PRZNY Team Previews: James Monroe Red Jackets

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Last Season (11-1)</h2>   <p>Monroe handled their schedule with ease last season until they met Maine-Endwell, a very tough physical team that featured several division one linemen, and they picked up their lone loss of the season in the state semifinal. Their top prospects performed week in and week out, and there wasn't a better regular season they could have had. When it comes to the playoffs, they were at a size disadvantage against Maine-Endwell and although Maine-Endwell lost the state title (To a team that really was Class A caliber) they were arguably one of the toughest teams to play in all of New York regardless of class last season so a loss to ME is nothing for James Monroe to scoff at. They made it further than every Section V team, with no Section V team making the state final last season. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Prospect</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Hampton is not just the top player for James Monroe but the best WR in New York, one of the top WRs in the northeast, and in the conversation for best player overall in New York. There has been plenty on this site about him in the past, so there is no need to go into detail, but in some recruiting news, he just named his top 10. </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/messiah_O8/status/1829581827956195709 </div></figure>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Next Five Prospects</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Montgomery Jr is a very intriguing prospect; he falls just a tad under 6', but he is a violent tackler with an elite frame with broad shoulders and defined muscles. He is a good athlete in space, and when I saw him live at 7v7, it helped confirm some quality coverage skills you don't get reps of on tape. The type of LB that can reach 225+ pounds and maintain his athleticism is a special type of player to have in the middle of the defense. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">The leader of an otherwise very young defensive back group, [player_tooltip player_id='255197' first='Styhles' last='McKenzie-Baker'], is one of the top man coverage cornerbacks in New York. He may be more of a nickel at the next level due to his size, but he is really sticky in man coverage. He shows fluid hips and the ability to close on the ball with some explosiveness. He has consistently shown quality ball skills throughout his varsity seasons. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Mullins is one of the more underrated prospects on the James Monroe offense. He has featured so many start wide receivers over the past and upcoming season, but he is fast and quick and makes guys miss in space. Mullins shows acceleration on tape to get by the first level, which was very effective between the tackles, even if he comes in at 170 lbs. Mullins also can impact the passing game out of the backfield, where his quickness and acceleration help him separate from LBs. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Nichols, who started on varsity last season at CB, one of the few freshman DBs in New York, was productive with several INTS and showed on tape he can hang with bigger WR prospects. Nichols is another smaller DB who is quick and twitchy but he showed the ability as a freshman to stick with guys and be physical in coverage. As he gets bigger, his game will continue to develop for the next level. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">The backup last season who did receive some varsity playing time Cunningham comes into the season as one of the top QB prospects in the state. I have seen Cunningham throw, and that, combined with some of his tapes from last season, you see a quarterback prospect with a natural touch to his throws, the ability to move and evade in the pocket, but most importantly, it shows accuracy at all three levels of the field. He will continue to grow and add arm strength, but he comes into the season with one of the best natural arm talents in the state. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Breakout Player</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">I have said it on Twitter, and he is even featured in some content for the 2028 class. There is not enough 2028 prospects that have reached the point in their development or playing time where they can be ranked but Brumfield II has set the standard for the class as easily the top prospect so far. He earned an offer from Syracuse at camp, and I was him live at CTC 7v7. he is one of those defensive back prospects who just sees the game so well he is consistently 1-2 steps ahead of everyone. He has great ball skills and will be very tough for offenses to throw toward, even though he is just a freshman. 5'10 160 isn't a bad size for a freshman, but continuing to grow and add strength to his frame will be huge for his long-term development. In the short term, expect Brumfield to be one of the few freshmen in Rochester to compete for considerable post-season honors. