Login Subscribe
    • Players/Parents
    • College Coaches
  • Choose Your State Middle School Coverage
    Alabama
    Arizona
    Arkansas
    California
    Canada
    Colorado
    Dakotas
    Florida
    Georgia
    Idaho
    Illinois
    Indiana
    Iowa
    Kansas
    Kentucky
    Louisiana
    Maryland
    Michigan
    Minnesota
    Mississippi
    Missouri
    Nebraska
    Nevada
    New England
    New Jersey
    New Mexico
    New York
    North Carolina
    Ohio
    Oklahoma
    Oregon
    Pennsylvania
    South Carolina
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Utah
    Virginia
    Washington
    West Virginia
    Wisconsin
  • Loading...
  • Tournaments
    • 7 on 7 7 on 7
    Showcases
    • Combine Series Combine Series
    About Our Events
  • Prep Redzone for
    • Players
    • Parents
    • Club Coaches
    • High School Coaches
    • College Coaches
    • Fans
    View All Features
    • Coverage Access Prep Redzone articles year-round without ads.
    • Rankings See how players stack up in each state.
    • Player Profiles Build your own profile and join the Prep Redzone database.
    • Coach Views Get notified when a college coach views your profile.
    • Profile Trends Track your Player Profile views over time.
    • Recruiting Tasks Stay on-track in the recruiting process
    • Recruiting Dashboard All your recruiting tools in a single place.
    • College Match Recommends colleges that match with your profile.
    • Coach Contacts Contact any program in the country.
    • Event Credits Save $25 on all Prep Redzone combines.
    • Recruiting Tips Become an expert on the recruiting process.
    • College Email Templates Send customized emails directly to college coaches.
    • Scouts
    • How We Rank
    • About Us
  • New Jersey
  • Rankings
    • How We Rank

    • Archived Rankings

    • 2026 Rankings

    • 2027 Rankings

    • 2028 Rankings

    • 2029 Watch List

  • Player Database
  • Team Database
  • Scores
  • Scouts
  • 2025 Team Previews
  • Home
  • Coverage
      Choose Your State Middle School Coverage
      Alabama
      Arizona
      Arkansas
      California
      Canada
      Colorado
      Dakotas
      Florida
      Georgia
      Idaho
      Illinois
      Indiana
      Iowa
      Kansas
      Kentucky
      Louisiana
      Maryland
      Michigan
      Minnesota
      Mississippi
      Missouri
      Nebraska
      Nevada
      New England
      New Jersey
      New Mexico
      New York
      North Carolina
      Ohio
      Oklahoma
      Oregon
      Pennsylvania
      South Carolina
      Tennessee
      Texas
      Utah
      Virginia
      Washington
      West Virginia
      Wisconsin
  • Events
      Tournaments
      • 7 on 7 7 on 7
      Showcases
      • Combine Series Combine Series
      About Our Events
  • Rankings
      Loading...
  • Features
      Prep Redzone for
      • Players
      • Parents
      • Club Coaches
      • High School Coaches
      • College Coaches
      • Fans
      View All Features
      • Coverage Access Prep Redzone articles year-round without ads.
      • Rankings See how players stack up in each state.
      • Player Profiles Build your own profile and join the Prep Redzone database.
      • Coach Views Get notified when a college coach views your profile.
      • Profile Trends Track your Player Profile views over time.
      • Recruiting Tasks Stay on-track in the recruiting process
      • Recruiting Dashboard All your recruiting tools in a single place.
      • College Match Recommends colleges that match with your profile.
      • Coach Contacts Contact any program in the country.
      • Event Credits Save $25 on all Prep Redzone combines.
      • Recruiting Tips Become an expert on the recruiting process.
      • College Email Templates Send customized emails directly to college coaches.
  • About Us
      • Scouts
      • How We Rank
      • About Us
  • Support
Login Subscribe

2028 Rankings Update: Scout’s Notes for Players 30-21

2028 Rankings Update: Scout’s Notes for Players 30-21
Brendan Mankarious
Brendan Mankarious January 28, 2025 @ 05:42 PM
Facebook
X (Formerly Twitter)

In this article:

