Stock-Up Showcase Standouts: Underclassmen Edition

<p>In a setting loaded with older players, these underclassmen still found ways to stand out. They didn't get extra reps or special treatment, they just kept showing up in drills, holding their own in competitive moments, and flashing traits that don't care what class you're in. These are the underclassmen who caught my eye at the showcase — not because they were perfect, but because the tools were real and the moments kept adding up. Quarterbacks are excluded here and will get a deeper dive later, but everyone listed below earned the attention the hard way out at the Stock-Up Showcase.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defense</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1613703' first='Aiden' last='Gonzales'] was one of the underclassmen I had circled walking into the day, and he didn't disappoint — he made the most out of every rep he got at defensive back and looked like a kid who already understands how to play the position, not just run around and hope his athleticism saves him. He's big and physical for a young DB, but what really stood out was how clean he was with his feet, especially around the line of scrimmage, where so many guys get sloppy; he stayed balanced, he stayed patient, and he didn't waste movement. He's not small by any means, and the length pops when you watch him crowd routes and close windows, because it gives him that extra margin for error even when he's playing aggressive. Then you add in the fact that he tested well in the athletic testing too, and it's hard not to look at him like the full package — size, length, technique, and enough athletic juice to actually make it all work.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1720592' first='Julian' last='Fernandez'] jumped out to me in the linebacker work because his footwork was just… different for a kid that young — the steps were sharp and he looked like someone who's been coached up on the little details instead of just relying on being a good athlete. That showed up when he had to trigger downhill too, because he's got real acceleration and he gets going in a hurry, but he doesn't look out of control doing it. And in coverage, he's quick enough to hang with slot types and not look like he's chasing, which is a huge deal for a modern linebacker. The other thing you notice immediately is how he's built — he looks like he hit that early “filling out” phase already, but the best part is he didn't lose the quickness with it, and he clearly takes pride in the details. He even talked about working on his footwork in the offseason, and honestly, it looks like it's paying off because you can't fake that kind of movement.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1606533' first='Benny' last='Trujillo'] is one of those versatile athletes who can absolutely make plays on offense — he's got the movement skills to get open and be a problem as a receiver — but watching him on defense, it was pretty clear that's where he's the most technically sound right now. He stayed in his backpedal longer than you'd expect, given he isn't very tall, and that matters because it keeps him from panicking and opening up early. At the catch point, he was active with his hands and played the ball like he actually wanted it, and I thought his feel for the receiver was really impressive in a setting where it's easy to get overly grabby. Trujillo didn't need that. He looked comfortable, under control, and definitely ahead of the curve.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Offense</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1827269' first='Dexter' last='Chapman'] looked like a big body out there right away — you can see the length as a blocker and that strong base that gives him something to build from — but where he really earned his shine was as a physical pass catcher. He certainly wasn't the guy just running past people to get open, but he didn't need to be, because he almost always had the size advantage and he knew exactly how to use it. The best way to describe it is he played the catch point like a basketball player: boxing out before the rebound, creating his own space, then extending those long arms to snag it where defenders can't get to the ball. That translates, especially as he keeps building the athleticism and gets more reps doing it, because that kind of confidence through contact is hard to teach. For a 2028 kid, it was a really nice showing — the foundation is there, and he's got plenty of time to keep stacking experience and turning that into a legit weapon.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2079010' first='Jaden' last='Jamerson'] is one of those young receivers who doesn't need a bunch of hype — you watch him move and you just know he's got juice. He's speedy, he's shifty, and even though the athletic testing number didn't pop the way you'd expect, none of that mattered once he started running routes. In fact, Coach Justin said it best when he heard the 5.05 40 time and immediately went, “Doesn't look like it,” because it really didn't — Jamerson was creating separation effortlessly coming out of breaks with that quick-twitch movement, and once he got even with somebody, he had that extra gear to pull away. That's the whole point: timed speed is cool, but play speed is what counts, and he showed his speed where it matters most — in and out of cuts, with the ball in the air, and in those moments where a DB thinks he's in position and suddenly isn't.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1814984' first='Kayden' last='Rogers'] is a fun one because he's the kind of “versatile” guy people throw that label on too easily, but with him you actually see it rep-to-rep. In the running back work, he showed the short-area wiggle you want — quick feet, able to make people miss in tight spaces — and physically he looks like he'll be ready to handle contact once pads come on, not just survive it. Then he stepped in at wide receiver and honestly looked like he could live there, which you don't always see from backs his age; the hands were smooth, he tracked the ball naturally, and he didn't look awkward trying to adjust mid-route the way a lot of running backs do when they're asked to be something other than a checkdown option. That's what makes him interesting: you can see multiple paths for him, and whichever one he leans into, he's got a real base to build off.</p>

In a setting loaded with older players, these underclassmen still found ways to stand out. They didn't get extra reps or special treatment, they just kept showing up in drills, holding their own in competitive moments, and flashing traits that don't care what class you're in. These are the underclassmen who caught my eye at the showcase — not because they were perfect, but because the tools were real and the moments kept adding up. Quarterbacks are excluded here and will get a deeper dive later, but everyone listed below earned the attention the hard way out at the Stock-Up Showcase.