Film Evaluation Notes for 2025’s New Additions, Part IV

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To the best of my knowledge, I know two things to be true when it comes to player rankings. First, Prep Redzone is the industry leader in state-by-state depth when it comes to rankings. Second, Prep Redzone New Jersey - <em>specifically</em> - is the unabashed leader in sharing our evaluation ranking notes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this series you will find our unedited, raw ranking notes for over 300 new additions to the class of 2025's final rankings. The notes are being rolled out alphabetically by first name, so stay tuned and be sure to follow as we release them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>*Please note that these notes are, indeed, raw and likely contain typos due to the volume of notes.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1284736' first='Daniel' last='Ferguson'] 6'3" 205 DL Bernards<br><br>Uses length to his advantage to grab would-be ball carriers by the cloth; bends hands on, steps, squeezes - want to see him wrong arm with authority; hustles way down field to make plays, roughly 35 yards; long enough to surf/feather technique well; want to see him tackle a bit lower; solid high school prospect</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1515100' first='Darrius' last='Rivers'] 6'3" 205 TE Wayne Valley<br><br>Y-out, size mis smatch; will slow play safeties to get behind them; high points the ball although he does not jump to high, can run behind safeties; can make catches in traffic; runs well, can separate from defensive backs; knows how ot set up the one man he has to beat; tough to bring down; no task to run sharp-cutting routes; tracks ball over his shoulder nicely; not seen clips of him in-line blocking</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1543950' first='Dashawn' last='Long'] 5'10" 175 DB Washington Township<br><br>Receiver, has a bit of explosion when he gets off the line; can high point and use his hands , grabbing the ball at its apex; comes down with contested catches through traffic; switches ball to the outside when in the open field; has a stutter step move he will use to gain ground; safety who tracks ball moving backwards really well; can flip hips pretty well when turned around - does not show much of it on film however; opportunistic when the ball is in the air; reads show game well, flies up to smack someone; skipped around his 7:40 film and did not find and run support clips</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1029740' first='Dason' last='Boateng'] 6'0" 215 DL South Brunswick<br><br>Locks out and sheds; pursues with a jog, not a full-fledged sprint; loses steam as he runs; must fight reach better; at his best he is strong and disruptive; looks to lock out his arms on kickout blocks rather than long arming and spilling; good with quick slants; hesitates, pitter-patters some when pass rushing; strong enough against some to totally lock out and win up top, unsure if he can do that on a on a down-to-down basis; most of his highlights were against inferior teams; stance can tighten up</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1305205' first='Daunte' last='Difonzo'] 5'10" 170 WR Woodbridge<br><br>Strong hands, able to maintain possession of the ball through contact and swipes; makes diving catches; film is bit hard to watch an find him since he highlights himself mid play used a lot on intermediate and short routes, not so much deep routes; does not sink hips when breaking stem or route; not an absolute burner, but a solid, reliable possession option</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1466373' first='David' last='Larsen'] 5'11" 160 LB Ramsey<br><br>Mike backer, accelerates well to outside the tackle; must settle and breakdown when tackling the ball carrier; reads pulling guards well and can make the play for a loss underneath; excited to play the game; gets down hill in a hurry well, needs to breakdown and wrap better; appears to track nearside hip well; have not seen many clips of him in coverage</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1475723' first='David' last='Manzo'] 6'2" 175 DB Seton Hall Prep<br><br>Safety - accelerates well when moving backwards on a drop; looks really fast on film when making breaks and pursuting to the ball, unsure of top-end speed; high points the ball nicely; speed allows him to run and square opponents up to make really solid form tacklers; runs with #2 in the slot on wheel routes very well; reacts and flies to short game well; very good pursuit angle, had to actually slow down a bit to properly attack hip of ball carrier on far end of the field; pretty rangey for a safety; want to see him fit the alley more aggressively</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1558152' first='David' last='Matesic'] 6'1" 220 LB Bergen Catholic<br><br>Mike backer; gets into drops with head on a swivel; might be taller than listed; quick to read and get over the top in stopping the run; good tackler who wraps strong and keeps his feet moving; reads keys and does not bite on jet motion and false keys; has a nose to slip through the line of scrimage; tracks the nearside hip well; absent from film is him using hands to shed blocks when engaged - often gets through without being engaged; hustles, has shown to beat playside defenders to the point of attack</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='915623' first='David' last='Strouse'] 5'11" 255 DL Howell<br><br>Individual game highlights; slows down game film; does not hold up doubles that well, but able to wn a one on one matchup when lineman comes off the double early; strong enough to bully smaller, weaker linemen; see him cross face; wins consistently against smaller matchups;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='271015' first='David' last='Varoli'] 6'1" 220 DL Westwood<br><br>Works upward into his matchup, like he is coming out of the shoots; gets hands above eyes and separates from his matchup; pursues well; able to walk smaller matchups backwards, want to see him rip across their face when appripriate; too much depth in the backfield when