AYF Nationals Day One: 12U O-Linemen That Stood Out - Pt. 1

On the first day of AYF Nationals i bounced around and saw a ton of excellent 12U, 13U and 14U prospects from all over the country. I jotted down names and notes of well over 100 players on opening day. While there will be plenty more articles to come as the days continue on, below is Part One of the 12U Offensive Linemen that stood out to me.    One of the first prospects I took note of on the Staten Island Hurricanes 12U team today. Long arms and legs make him a perfectly-framed Left Tackle at this stage. Didn't hear him say much in terms of being a vocal leader, but was the unspoken leader through up front through work ethic and ability on the field. Obviously needs to fill out some more, but he's an eighth-grader playing 12U football and could start at most varsity public school programs in New JerseyNew York City, tomorrow. Though, I'd be very shocked if a private school didn't scoop him up, or he didn't reclass back to 2030. He should be a good one.     The biggest kid--in terms of both height and weight--on a 12U team with some great size up front. Sagapolutele lined up at Right Guard in played well against the Staten Island Hurricanes 12U team, despite a losing effort. Still a pup in some sense, there's no questioning his size and strength. Easily looks as if he plays high school football right now. On field, he did a good job blocking in an offensive scheme that featured a lot of zone running plays and quick pass plays.     The starter at Left Guard for the NTB Wolfpack, Reion Woods was the first Offensive Lineman I noticed on the St. Louis-based team. During warmups he looked the part of middle school lineman that has a shot to be a good player as he progresses through the levels of football--the potential is definitely there. Looked very athletic for the position and did some great things fundamentally with his feet. Fired out with a flat back and his eyes/chest up. Used his hands and hips well, too.     In one of the best 12U matchups of the day, the Watkins Bounty Boys, out of Virginia and the surrounding area defeated a tough Benson Bruins team. The team shook off some early body blows to come back and win--with some strong performances. Starting Left Tackle Kyonta Bradley had one of those performances. Bradley did a nice job of firing out and consistently getting his helmet and hands right underneath the chin strap of the opposition. In a game with a ton of size and ability, he stood out.     Just taking the field, it was easy to see that big No.78 Kaiden Murray was on a different level than some of the other prospects on the field. Big, mean, athletic for his size and looked to be in a bad mood the moment his feet touched the turf. A starter at both Left Guard and Defensive Tackle for the victorious 703 United Lions, the Virginia native was a kid that I quickly noticed during warmups, then the coaching staff told me about about him and finally his played backed it up on the field. Very impressive kid.     A starter for the Northwest Premier Junior Football League 12U Champion, Benson Bruins. Consistently play out of Vaofusi at both Right Guard (which he's being praised for in this writeup) and at Defensive End, he was a bright spot in a very hard-fought loss against the Watkins Bounty Boys 12U team. Good size for this level as of December 2024. Athletic, carried his weight well and used his lower body to re-anchor himself in a good position to open holes.     Another big boy off a victorious 12U Watkins Bounty Boys team, Maxfield was the largest prospect on a team of several kids significantly taller than the 6-foot mark and well-North of 230 pounds. If I had to guess, I'd put Maxfield in the neighborhood of 6-foot-3 and 260-pounds. He started at Right Tackle and has the frame/genetics to eventually become one of the biggest prospects in the country when his time comes in high school. Way more agile than one would imagine, and was actually     The 12U Staten Island Hurricanes appeared to be one of the more complete teams I saw on Day One at AYF Nationals. Aside from their skill position guys, which I'll touch on in the coming days, their Offensive and Defensive Line proved to simply be a bunch of bullies. After reviewing some of the film I took from the game, Burch did a good job at Center in the SHO's first win. A bottom-heavy, wide-load used strength and heavy hands to drive opposing guys out of the way for his team.     The 12U Greater Illinois All-Stars had a tough first round draw, as they opened up with the Black & Gold All-Stars out of West Texas, were last year's AYF National 11U All-Star Champions. Despite suffering a lopsided 34-0 loss, Kenneth Jones Jr. appeared to be a bright spot at Right Guard. During warmups, he clearly stood out amongst others on the field with a broad, strong frame. Jones Jr. was one of the taller kids on his team, but he's not at the 6-foot mark yet. Played low and used leverage and strength. He's one I'm interested in seeing a year from now, to see     Not the first prospect--or even offensive lineman to that point-- that I noticed, but he certainly showed he can play. On a very good-looking 12U NTB Wolfpack team out of Missouri, he was one of the most consistent players from warmups through their first round game. Despite taking a tough 24-20 L in the opening contest, the start at Right Tackle did a good job of blocking to the whistle and keeping the playmakers clean.

On the first day of AYF Nationals i bounced around and saw a ton of excellent 12U, 13U and 14U prospects from all over the country. I jotted down names and notes of well over 100 players on opening day. While there will be plenty more articles to come as the days continue on, below is Part One of the 12U Offensive Linemen that stood out to me.