Who's Next New Jersey Camp: Linebacker Review

A completely sold out event brought 160+ athletes from seven different states to the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a> this past weekend. Just ahead of a crippling snowstorm, the prospects took over The Dome and balled out inside the state of the art indoor facility. Below are the Linebackers that impressed at the event.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Linebacker MVPs</h2>    <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>40-yard Time: 5.0</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Shuttle Time: 4.48</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Broad Jump: 8'0"</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>L-Drill: 7.8</li> </ul>   Having seen Delatush play as recently as last month at AYF Nationals, the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a> was our third time seeing him play live since September. He's one of the more intriguing prospects in the state for the class of 2030. At this point in his development, he's somewhere between a Linebacker and Strong Safety. Very athletic. Took pride in each rep. Showed off speed and athleticism that separated him from the majority at the LB group. His agility and mobility allowed him to stay in the hip pocket of backs/receivers during pass defense.     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>40-yard Time: 5.0</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Shuttle Time: 4.34</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Broad Jump: 7'9"</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>L-Drill: 8.0</li> </ul>   After watching him on film for months, the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a> was my first opportunity to see him live -- and he did not disappoint. Due to playing in a league with weight restrictions, Jones was always forced to play on the line because of his size. In his first year playing skills position(s), Jones dominated and his camp performance was no different. Great size and length right now. Comes from a military background and plays disciplined ball. Development will go a long way as to figuring out what position he plays going forward, but he has the size and skill to go far.     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>40-yard Time: 5.0</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Shuttle Time: 4.54</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Broad Jump: 8'0"</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>L-Drill: 7.4</li> </ul>   Though it was clearly close, it's hard to argue that Mazzetti wasn't the top overall performing Linebacker at the the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a>. He demonstrated a ton of leadership throughout the event, working with other LBs as they waited for their next rep. He asked a lot of questions. He absorbed coaching well and looked extremely prepared for the event. Physically, he looked ready for the next level with a strong build and excellent close proximity speed. He recently announced he will be attending St. Joe's Regional (Montvale) for high school, joining the 2025 Non-Public A State Champions.     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>40-yard Time: 4.8</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Shuttle Time: 5.15</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Broad Jump: 8'0"</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>L-Drill: 7.6</li> </ul>   Braving the pending storm and making the trip down I-95 South from Massachusetts, Wattles made the most of the 5-hour trip with another strong performance at the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a>. He stood out two years ago as the lone sixth-grader to earn recognition after the camp and he did it again as an eighth-grader. Usually the word technician is reserved for describing a Quarterback on the football field, but it's the only word I can find to describe his play as a Linebacker. Every step was succinct and strong. Every movement was made with excellent technique. Also a wrestler, the skill sets translate.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top 2030 Linebackers</h2>    While the majority of Linebacker MVPs listed above all had an athletic OLB/Strong Safety playing style, DiMatteo is a throwback thumper at over 200 pounds. A member of the Jersey Shore AYF All-Stars the past two seasons, he played a stand up Edge for the heralded squad the past year, but I see him as more of a Middle Linebacker or undersized Defensive Tackle going forward. Like Mason Wattles, DiMatteo is also a wrestler and it shows. He bends his knees and does a good job of exploding out and up, indicative of taking a shot in wrestling. Played with power throughout the day.     The second non-New Jersey resident to earn recognition, is also the second prospect in this write up to attend multiple Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a>s. McCoy passed the eye test immediately once they got into indy position drills. Comes with a frame that will allow him to put on a ton of muscle mass over the next couple years. McCoy also has exceptionally long arms which allowed him to stay close on drills defending against the pass. While I think he will ultimately end up as an Outside Linebacker, he has the body type that could very easily become a stand up Defensive End, if the scheme calls for it.     