Niko Iliescu
Niko Iliescu 5'8" | 185 lbs | LB | 2028
NJ
Bryce Longo
Bryce Longo 6'1" | 184 lbs | QB | 2028
NJ
Kane Romas
Kane Romas 5'10" | LB | 2028
NJ
Jayden Pierre-Saint
Jayden Pierre-Saint 5'10" | 143 lbs | DB | 2028
NJ
Ethan Zacharski
Ethan Zacharski 5'6" | 155 lbs | RB | 2028
NJ
Aaren Cirino
Aaren Cirino 6'4" | 210 lbs | TE/EDGE | 2028
NJ
Jason Berecsky
Jason Berecsky 5'11" | 180 lbs | LB/ATH | 2028
NJ
Mekhi Parker
Mekhi Parker 6'2" | 175 lbs | WR | 2028
NJ
Amari Jones
Amari Jones 5'11" | 155 lbs | WR | 2028
NJ
Amiir Woodward
Amiir Woodward 5'11" | 155 lbs | ATH | 2028
NJ
<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Be sure to follow me on Twitter at</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BrendanScoutsNJ">@BrendanScoutsNJ</a>&nbsp;<em>for the latest prospect-specific coverage both during the season and off-season.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>For my complete, comprehensive coverage for the class of 2028 rankings, scroll down the bottom of this article to read more!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Enjoy our newest rankings release by using promo code “mankarious30” for 30% off your first subscription to Prep Redzone New Jersey</em></strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unlike other media outfits in the industry, <a href="https://x.com/PrepRedzoneNJ">@PrepRedzoneNJ</a> provides the industry's deepest high school ranking pool for each graduating class in the Garden State... AND we share our team's scouting notes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>See those notes below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#30: [player_tooltip player_id='432444' first='Amiir' last='Woodward'] 2028 5'11" 155 ATH Bergen Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Freshman tape; corner; will look to lay bit hit rather than form; comfortable in his pack pedal; has not shown to wrap, will bowl someone down; runs in phase with most, will make the safe play when deep by batting; put returner who has good vision in the open field, will cut across the grain; must be more physical with his jam, got moved off the ball blocking; must wrap lower; good use of hands when shedding block; might trust his backpedal a bit too much; have not seen him turn hips just yet; likes to press, uses hands ok must be more consistent; can get beat if he does not occupy release</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#29: [player_tooltip player_id='1597972' first='Niko' last='Iliescu'] 2028 5'8" 185 LB Southern Regional</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Played varsity some; linebacker; when he sees clearly he burst through the hole full speed with a burst; uses hands to create separation when engaged with blockers; hits with power and force, has stopping power; have not seen him run sideline to sideline, in coverage, or in man coverage; takes good pursuit angles for plays away; gets to his drop and has his head on a swivel, will become more comfortable as the years go on; looks unsure where his help leverage is; does not appear to beak into the backfield</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#28: [player_tooltip player_id='1020455' first='Aaren' last='Cirino'] 2028 6'4" 190 TE/ATH St. Peter's Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>End - steps first then gets out of his stance, rather than one motion; way too quick for slower offensive linemen; used as a size matchup sometimes out at wide receiver; tip toes a bit when the pass is going to him and he tries to leak out behind the line of scrimmage; can high point the ball and uses his hands to do so; able to get low at times when on defense, jacking people up; tackling can improve some by doin g so low; seems to get his hands on the man in front of him very often; must keep contain to his side better; saw a clip of his hips getting through on a pass rush; more looks in the passing game than you typically see from a HS TE; need to see him work hands to shed blocks in both run and pass rush</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#27: [player_tooltip player_id='1230624' first='Jayden' last='Pierre-Saint'] 2028 5'10" 145 DB Irvington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Corner who is quick enough to slip inside-out against screens to blow up the play; if beat on fades will match his opponent's hands to play the ball; can jump relatively high; comes up to play the short/bubble game extremely well; seen a handful of instances where his hips suddenly twitch to get around, turn, and run; tackles low and keeps head out of the play; tackles with good leverage, needs to tackle a bit lower</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#26: [player_tooltip player_id='1597917' first='Bryce' last='Longo'] 2028 6'2" 185 QB Saint Joseph Regional</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lefty, throws a decisive ball; quick release; can throw about 30 yards with very good precision; understands his read and where he wants to go with the ball; transfers weight when throwing; can hit 50 yards accurately; want to see him move around in pocket under pressure; can put appropriate touch on the ball when needed; ranking can increase the more we see of him and once he cracks varsity lineup - looks like he has high upside</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#25: [player_tooltip player_id='1281541' first='Kane' last='Romas'] 2028 5'10" LB Don Bosco Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Cracked JV lineup; covers #2 in twins; moves well, high points the ball and uses hands to catch; has good vision and trusts his athleticism to run in the open field; runs his track a bit too much as a running back, will run into back of blockers - want to see better vision; sees things in front of him at linebacker, will fly up with very good breaks to make a play on the ball or the ball carrier; open field vision better than when he is behind the line; played quarterback at moments; reads run first, then reacts, quickly, to the pass; had about 7 picks on his film</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#24: [player_tooltip player_id='833951' first='Amari' last='Jones'] 2028 5'10" 150 WR Seton Hall Prep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hard runner who attacks upfield vertically quickly, gaining ground with long strides; want to see more hip snap when breaking stem of route; tough to bring down due to the force he generates when he runs; unafraid to go over the middle on short drags, willing to take a hit in order to do so; knows to spin away from opponent's tackle leverage for extra yards; want to see him extend hands to come up with the ball; used mostly in possession-type plays, not shots; want to see his ball skills, if he can stretch the field, and blocking; weight room will make him dangerous, given his style of play on film</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#23: [player_tooltip player_id='965246' first='Mekhi' last='Parker'] 2028 6'2" 175 WR Glassboro</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>No need for a 6 minute film; a jumper who can out-leap, high point the ball, and uses his hands; tracks ball over his shoulder nicely; will use stutter step to break defenders down and slow their feet; snaps hips slightly; played quarterback at moments and used speed to get to the perimeter; played varsity ball; hips need to be more dramatic to create more space; want to see him use more variety in the route tree, mostly verticals and curls/comebacks; want to see more blocking</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#22: [player_tooltip player_id='991953' first='Jason' last='Berecsky'] 2028 5'11" 180 WR Red Bank Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Played varsity at WR and S; has good shoulder fakes in his route running; want to see him sink hips a bit more when making breaks; uses hands to catch; has a little shiftiness to him; protects ball has contact zeroes in on him; can make catches from various angles; beneficiary of good lay design; will look to throw blocks for teammates, selfless; athleticism will improve as he gets older and is involved in their program for more years; can adjust to the fade ball in tight spaces; very good possession receiver on varsity as a freshman</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#21: [player_tooltip player_id='1141072' first='Ethan' last='Zacharski'] 2028 5'6" 155 RB Wayne Hills</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Back who runs with forward lean; switches ball to the outside; has a tendency to bounce it out a bit early; can get open and turn on the jets in the open field; has decent vision; runs a little violent; creative when trying to make people miss; has sharp, sudden cuts to get upfield, especially when running laterally to gain an agle and get open; have not seen him manipulate speeds or in pass protection yet; no need for 8 minute freshman ball film</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class of 2028 Rankings Release</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/01/2028-rankings-update-scouts-notes-for-players-114-101">Ranking Notes, Player #114-101</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/01/2028-rankings-update-scouts-notes-for-players-100-91">Ranking Notes, Player #100-91</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/01/2028-rankings-update-scouts-notes-for-players-90-89">Ranking Notes, Player #90-81</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/01/2028-rankings-update-scouts-notes-for-players-80-71">Ranking Notes, Player #80-71</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/01/2028-rankings-update-scouts-notes-for-players-70-61">Ranking Notes, Player #70-6</a>1<br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/01/2028-rankings-update-scouts-notes-for-players-60-51/">Ranking Notes, Player #60-51</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/01/2028-rankings-update-scouts-notes-for-players-50-41">Ranking Notes, Player #50-41</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/01/2028-rankings-update-scouts-notes-for-players-40-31/">Ranking Notes, Player #40-31</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/01/2028-rankings-update-scouts-notes-for-players-30-21">Ranking Notes, Player #30-21</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @BrendanScoutsNJ for the latest prospect-specific coverage both during the season and off-season.