he successfully penetrates it; tackling could be better, want to see more secure wraps, lower, and roll to his leverage - looks like he is flinging opponent to the ground</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1524377' first='Dean' last='Goldberg'] 6'2" 220 DL Red Bank Regional<br><br>No complete highlight tape, only individual game highlights; offensive tackle; has a wide base set; will throw opponents down when clamping them; interior defensive lineman, has a good get off but gives up his chest, does not use his hands; needs to extend arms when engaged in the trenches; will leverage roll for a tackle; see him start to work rips; has a very good jump that allows him to jolt many centers back; does not always highlight himself on film</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1276742' first='Demetrios' last='Vonderlinden'] 6'1" 265 OL Fort Lee<br><br>Individual game highlights, not one game tape; tackle who can win up top vs. weaker opponents; gets feet moving quickly; looks a bit out of control at moments with his feet; the trade off is that he moves them quickly, although not with the best base; keeps his feet working and churning; played various spots along the offensive line; takes pride in getting a good jump and overwhelming this matchup with physicality; on defensively he gets a good jump off of the ball; runs at people, if they ole him or moved he would likely have a hard time adjusting to their redirect</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1029743' first='Demetris' last='Williams'] 5'11" RB Clayton<br><br>Has a clear, distinct second gear he reserves for the openfield; Wing-t utility back; has a vert where he can jump over an upright defender trying to tackle him; has vision, even in a Wing-T offense - to cut back for an open lane he sees near the goal line, bait defenders forward and press the designed non-existent hole for a bounce; can sidestep/cut to evade over pursuing tacklers; profiles as a 1-cut, downhill back in a spread offense; does not look like he protects the ball when toting it; plays group 1 ball</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1283915' first='Derek' last='Vazquez'] 5'11" 215 DL Scotch Plains-Fanwood<br><br>Good stance, body is low-to-high; get off and firs step must improve, must come out/up at the same time; fights reach and keeps working to sideline</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1287236' first='Devaughn' last='Colter'] 5'11" 205 DL Hammonton<br><br>Able to split bad double teams and fight down the line, set edge on sprintout; targets correct shoulder to keep contain; good as a bender, will stuff plays from the backside; has a little burst when closing in on the ball carrier; hesitates some when running line stunts; surfs adequately, allows himself to make a play on either read; must break down better when looking to make a tackle in space; does not appear to use hands all that well, and if he does, his feet stop;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1301810' first='Diego' last='Cruz'] 6'1" 250 DL Wayne Valley<br><br>Interior lineman with a big, body; doe snot look sloppy at all; tackles on double teams well, base does not allow him to get bumped very well; plays surprisingly low for a big guy, prevents him from getting moved on doubles; a load to handle, although we do not see him extend his arms much on the man in front of him, his leg drive and sheer size allows him to win matchups along the interior; also played guard, moves a bit too slowly as a puller; able to get really good jolt on doubles, putting people on the ground immediately; fights pressure and will rip inside of cut off blocks</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1287276' first='Dominic' last='Romeo'] 5'11" 165 QB Freehold Boro<br><br>Runs with ball extended and way out; gets the ball out about 50 yards; receivers have to slow down some in order to catch it in stride on deep ball; asked to roll out to his left a lot; throwing motion a bit elongated and thus slow; accuracy can improve for intermediate targets so they can run and accrue YAC</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1550117' first='Donald' last='Weiss'] 6'1" 215 DL High Point<br><br>End; quick on line stunt, want to see him get a bit more depth before hitting it tho; strong where you cannot block him with running backs; extends and locks out when fighting the reach; squeezes well and gets hands on the man in front of him; needs to keep feet moving more consistently when engaged with the man in front of him</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1540904' first='Drew' last='Cabalar'] 5'8" 160 LB Boonton<br><br>No need for 11 minutes of highlights; mike backer, can get to the outside on sprit out, needs to be more conscientious of maintaining outside shoulder of quarterback; has a burst through the line and can hit an opponent hard; must break down a bit more, at moments, when bursting through the line; meets ball carriers not just in the hole, but through the hole, at his best; skipped around on his film due to length - absent are him running and covering in space, disengaging blockers</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class of 2025 Final Rankings Coverage</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-i">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part I</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-ii">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part II</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-iii">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part III</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-iv">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part IV</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/rankings-risers-ranked-prospects-whose-stock-shot-up-part-i">Ranking Risers, Part I</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/must-see-athletes-prospects-with-film-that-popped-part-i">Must-See Film: Athletes, Part I</a><br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/must-see-dbs-prospects-with-film-that-popped-part-i">Must-See Film: Defensive Backs, Part I</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->