Postgraduate Transfers and Film Review Notes

Prep schools in the New England region continue to land a large number of post-grad transfers. This report features five players who have announced their intention to enroll in a New England prep school for the fall of 2026, provides the school they plan to attend and evaluates the player's strengths and area that needs improvement after viewing their 2025 highlight film.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />    <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/lex-chatham/">[player_tooltip player_id='2150068' first='Lex' last='Chatham']</a> is the son of former NFL linebacker Matt Chatham, so he has a football pedigree. Chatham spent last season at King Phillip Regional High School in Wrentham, Mass., and will take a postgraduate year and play for Phillips Exeter Academy next season. He currently has offers from Division II Franklin Pierce and Division II Bentley. Chatham has the right size to play offensive line at the college level and has a frame that can handle additional weight if needed. He's quick off the line of scrimmage at the snap and is a good drive blocker in the run game. One of his best traits is that he stays engaged with defenders and plays to the whistle, something not many high school offensive linemen do. He showed good footwork and technique when pass blocking, but his highlights featured a limited number of pass plays. Based on his demeanor, he appears to have the toughness coaches like to see in offensive linemen. Chatham can work on improving his balance and staying on his feet when engaged with a defender, especially since he will soon be playing against players closer to his size. He will likely benefit from the better competition he will face at Phillips Exeter and should continue to work on his strength and footbwork/technique.      A three-sport athlete at Norwood (Mass.) High School (football, baseball and basketball), [player_tooltip player_id='2148921' first='Sam' last='Larkee'] will attend Phillips Exeter Academy next season. He's an exceptional athlete, and is expected to play both football and baseball at PEA. Larkee is a strong two-way player who was used as a receiver and a defensive back in high school. His highlights also showed several big plays as a punt returner. Larkee has soft hands and rarely drops any ball in his catch radius. He is also good at changing direction, a trait that helps him gain separation when running short and intermediate routes. Despite his size, Larkee brings physicality on the defensive side of the ball and doesn't hesitate to get involved in stopping the run. He likely gets good coaching at home, as his father is the defensive coordinator at Harvard. Larkee shows good instincts as a defensive back and is able to read plays quickly, which allows him to make plays on the ball when defending pass plays. Route running and a quicker release off the line of scrimmage are things he can work on as a receiver, and adding good weight will help him no matter which position he plays.      <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jackson-failla/">[player_tooltip player_id='1155810' first='Jackson' last='Failla'] </a>is another player with good football bloodlines. His father Paul was a two-sport athlete (football and baseball) at Notre Dame, where he served as a backup quarterback to Rick Mirer and Kevin McDougal. Failla has offers from Brown and North Carolina, and is receiving interest from many Power 4 schools, including Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Northwestern. He moved from Pennsylvania to the Chicago area and played for Nazareth Academy last season. He'll attend Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire next fall. Failla has a strong arm, has patience in the pocket, sees the field well, is accurate and usually delivers the ball on time. He passed for 2,116 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior. Failla is also a strong runner, throws well on the run and can escape and create big plays with his feet when the pocket collapses. Failla will sometimes deliver the ball off his back foot when there is time and room to step and throw. Continued work with a coach who knows the quarteback position will help improve his throwing mechancis and footwork, and add to an exceptional skill-set.      <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jackson-silber/">[player_tooltip player_id='2154492' first='Jackson' last='Silber']</a> is an Exeter (N.H.) High School product who will play at Bridgton (Maine) Academy next season. Bridgton is a one-year postgraduate schoo and its football team plays a schedule that includes college and service academy opponents. Silber lined up a defensive end in a three-man front for Exeter, which is one of the top high school programs in New Hampshire. Exeter coach Bill Ball has a reputation of producing college-ready players and placing them at the appropriate collegiate level. Silber is a verstible player who was equally adept at defending the run and rushing the passer during his senior season. He has a quick first step, which allows him to penetrate gaps. Silber's highlights showed that he is good at setting the edge as well. There were several plays where he engaged with an offensive lineman, shed the blocker and made a play on the ball carrier, although there is room for him to improve when its comes to block destruction. Added strength and weight will make Silver a more effective college player. He's someone who will also benefit from a season of playing against better competition, and appears to be a good fit for Bridgton.      After being sidelined by a season-ending injury during the 2024 season, <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/tommy-ginty/">[player_tooltip player_id='1858304' first='Tommy' last='Ginty']</a> bounced back to have a strong season at Phillips Andover Academy in Massachsetts last fall. He moved from outside linebacker to safety last season, when he recorded 50 tackles, including four tackles for loss, had one interception, one sack and forced a fumble. Ginty will spend a postgraduate year at Loomis Chaffee in Windsor, Conn., next season. He's a disruptive defensive player whose strengths are his physicality and his tackling, especially his ability to bring down ball carriers in space. He has a high motor, plays fast and doesn't give up on plays. There are several plays on his highlights that show him using his speed to travel across the field to make a touchdown-saving tackle. Ginty was often used to rush the passer last season and was good at applying pressure in those situations. Although he looked comfortable in zone coverage, Ginty will need continued improvement in man-to-man coverage and will also need to refine his ball skills if he continues to play in the secondary. He could show rapid improvement as a safety since he has had limited time at that position.

Prep schools in the New England region continue to land a large number of post-grad transfers. This report features five players who have announced their intention to enroll in a New England prep school for the fall of 2026, provides the school they plan to attend and evaluates the player's strengths and area that needs improvement after viewing their 2025 highlight film.