Prep Redzone

Access all of Prep Redzone

Continue reading this article and more.

Continue Reading
Already a subscriber? Log in

Rankings

695 Players Ranked

  • 1
    Jordan Thomas

    Jordan Thomas

    Bergen Catholic

    Ohio State
  • 2
    Luke Wafle

    Luke Wafle

    The Hun School

    USC
  • 3
    Damari Simeon

    Damari Simeon

    St. Augustine Prep

    Ohio State
  • 4
    CJ Edwards

    CJ Edwards

    St. Joseph's Metuchen

  • 5
    Nakeem Powell

    Nakeem Powell

    Winslow

View Full Rankings

Related Articles

  • Film Room: NJ’s NEXT Prospects Balling Out in Week 1

    Film Room: NJ’s NEXT Prospects Balling Out in Week 1

    Jonathan Davalos • September 5

  • Five Things We Learned About Rancocas Valley

    Five Things We Learned About Rancocas Valley

    Earnest Daniels • September 4

  • Standout Performers From RV Vs Millville

    Standout Performers From RV Vs Millville

    Earnest Daniels • September 4

  • Week 1- Dime Droppers in the Lone Star State

    Week 1- Dime Droppers in the Lone Star State

    Joshua Butler • September 4

  • New Jersey’s Top 2030 Gunslingers

    New Jersey’s Top 2030 Gunslingers

    Jonathan Davalos • September 2

Follow Us

  • Brendan Mankarious

    Brendan Mankarious

    @BrendanScoutsNJ

  • Alan Popadines

    Alan Popadines

    @ALPopsFootball

  • Jonathan Davalos

    Jonathan Davalos

    @JonDavalosFB

  • Ed OBrien

    Ed OBrien

    @EdOBrienCFB

Loading...
Home New Jersey 2028 Rankings Update: Scout's Notes for Players 30-21

Prep Network

  • Prep Dig
  • Prep Girls Hoops
  • Prep Hoops
  • Prep Lacrosse
  • Prep Redzone
  • Prep Soccer
  • Prep Softball

Company

  • News
  • About
  • Careers
  • Store
  • Partner Interest Form

Resources

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Cookie Policy
  • Recruiting Tips
  • Student Loan Resources
  • College Scholarship Search

Support

  • My Account
  • Contact
  • Sitemap

© 2025 Prep Redzone. All rights reserved.