Top Quarterbacks From Northeast Next Combine

The northeast middle schoolers came out to ball this weekend. With a huge turnout and a ton of talent to evaluate, here is the first in a series covering the top performers ands rising stars from the camp. A camp that saw strong numbers from the quarterback position, here are a few of the QBs that really caught my eye, and ones I believe are on the path to huge successes in the near future.   Top Performers    Justin had a near perfect camp this weekend in Waldwick, NJ. Not only does he stand above the rest (6'2") and has developed a larger frame to build on, he also excelled in each of the live drills as well as positional workouts. He was the most sound thrower of the weekend, earning the title of Top Performer from the Next Northeast Camp coaches.   Justin impressed in multiple ways in his showing on Saturday. He tested well in all of the speed, power and agility test (L-Drill, Broad Jump, 40 yard), and continued his success when going up against the best DBs from the camp. Justin consistently hit his receiver in stride between the numbers, throwing the ball with a lot of zip behind it. Justin was accurate all across the field, showing off his arm capabilities in the mid range routes as well as the deep ball. I think Justin is one of the clear favorites to be the top QB in the NJ 2029 class.     Another future star in the making, [player_tooltip player_id='1536061' first='Talib' last='Nartey'] showed he has all of the characteristics needed to develop into an elite signal caller. Watching Talib in positional drills, it was apparent he's been working on his mechanics and crisping up his throwing motion to get the most out of his arm. What caught me off guard this past weekend was how powerful of an arm Talib has. You would not think a player of his size could muster up 25+ yard throws with ease, but that's exactly what he did when it came to the live reps.   As Talib gains height and size over time, I think he will make it a very tough time for defenses to slow him down. With the combination of a strong arm and dual-threat capabilities, Talib is going to be a nightmare for opposing Ds.    Honorable Mentions   [player_tooltip player_id='1371657' first='Aidan' last='Ben-Meir']: 2029 Parisi Academy   Aidan showed poise Saturday afternoon at the Next Northeast Camp. He displayed pinpoint accuracy throughout all of the events, really shining in the live drills against the DBs. Aidan had great chemistry with the receivers at the camp, making on time throws right as the receivers were coming out of their breaks. On top of that, Aidan did a great job keeping the ball away from the DB and putting it only where his receiver could get it. There is a lot of promise with this QB.   Zakai Brake: 2029 Executive Education Charter Academy   A taller QB with a slingshot of an arm, Zakai is another 2029 QB that stood out at the camp. When I first saw Zakai, I thought I was watching a wide receiver moving through the testing drills. He has a ton of fluidity in his movement and is a natural runner, showing off his speed in the 40 and agility drills. Zakai is one of the top dual-threat QBs in PA, as he is not strictly a running threat but showed that he can make on time throws and hit his wide outs with exceptional accuracy.   Da'yvon Canadas: 2030 McManus Middle School   Da'yvon Canadas is a QB with a very high ceiling. It's hard to tell at the moment what he will turn into, but from what I saw on Saturday, there is a lot of promise. Da'yvon has all of the attributes needed to excel; quickness, clean throwing mechanics, and a strong arm for his size and age. Keep an eye on Da'yvon has he develops over the years.   [player_tooltip player_id='1544057' first='Ben' last='Cirigliano']: 2029 West Essex   [player_tooltip player_id='1544057' first='Ben' last='Cirigliano'] is a name to get familiar with. A smooth runner with athleticism built in, Ben showed off great footwork in the individual drills and technical throws on the run. Ben's mechanics gives him the ability to generate his power from the hips to load up the ball and rifle it across the field. I was impressed with the strength of Ben's arms and the tight spirals he threw, rarely letting the ball go with a wobble in the air. Ben's duel threat capabilities will stir up trouble for defenses in the future.   [player_tooltip player_id='1140616' first='Frank' last='Hoerst'] 2029 Scholar Athlete Leadership Academy   One of the more developed QBs of the group, [player_tooltip player_id='1140616' first='Frank' last='Hoerst'] really stood out amongst the rest as his presence in the drills commanded your attention. To go with his bigger frame, Frank is able to rocket the ball all across the field with a powerful arm and a ton of velocity behind it. In the QB/WR/DB drills, Frank displayed great timing with each receiver he threw with, and delivered dimes on short, medium range, and deep routes as well. Frank's arm talent is going to keep him on everyone's radars these next few seasons.   [player_tooltip player_id='1016186' first='Rahmir' last='Rivera'] 2029 College Achieve   [player_tooltip player_id='1016186' first='Rahmir' last='Rivera'] was one of the biggest performers from Saturday's event. Another QB that could be mistaken for a RB or WR, Rahmir showed flashes of quickness and acceleration, really shining when it came to changing directions during the cone drills. As a thrower, Rahmir is another QB that can throw a tight spiral, making it easy for his receiver to bring it in and prevent the ball from hanging up for too long. Rahmir had a few throws Saturday that really caught your attention. You would have thought he worked with each of these receivers throughout the year, because he was able to hit them in stride and even make over the shoulder passes deep downfield.   [player_tooltip player_id='1371555' first='Jayden' last='Schmalz'] 2029 T Schor Middle School   [player_tooltip player_id='1371555' first='Jayden' last='Schmalz'] threw some of the prettiest balls of the weekend. I made sure to stay in the vicinity whenever Jayden was throwing during the live drills, because he kept impressing with ball placement and the touch he put on it. A few times during the camp Jayden displayed great deep ball accuracy by keeping the ball just out of reach of the DB on a vertical route, and showed that he can calibrate the touch on the ball by getting it over top of the DB for his receiver to run underneath it.   [player_tooltip player_id='1588034' first='Jacob' last='Widener'] 2029 Liberty Middle School West Orange   Smaller for the position, size did not stop [player_tooltip player_id='1588034' first='Jacob' last='Widener'] from impressing the coaches at the Next Northeast camp. Timing and quickness were key to Jacob's success Saturday afternoon. Jacob's quick release caught DBs off guard as he was able to put the ball right into his receiver's hands as soon as they broke on their out routes. The ball placement was great as well, as he was able to put the ball to the outside and let his receivers stretch out for it and turn up field.   [player_tooltip player_id='1514895' first='Damien' last='Pierro']: 2029 Silk City   Another one of the more developed QBs of the camp, [player_tooltip player_id='1514895' first='Damien' last='Pierro'] is a name to get familiar with. Damien drew a lot of coaches attention; he has great size for his age and position, and his frame is starting to build out to look more like a high school athlete. Damien is extremely fluid in his drop back, and can drive off of his back foot to zip the ball in quickly across the middle. I think the speed at which Damien can throw the ball caught a few DBs and WRs off guard, as the ball was in the receivers hands as soon as they turned around for it. Damien will continue to grow into becoming one of the most noteworthy QBs in the 2029 class, so I fully expect to hear his name for years to come.   [player_tooltip player_id='1277979' first='Austin' last='Marchetti']: 2030   Austin has developed quite a bit since I saw him last May. His height has increased and he's starting to look like he will be a QB that has no troubles looking over the line and pivoting around the pocket. In the individual drills, Austin looked crisp in every throwing drill and exercise. I am looking forward to seeing what Austin can do when the 2025 season arrives.

The northeast middle schoolers came out to ball this weekend. With a huge turnout and a ton of talent to evaluate, here is the first in a series covering the top performers ands rising stars from the camp. A camp that saw strong numbers from the quarterback position, here are a few of the QBs that really caught my eye, and ones I believe are on the path to huge successes in the near future.