NYC 2026 Standouts: Brooklyn/Manhattan

I put something out the other day on Staten Island prospects; this time, we look at Brooklyn and one player from Xavier in Manhattan to give them some representation. This list is by no means the best or most underrated players from these areas but mostly a spotlight on a few prospects who I thought had solid Junior Tape. Most of these guys may not have even contributed on varsity until their Junior season, and even those who have produced in the past either don't have much film or did so at different schools. Like the Staten Island Article, which you can see <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/02/nyc-2026-standouts-staten-island/">HERE</a>, there is only one player per school.    Burgos took the RG spot for Erasmus Hall this season, and the offense, again primarily a dynamic running offense, led to Burgos getting a ton of tape executing multiple different types of blocks from the guard position.   Burgos does a good job as a pulling guard. I like how he strikes guys in space and moves well on tape. I think he has the bend/athleticism to potentially play center as well as either guard spot. His pass pro is solid on tape, his feet move well, and his hand placement is one of his better traits in pass pro.     Youmans is a big physical OL prospect who moved from William Grady to South Shore this past offseason - Youmans got a ton of pass pro on tape as South Shore was one of the most dynamic passing attacks in the entire state.   I like Youmans movement skills on tape; he is big and wide - barrel-chested type of lineman, which is a positive body type to play guard. His lateral movement jumps out on tape, and when you take a look at that athleticism plus the measurables, there is a lot to like.   Youmans flashes some power, I would like to see more dynamic striking and stronger pad level, but there are clear athletic traits to like on tape in addition to a ton of experience in pass pro.     First-year starting for Watson, and the Xaverian QB was a quality dual-threat prospect through the season - there were definitely ups & downs through his first season starting and overall, a couple of games where his dual-threat ability really stood out.   Stats aside, when you watch the tape there are some really impressive throws, stuff over the middle of the field you don't see a lot of guys even attempting. He shows some good ball placement and velocity on his throws; his measurables and athleticism help tell the story of his ability to either run from the pocket but also that you could build some designed QB runs around his skill set.   First-year starting will always cause some ups and downs, continuing to improve decision making, efficiency, and big-game performance will be key for Watson's development.     Rosenblatt was the go-to guy for Poly Prep this year and created a strong partnership with one of the borough's better QBs. Rosenblatt is a twitchy athlete who flashes some long speed on tape, he excelled in stretching the field with some double moves but also was a big-time threat to produce yards after the catch on his shorter routes. Rosenblatt may be undersized but his athleticism flashes a ton on tape.   On tape, you see a variety of routes, both in the short area of the field and some dynamic routes down the field, that showcase his ability to be effective on the outside, although undersized.     We finally get some Brooks tape, a player who I have known about for a while now. Brooks was really solid for Canarsie this season - a true outside CB, Brooks plays a lot of coverage 5-8 yards off the ball, he has fluid hips as he transitions from his backpedal, he does a great job of jumping short area routes and screens and is a physical finisher.   You don't see a ton against the run on tape, but against screens/swing passes, Brooks does a great job of fighting through blocks and tackling in space.     A very intriguing prospect, [player_tooltip player_id='1619070' first='Jeanaree' last='Brim'], plays both ways, but most of his tape is at DB. Not every day, you see a 6'5 DB prospect, especially one that is already well-built and listed at 195. The future may be LB or an SS type of player off the edge, but there is a lot to like.   First, the measurables are unique for the position, but he shows good movement skills and the ability to make plays in zone coverage. On tape, Midwood left Brim on a true island with no help at times, I liked his reps in press coverage and think he does a good job of staying grounded and balanced against shorter twitchy WRs he has to take in man coverage.     Stewart, who plays both RB and CB/SS for Xavier, is one of the few two-way athletes on this list - I like him as a defensive prospect a little more than at RB but you also see more defensive reps on tape. Stewart has a lot of reps on his tape, taking on blocks, striking lead blockers, and doing a good job using active hands to get off blocks.   You don't see a lot of coverage on tape but he shows good movement skills, some solid Jr tape from the Xavier DB/RB.

I put something out the other day on Staten Island prospects; this time, we look at Brooklyn and one player from Xavier in Manhattan to give them some representation. This list is by no means the best or most underrated players from these areas but mostly a spotlight on a few prospects who I thought had solid Junior Tape. Most of these guys may not have even contributed on varsity until their Junior season, and even those who have produced in the past either don't have much film or did so at different schools. Like the Staten Island Article, which you can see HERE, there is only one player per school.