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Names To Know</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Position</th><th>Year</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1283651' first='Zae'Quan' last='Lathrop']</td><td>DE</td><td>2025</td><td>One of the top returning defensive lineman for Monroe</td></tr><tr><td>Nasir Kelly</td><td>WR</td><td>2025</td><td>Quick WR prospect, WR2/3 on a strong passing offense</td></tr><tr><td>Anthony Davis</td><td>IOL</td><td>2025</td><td>Big OL prospect - will be a big impact in the run game</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1345241' first='Luis' last='Falu'] </td><td>WR</td><td>2026</td><td>Potential breakout player Pt. 2 - super quick and efficient route runner</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1345184' first='Jovan' last='Bennett']</td><td>RB</td><td>2026</td><td>Backup RB with some athleticism</td></tr><tr><td>Jordan Reis</td><td>WR/ATH</td><td>2026</td><td>Long, lean athlete who can contribute both ways</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1583439' first='Anthony' last='Omebe']</td><td>WR/DE</td><td>2026</td><td>Will be hard to find reps at WR, potential defensive impact</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1328863' first='Terrence' last='Barner']</td><td>CB</td><td>2027</td><td>Solid DB prospect who will be one of the starting DBs in a special backend group</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1369607' first='Raymond' last='Garcia']</td><td>WR</td><td>2027</td><td>Talented WR - have seen him at 7v7. Twitchy</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1373102' first='Alijah' last='Jones']</td><td>OT</td><td>2027</td><td>Starter at Tackle, physical OL that could turn into a D1 prospect with growth</td></tr><tr><td>Deshawn Thomas</td><td>SAF</td><td>2027</td><td>A part of a young DB group that looks to be special</td></tr><tr><td>Lamont Johnson</td><td>DE</td><td>2027</td><td>Young EDGE prospect</td></tr><tr><td>Nick Reeves</td><td>IOL</td><td>2027</td><td>Young Interior OL prospect</td></tr><tr><td>Tahj Ruffin</td><td>OL/DL</td><td>2027</td><td>Young OL/DL prospect</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Losses/Commitments</h2>   <p>WR - [player_tooltip player_id='527833' first='Amari' last='Colon'] - Glenville State</p>   <p>DL - Jahcure Maxam - Lock Hacen</p>   <p>DL - Robert Arnold</p>   <p>WR - Landon McKnight </p>   <p>LB - Nazhier Wilson - Brockport</p>   <p>QB - Khaya Moses - Alleghany College</p>   <p>DL - Dashon Constantine - SUNY Morrisville</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Schedule</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/RoeFootball_/status/1824846136919630200 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Outlook</h2>   <p>HC: Terrell Cunningham</p>   <p>The big story in the outlook of James Monroe is the move from Class B to Class A, in which their regular season schedule became significantly more difficult. Games against East, Canandaigua, and McQuaid feature opponents from Rochester that are 1-2 tiers above their previous competition regarding the consistency and success of programs year over year. They start off the season against Clarence, and intriguing matchup with a Section VI team that is possible to see again at some point down the line but the two matchups that will truly test Monroe are against East and McQuaid. East provides a matchup where there is a lot of familiar faces on the opposing sideline and will field some of the best athletes in Rochester and the game against McQuaid will provide a team that has the postseason success and experience in a high class that Monroe has yet to face much of during the regular season. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Things Going For The Red Jackets</h2>   <p>They have the best offensive playmaker in New York</p>   <p>They have one of the strongest defensive back groups in the state</p>   <p>There are some young playmakers in key positions to replace the skill players they lost. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1 Area To Be Concerns</h2>   <p>They lost multiple top defensive linemen who were amongst New York's top stat leaders at the position.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Last Word</h2>   <p>I think many people will be surprised by how well the offense transitions from losing their QB and multiple WRs from last season and their ability to continue scoring at a high level against tougher competition. My concern is the loss of size and production on the defensive line. In a higher class, they will face bigger teams, and at times, Monroe's defense may struggle to stop the run against teams like East, Canandaigua, and McQuaid. At the end of the day, Monroe has some of the best college prospects in Rochester, and I think they will easily compete for a Class A title; it will come down to how physical they can be in the trenches once you reach postseason time.</p>