New Kids on the Block: NJ's Top 2028 Athletes

The final edition of the series, NJ's 2028 class offers a host of versatile athletes that are skilled in multiple ways on the field. Here we have players that can shine on either side of the ball, and have the potential to get field exposure early in their careers. Get familiar with these five athletes.    Brother of Nyko, both of these studs have devoted their talents to St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City. Both of the brothers are versatile in their game and will be getting plenty of reps on both sides of the ball, but after seeing them at the NYNJ Next Combine, it became clear that Nyko favored the defensive side of the ball whereas Kymore was getting reps in at every position he possibly could. Offensively, if Kymore adds size to his frame he will be a big threat as an RB. If he stays leaner, he may develop into a quick, explosive slot receiver. Either way, Kymore is going to to be extremely important to his team's offensive success in the future. Like his brother, Kymore is a nimble mover that can cut up the field with sharp cuts and slick routes. Kymore showed at the Combine that he can knock defenders off of his route as he can change his pace and change directions extremely fluidly. To go with his his agility, Kymore demonstrated explosive capabilities when going up for the ball and excellent hand-eye coordination to reel the ball in. Also, I would not be the least bit surprised if we hear about Kymore having success on the defensive side of the ball as well. He is an overall top talent in the 2028 class.     A freshman for Delbarton, [player_tooltip player_id='442176' first='Xavier' last='Rodriguez'] truly fits the definition of an athlete. A player that can really line up wherever he likes and find success, Xavier seems set up to thrive as a receiver and safety on defense. A bigger sized athlete for his age, Xavier has shown speed and elusive on the field and at previous camps. He is one of those players that can fly to the ball as a defender but can also torch a DB as he takes off downfield. He will be one of Delbarton's biggest weapons in the near future.       [player_tooltip player_id='972902' first='Anthony' last='Lopez Jr.'] is on his way to Paramus Catholic as one of the top receiving target in the NJ's 2028 class. Anthony is a lengthy, explosive target that is going to be trouble to cover in the future. As a runner, Anthony is one of those ball carriers that can stun the defender and leave them looking silly in the open field. Anthony can get the defender to commit for the tackle, only to deliver a lethal juke that leaves the defender empty handed. He is a natural runner, which was on full display last season when he lined up as his team's QB and often tucked it and ran for big gains.   Not only is Anthony a future star on offense, but he is already seeing the field for Paramus Catholic on the defensive side of the ball. With excellent size and quickness to be a shut down corner, Anthony is set up to be a well recognized name by the end of the season.     [player_tooltip player_id='991975' first='Tahj' last='Gray'] may be one of the most sensational athletes in the entire 2028 class. Another player that I got the chance to see perform at the NYNJ Next Combine in May, Tahj stood out amongst the rest as his dimensions and size (6'2" and 205lb) made you gravitate towards watching his reps. Tahj was one of the most gifted and natural athletes at the entire event, including the high schoolers. No other athlete looked as fluid as Tahj as he ran down the field; he made running and changes in direction look effortless and seamless. You really can't box Tahj into a position quite yet. He has the size and strength of a linebacker but also ran extremely well when in coverage against the receivers. He was able to stay toe-to-toe with the best the camp had to offer, and could be a big sized safety if he so chooses. Tahj also has the characteristics of big target on offense. Whether he plays tight end or receiver will all be determined by how much size he continues to add to his frame. Either way, he is going to be fed the ball in the future as he will be very difficult for defenses to contend with.       Ethan is the third stand out performer from the NYNJ Next Combine earlier in the year. Getting a ton of repetitions and positional drills in as a running back, Ethan showed pretty early in the event that he is a name to get familiar with. He had one of the faster 40 times in the group (4.59) and showed quick, explosive change of direction capabilities in the 5-10-5 as well. In live action, Ethan was able to show off his lateral quickness as he exposed linebackers in the open field. Ethan has that lateral explosiveness that you hope to have in your backfield.There's the potential for Ethan to line up as a slot receiver or be a major receiving threat out of the backfield as well, as he does a great job at finding open space to get open and can turn upfield with authority. While he doesn't have the size as some of the others on this list quite yet, Ethan's got 4 years to grow, put on some muscle, and continue to fine tune his skills.

The final edition of the series, NJ's 2028 class offers a host of versatile athletes that are skilled in multiple ways on the field. Here we have players that can shine on either side of the ball, and have the potential to get field exposure early in their careers. Get familiar with these five athletes.