NJ's Top Offensive Weapons from Rize

New Jersey athletes came through by holding down the fort Saturday at the Rize. Making their presence felt in each position group, NJ players dominated from start to finish, rising in the ranks with multiple players ending the day as MVPs and Top Performers. When you have to narrow down the list, these are the NJ offensive players that stood out to me by consistently making statements from one drill to the next.    Austin has grown leaps and bounds since the first time I saw him step onto the field at a PRZ Next event. Not only has his physical stature rocketed up, but his passing skills, composure, and technique has leveled up as well. Austin has all of the tools necessary to thrive at DePaul. At the Rize, Austin displayed pinpoint accuracy with great ball placement in man to man coverage. He was consistently able to sneak the ball in only where his man could get it; over the shoulder or by throwing a quick dart across the middle. Outside of his arm capabilities, you can tell Austin has been perfecting his craft. His throwing motion is fine tuned and fluid, making each and every throw look effortless.     I had to keep circling Xavier's name Saturday afternoon because he continuously made plays that drew the attention of myself and the crowds. Not only was Xavier the fastest player in the 40 yard dash (4.71s), but he showed time and time again that he is a force to be reckoned with when lining up out wide. In man to man coverage, Xavier can be devastating to defenses. Xavier has a knack for shaking defenders off of him at the line with a quick burst and agile feet. If he gets a step on the DB, it's all over. Xavier can burn by them and have plenty of separation to make it an easy throw. I think Xavier was one of the best players not just in his position group, but at the entire event.     As I mentioned in my Top Running Backs article, Carmelo is one of the premier backs in the region, and his performance at Rize only reinforced that belief. He once again proved why he belongs in that conversation, earning MVP honors with another dominant showing. His powerful frame and physical running style are complemented by impressive lateral agility, allowing him to make smooth, controlled cuts without sacrificing speed. Carmelo glides effortlessly into the second level, gets north and south in a hurry, and continues to separate himself as one of the top running back prospects in the 2030 class.     [player_tooltip player_id='2143389' first='Amarri' last='Cephas'] may have had the top catch of the entire event on Saturday. Getting reps in a 7v7 format, Amarri ran a skinny post into zone coverage. With two men on him and the QB looking his direction, Amarri used his explosiveness to high point the ball over both defenders and come down with the ball. That play alone left a lasting impression on all of the coaches in attendance, and from there on out all eyes were on Amarri any time he stepped onto the field.     Another speedster in attendance at RIze, [player_tooltip player_id='1277961' first='Nymir' last='Hawkins'] impressed from start to finish Saturday in Jackson, NJ. Running the second fastest 40 yard dash time at the event (4.77s), he followed up that performance by being crowned the Fastest Man at Rize with a win in a foot race against the other fastest players. That speed obviously translated extremely well onto the field, as Nymir consistently created separation with sudden movements, changes of speed, and the ability to accelerate and turn on the jets out of his break. Nymir is going to be one of those WRs that shakes a DB off a short route and proceeds to burn the rest of the defense on his way to the end zone.     Anyone who read my Top Running Backs article already knows how highly I think of Jorden, and the Rize only added more evidence to support that evaluation. He was one of the most consistent performers from start to finish, earning legitimate MVP consideration with the way he attacked every drill. His running style is incredibly smooth, weaving through traffic and navigating cones with patience and control rather than wasted movement. Pair that with one of the fastest 40-yard dash times of the event (4.85), and it's easy to see why he's viewed as one of the most dynamic 2031 running backs around.

New Jersey athletes came through by holding down the fort Saturday at the Rize. Making their presence felt in each position group, NJ players dominated from start to finish, rising in the ranks with multiple players ending the day as MVPs and Top Performers. When you have to narrow down the list, these are the NJ offensive players that stood out to me by consistently making statements from one drill to the next.