would say that he is a gunslinger; whereas after other clips I would consider him a scrambler. Either way, Pleasantville is best off with the ball in his hands. The lefty does a great job of identifying his primary read and letting the ball rip, while on the same token does an outstanding job of scrambling to gain chunks or yardage too. Jones' ball placement is generally on the target, as they throw to a spot. He is very good at delivering balls over the middle, where he gets plenty of zip behind each throw, and is able to effectively run RPOs. Lastly, Jones has solid mechanics when throwing both in the pocket and on the move.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Qb1Maad/status/1801843913746960690 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">I am unsure of which I like more: [player_tooltip player_id='1227820' first='AJ' last='Larkin']'s game or how he was utilized his sophomore season. Larkin is built and plays like a prototypical slot receiver, yet be brings a bit more skill to the position - especially up the sideline. Larkin does a great job making falling catches, maintaining his field awareness, and using his hands to make the grab. He adjusts to poorly thrown balls and will use his head to sell breaks in his route. Blessed with speed, Larkin will run crossers over the middle, beating any linebacker who tries to either cover or carry him through their zone. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/AjLarkin4/status/1774131353518260484 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='672996' first='Bryce' last='Werner'] is a target that does many subtle, nuanced things well at wide receiver. What caught my eye about Werner was his ability to slice through the levels of the defense, gradually - and sneakily - gaining more depth on his routes as he ascended to the latter levels. Additionally, we see the rising junior rise up to high point the ball and use his hands. Werner also does a great job of securing the catch through contact. Also a strong defender, we see Werner get good breaks on the ball, while also opening up correctly to the correct leverage when in pass coverage. With the majority of his film being offensive clips, he was ranked as a receiver; however, with the touch of defensive clips included I think, personally, I like him better as a defensive back.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BryceW_11/status/1824821357584040428 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Another receiver making today's cut was [player_tooltip player_id='1281518' first='Daniel' last='Figurski']. Figurski uses all of his body - arms, head, and limbs - to sell route fakes. He can also make contested grabs by high pointing the ball and nearly exclusively uses his hands to catch the ball. While falling down or being tackled, we see that Figurski maintains possession both through contact and to the ground, demonstrating that he has strong hands. When his quarterback finds himself in trouble, the rising junior receiver does a great job of attacking the ball in the air as it is sent his way. Similarly, Figurski is able to find soft spots in zone coverage to sit in until his quarterback finds him. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/DanFigurski_/status/1789412946948301251 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">The class of 2026's top quarterback is [player_tooltip player_id='275127' first='Derek' last='Zammit']. Zammit does a number of things that current college quarterbacks might struggle with. For starters, Zammit does an outstanding job of picking his eyes up and getting them back down field after working to avoid the rush. He has a very quick release, which makes it difficult for defensive backs to get a jump on his throws. Zammit does a great job of moving around in the pocket as well. In terms of connecting with his targets, it seems as if all of his throws lead his intended target nicely to amass serious YAC. Zammit is also athletic enough to scramble and rip off big runs - dare I venture to say that he is both fast and quick. The arm strength is there, as he is able to rifle a ball into a tight window and get about 50 yards of air distance on his throws. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/derek_zammit/status/1825713038663766354 </div></figure>

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