Jersey Shore 12U All-Star Tryouts: RB/LB/Nickel Standouts

The defending AYF National Champions in the All-Star division–in both the 12U and 14U divisions–were back on the field this past weekend with their annual tryout. Nearly 135 prospects took the field to tryout to become a member of the decorated program. At this level and age, there is a lot of parody in terms of ability and size. With that said, there were some clear outliers and those guys quickly separated themselves from the pack. Below are the Running Back, Linebacker and Nickel prospects that stood out to me from the tryout.   Note: Team selections are made by the coaches. Being mentioned or not mentioned below, has no baring on team selection.    The words "thoroughbred" and "stallion" were just two of the complementary descriptions of Bredy that I overheard at the tryout. A big, physical, Middle Linebacker who used was very clearly on a different level than the other prospects. From a raw strength and power angle, he was second to none. The former Defensive End should also serve as a short yardage or power back on the offensive side of the ball and help wear down the opposing defense.     Based off what I saw at the tryout, it would surprise me a great deal if [player_tooltip player_id='1196450' first='Carmelo' last='Foendoe'] wasn't RB1 when this Jersey Shore 12U AYF All-Star team takes the field in December. Foendoe was selected for the 12U team last year as a young sixth-grader and was a member of the Nationaly Championship-winning team. This year I expect the all-purpose back to get the bulk of the carries and put his stamp on the tournament.     Giocoli had a nice showing at the tryout, particularly on the defensive side of the ball as a Linebacker. If he makes the squad, I can see Giocoli being a nice interchangeable piece in the Linebacker unit, with enough versatility to play Middle or Sam Linebacker. He displayed good strength at the point of contact and moved around alright, but looked a little stiff and robotic at times too.     Jenkins III was a late sign up for the tryout, but left a lasting impression. There's no question that he was one of the better prospects at the tryout, but what position he ultimately ends up playing is a little up in the air. He has long arms and was one of the bigger kids at the LB/RB tryout, so I don't think some type of Outside Linebacker/Defensive End/Edge hybrid-position can be ruled out.     One of my personal favorites from the tryout, Jones brought a scrappy attitude to every drill. He's somewhere between a Strong Safety and a Will Outside Linebacker at this point, but I feel he can play both. He has the agility and quickness to cover in the secondary, but also has that extra grit in him to come up and hit like a Linebacker.     One of the few eighth-grade prospects to tryout for the defending national champs, Lynn had some positive moments on the day. A short, thick kid I can see a couple ways for him to be selected for this team. Lynn fits the mold of a Fullback/Middle Linebacker thumper that can be used in short yardage situations on both sides of the ball. On top of that, with his fire hydrant-like build, Lynn is strong enough to slide down and play on the D-Line and/or can move well enough to be an important part of the kick-off or punt team(s).     If this Jersey Shore 12U AYF All-Star team is going to go back-to-back, they're going to need to show up and work on every play--something that Schicchi did on Saturday. Not the biggest, not the fastest and not the most technically sound, but he kept making plays that made me jot down notes. He was there for both the RB/LB and WR/DB/QB portions of the tryouts and after a while he just couldn't be ignored. He showed off good hands and flashed notable ball instincts. His versatility could be huge down the line, as I can see him playing WR/SS/OLB or some Nickel.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Additional Standouts</h2>   Jake Barbosa | Howell | 2030   Hunter Hollingshead | Toms River | 2031   [player_tooltip player_id='1475828' first='Ez'mere' last='Strong'] | Asbury Park | 2029

The defending AYF National Champions in the All-Star division–in both the 12U and 14U divisions–were back on the field this past weekend with their annual tryout. Nearly 135 prospects took the field to tryout to become a member of the decorated program. At this level and age, there is a lot of parody in terms of ability and size. With that said, there were some clear outliers and those guys quickly separated themselves from the pack. Below are the Running Back, Linebacker and Nickel prospects that stood out to me from the tryout.