Nassau's Next Wave: Large School Prospects To Watch This Summer

The offseason is starting to heat up, and there are playmakers all over Nassau County. Here are some prospects from the large schools that you have to keep an eye on.    One of the most electrifying prospects on Long Island. Now that the lacrosse season is finished, if Kama attends camps, he will stick out. He had a monster season with Farmingdale—his rate for yards after contact might've been the best on the island. He ran all over the eventual Long Island champs, Massapequa, and a highly touted Oceanside team, putting up video game numbers with 5 and 7 touchdowns in those respective games. At 5'11" and now 195 pounds, Kama's athleticism is joined by his strength, making him one of the more complete RB prospects on the island.     Oliphant had a monster showing at “The Rising Stars Bowl,” a game that featured top 2026 prospects from Long Island against New York City in a full-pads matchup. Oliphant was one of the best athletes on the field and had a clutch touchdown to help Team Long Island win the game. During his junior year, he still put up some big performances. He was a threat as a returner, and they used him at wildcat quarterback to get him the ball—and he delivered. He's a true athlete who is bound to make huge plays wherever he is on the field, against anybody in the state.     The tall wide receiver from Massapequa has already put together a massive offseason. He has been excellent on the 7v7 circuit, as 50/50 balls are more like 80/20 for him. He was crushing secondaries with his great hands and ability to go up and get it. He had a solid junior year, but now I think Pequa will utilize him more this season, and his game film will show it. He's well put together, and after seeing him in the Rising Stars Bowl, he was one of the top players on a very talented field. Along with his exceptional sideline catches, Villalta is a good blocker and will be a real contributor in the Pequa secondary next season, I imagine.     I've talked a ton about Harmon throughout his varsity career, as he's been making an impact since his freshman year. He'll be the leader for an always high-powered Oceanside offense. His ability to throw on the run and improvise was impressive at certain points last season. He's not the biggest QB, but he has great mobility and showed flashes of running the ball well. I think he'll run more this upcoming season and make a lot of plays with his legs. Harmon threw some amazing deep balls and showcased a bunch of well-placed throws during his junior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1606923' first='Josh' last='Kama'] didn't just run for 1,700 yards by himself; this Dalers offensive line was great, and McCarthy had a dominant junior season. His tape was filled with him paving holes and collecting pancake blocks against some talented linemen throughout the county. He was put to the test in the Rising Stars Bowl against some of the top defensive linemen from the city, and he was a baller. He received “Top Lineman” for his amazing performance in both run and pass blocking. He's only getting bigger and faster— I think the Rising Stars Bowl is just the start of a huge summer for McCarthy.     East Meadow loves to run the ball and display a ground-and-pound approach. Galiano fit that mold well and had a nice junior season for the Jets. He earned an All-County Honorable Mention; he is a very tough runner with great vision. He isn't the biggest, and his speed won't blow you away, but Galiano is a true football player who loves to grind it out and get extra yards. He had numerous impressive runs with yards after contact. He's got a good burst, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's a 1,000+ yard rusher this season for East Meadow.     The lone sophomore who played in the Rising Stars Bowl—and he earned Defensive MVP. As a sophomore, he was named Nassau County's top linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year and helped Carey go unbeaten, taking down a loaded Hills East team for a Long Island title. He has done all of this before his junior season, which is unheard of. He is an old-school middle linebacker and is one of the hardest hitters and best tacklers in the state. DePietro has great vision and truly delivers every time I've seen him. He is also an excellent power running back. But I have a feeling he will really start getting more attention—he is a must-watch player this offseason, he just makes plays.     The Roosevelt product earned an offer from Stony Brook in April, and I could see more Division I schools going his direction. Norman has good size, standing at 6'1” and 200 pounds. He had a great year at linebacker. His explosiveness and pure speed allowed him to constantly get in the backfield and make a ton of tackles for loss, along with tracking down ball carriers with ease. He's a great athlete who I think can play multiple positions, but Roosevelt asks him to be a true run stopper—and that's where he excelled during his junior season. He could have a massive senior campaign for Roosevelt this upcoming year.     A classic RB/MLB here in Nassau County, but Rinaldi really stood out to me last season. New Hyde Park has quietly built a solid football program, and it's because of players like Rinaldi. He was so effective on both sides of the ball and earned an All-State Honorable Mention. Rinaldi is 6'0” and 205 pounds, but he is sneakily elusive and makes people miss in the open field a ton. The Gladiators got him into space, and his athleticism really showed. Along with that, he was still very effective running between the tackles and getting quality runs to move the chains. On defense, he was asked to be a run stopper, and he collected 65 tackles while doing it. He's a relentless, do-it-all player for the Gladiators that should be talked about going into this season.

The offseason is starting to heat up, and there are playmakers all over Nassau County. Here are some prospects from the large schools that you have to keep an eye on.