Notes on National Recruits Post Week One Live Evaluations

<ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>6'2, 175 pounds. Currently ranked as the fifth best senior wideout in Maryland via my colleague Todd Haldis. 10.98 100M time, showed off said speed in person. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Witnessed a few observable traits out of Wake Forest commit and Bishop McNamara senior [player_tooltip player_id='1629917' first='Xavier' last='Brown']. First thing that immediately jumped out at me was his ability to create space early and late, without being dependent on scheme or sets to get him open. Fantastic strider who can eat up space with a few strides and separate the same way. On the smooth end of the wideout spectrum, nothing he does on the field looks like it takes any effort. This was my first time watching him work in person, I saw no route tree limitations. He's equally convincing before the break, even when he isn't supposed to be getting the football. Instinctively works back toward the QB, can thrive in tandem with a QB who is extending the play. Unreal awareness, not just of the ball and his own body, but awareness of the sidelines, defensive alignment, this is a college-football ready prospect from that perspective. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Wake Forest currently has 5 wide out commits as of day of writing, Brown joining North Carolina seniors Fletcher and Ross, with Brown arguably standing as the crown jewel for Dickert's program. </li> </ul>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PRZVicCastillo/status/2093431332873408661?s=20 </div></figure>     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>6'6, 230 pounds. Saw him play a bit of TE this past weekend, a first at least while I was present. In contention for the #1 spot on our 2027 rankings, currently sits at the four spot. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Biggest takeaway was seeing how far along Sesay has come from a body transformation perspective. I have been to a Downingtown East game each of the last four years, seeing him look as filled out and chiseled as he way makes me that much more comfortable about his potential at Notre Dame. Ton of pure speed to burn around the edge, Sesay spent time up against a Division One caliber tackle in [player_tooltip player_id='1871634' first='Rodney' last='Gray'], someone who fits the body type Sesay is expected to play against while at Notre Dame. Sesay succeeded. His get-off remained effective despite Northeast's offense changing cadences and snap timing. Love Sesay post-winning at the LOS, can flatten his path in a hurry to chase down mobile QBs, is a willing helper in run support, not a one-trick pony in the sense of solely searching for sacks. Closing speed is easily some of the best I've ever seen while scouting the Northeast for past 6 years. Can convert his initial burst into a pass-rush plan rather than simply rely on speed around less-athletic tackles. What I witnessed this past weekend was Sesay at his best, plain and simple. The best version of him is yet to come. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>The argument could be had that St. Peter's Prep's OT Olu Olu could be the crown jewel of Notre Dame's 2027 recruiting class, yet I have to pound the table for Sesay being the best prospect amongst 2027 ND commits. Committed back in June, Sesay is accompanied by standout EDGE rushers Aidan O'Neil (NJ) and Jackson Vaughn (FL), both of which have equal opportunity to flourish in the coming years at ND. </li> </ul>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PRZVicCastillo/status/2093872803103555695?s=20 </div></figure>     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>6'4, 210 pounds. A Rutgers commit. Currently ranks as a top 10 player out of Maryland, despite Taylor being stationed at Salesianum HS in Delaware. Couldn't be a better compliment from my colleague and Maryland ranker Todd Haldis. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Taylor likely wasn't recruited because of his YAC ability, yet I was impressed by his ability to break through arm tackles. Can continue through contact at the LOS, doesn't need clean space to operate, that's a given, yet Taylor needed 2-3 defenders to bring him down each time he caught the football within 15 yards of the LOS. Huge prospect with an even bigger presence on the field than his H/W combination suggests. Possesses enough body control to finish catches along the sideline, his touchdown proves he has both body awareness and real ball tracking ability. Taylor could have reeled in a few easy balls that ended up on the turf, I think it points to Taylor's ability to thrive in the toughest and most contested of situations. When he needs to become Superman, he can. He'll thrive at Rutgers if he can be Superman play-in and play-out, not only when he's most needed. I think Rutgers will get that out from him. Interested in learning if Taylor's skill set will require a specific alignment, or if he'll be an interchangeable piece within Rutgers' offense. I wish I had the luxury of watching a player this caliber on a weekly basis, was fun seeing him work in person for the first time. Solid first-time evaluation. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Rutgers currently has three wideouts committed, with Taylor being the earliest of commits to Greg Schiano. PA native [player_tooltip player_id='671915' first='Arnold' last='Mugerwa'] and Don Bosco Prep senior Isaiah Alvarez are both committed to Rutgers as well at time of writing, with Mugerwa serving as a very similar build/type as Taylor. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Taylor sits at the top of the incoming class in terms of hype and potential. </li> </ul>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PRZVicCastillo/status/2092760005095162118?s=20 </div></figure>