One of the leaner Linebackers at the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a>, weighing in at just 145-pounds. However, what he lacked in wight, he more than made up for with athleticism. The Running Back position sold out very early, but instead of shying away from the event, Peterson (a natural Running Back) embraced the challenge and attended as a Linebacker (his secondary position). The Clark native is one of the better athletes in all of Union County for the class of 2030 and it was on display at camp. Once Peterson hits the weight room consistently and he continues to mature -- I think we're talking about a kid with a very high ceiling in football, basketball and especially lacrosse.     Joining fellow 14U Jersey Shore AYF All-Stars [player_tooltip player_id='2076897' first='Giovanni' last='DiMatteo'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1794330' first='Greyson' last='Delatush'], [player_tooltip player_id='1908763' first='Ethan' last='Sekerka'] was another standout Linebacker at the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a>. Having seen him play in December I had an idea of the skill set Sekerka brought to the table, but my biggest take away from the event on Saturday is where he is physically. He weighed in heavier and with more muscle mass than I thought he had. His frame was among the more impressive in the position group and his full body strength opened my eyes. His 8'7" in the broad jump was tops for the LB position in the entire camp.     As a prospect, Granger was nearly identical to fellow Linebacker standout [player_tooltip player_id='2076897' first='Giovanni' last='DiMatteo'] at the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a>. Granger was noticeably thicker than the majority of the Linebackers there. He played with strength and leverage during the camp. I liked his hand placement and physicality at the point of contact, showing off heavy hands for a MLB. Moved pretty well in close proximity, but showed some room for improvement in his defense against the pass -- due to foot speed. Developing some more speed will take Granger from good to great, as he continues to develop over high school.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Youth Movement</h2>    Sawyer is a young 2031 prospect with ample time and room to grow, but he did some nice things at the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a>. During indy drills designed to work on punching, grabbing and shedding blockers, Sawyer had a nice first step. Played with his chest up and his back at a nice angle. Again, he's young, but a focus on speed will do wonders for him this off-season.     The Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a> was the third time I've seen Pizzola play live since September and it was another strong showing for him. A member of the 12U Jersey Shore AYF All-Stars this December, he showed why he was an excellent selection for the 2025 National Runner-up squad. He did a solid job during combine testing, highlighted by 2031 Linebacker-best 7'6" in the broad jump.     It didn't take me long to watch [player_tooltip player_id='2113954' first='Zakeer' last='Alexander'] at the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a> and realize I was going to become a big fan of his play. I'm not sure how else to spin it, other than the Deptford Spartans prospect simply moved differently than the other younger LBs. Played with confidence beyond his years from start to finish. The athleticism and speed he played with, was a notch about the other non-2030 prospects. His 5.2 in the forty was the top time amongst non-2030 prospects.     Another out-of-stater who put forth a solid effort at the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a> was Ryan Bruno. At first look, I thought the 5-foot-5 and 178-pound prospect went to the wrong position group. However, after seeing him move, I could see he was absolutely with the right group as a Linebacker. Built like a bowling ball, he moved better than a lot of other prospects. Out of all non-2030 Linebackers, Bruno recorded the second fastest forty time (5.37), second fastest L-Drill (7.7) and third fastest shuttle (4.79).     Rounding out the non-2030 Linebackers that did a nice job was [player_tooltip player_id='1636619' first='Mason' last='Viglone']. This was the second Prep Redzone Next New Jersey <a href="https://prepredzone.com/next/events/">Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp</a> Viglone has attended and turned in another positive showing. Joining the slew of other Jersey Shore AYF All-Star LBs in this write up, Viglone looked very polished in terms of technique in defending the pass. Though certainly on the lighter side at just 126-pounds, the lightest of the non-2030 'backers, he was tough on his feet and routinely found himself in good position.

A completely sold out event brought 160+ athletes from seven different states to the Prep Redzone Next New Jersey Who's Next Middle School Exposure Camp this past weekend. Just ahead of a crippling snowstorm, the prospects took over The Dome and balled out inside the state of the art indoor facility. Below are the Linebackers that impressed at the event.