Under the Radar Prospects in New England

Today's under-the-radar prospects feature six prospects who come from [player_tooltip player_id='1637632' first='Christian' last='McIntyre'], who makes his way from Xaverian Brothers High School to Avon Old Farms for his Post Grad (PG) season, Aj Sanchez, and [player_tooltip player_id='1671774' first='Xzaviauhn' last='(zay) Whigham'], who are two-way players from an Archbishop Williams Team that was one win away from playing in the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. The next prospect is a scat-back from Catholic Memorial, [player_tooltip player_id='1530024' first='Christian' last='Simmons'], who has blazing home run speed when he touches the ball. With [player_tooltip player_id='400828' first='Christopher' last='Vargas'] (Ohio State Commit) and [player_tooltip player_id='889581' first='Riley' last='Selvais'] garnering all the attention at St. John's Prep with multiple offers, keep an eye out for [player_tooltip player_id='1576375' first='DJ' last='Graham']. Lastly, keep an eye out for (X) [player_tooltip player_id='1027707' first='Xzavier' last='Chafin'] from Buckingham Brown and Nichols, who is a two-gap game wrecker looking to increase his offers.    Evaluation: A true speedster who plays receiver, cornerback, and returner. Sanchez has sticky hands as a receiver and comes down with interceptions. On offense, he has a lightning-quick release off the line of scrimmage, allowing him to gain separation against man coverage, though he needs to clean up his footwork. His crisp route running gives him the football intelligence to find soft spots in zone coverage. When the ball is in his hands, he shows a willingness to churn up yardage after contact, using his elusiveness and vision. As a blocker, he isn't afraid to stick his nose in, though he needs to get his hands inside. On defense, his speed, ball skills, and instincts are a staple of his game. Sanchez shows the leadership of a senior, barking out commands to get teammates aligned. Sanchez has fluid hips, allowing a seamless change of direction. His sharp eye discipline is evident when he reads quarterbacks' movement in the pocket, allowing him to avoid getting caught in the backfield thanks to his exceptional deep-ball range. In man coverage, Sanchez is very sticky, although he needs to show better discipline within the five-yard physicality window. As a tackler, he isn't afraid to get his nose dirty when stepping up in run support but needs to improve with his grip when wrapping up ball carriers. As a returner, not only does he have the speed and quickness, but he shows tremendous spatial awareness when making the correct decision on when it's appropriate to return kicks and punts. With three more years of high school football, expect Aj Sanchez to generate some offers from schools.      Evaluation: Zay Whigham is a two-way player at Wide Receiver and linebacker. At the snap of the ball, he creates separation against tight-man coverage thanks to his crafty footwork. He has blazing speed when the ball is in his hands, creating significant yardage after the catch. He is a crisp route runner who has the awareness of seeking out soft spots in zone coverage. On defense, his versatility is second to none as he tends to play as an on-ball and off-ball linebacker, bringing a relentless sideline-to-sideline motor. As an off-ball backer, he is a violent tackler when closing in rapidly on the ball carrier. Whigham is very instinctive when coming off a blitz and reading his keys on run fits. However, he tends to rely more on his athleticism, preferring to slip past blocks rather than use his hands to destroy them. As an on-ball backer, he is quick and explosive with his first two steps and a vast upfield burst. Whigham has a fluent bend off the edge that allows a seamless change of direction, though he needs a pass rush plan that incorporates a variety of inside/outside counters. At the collegiate level, Whigham best fits at the linebacker spot.      Evaluation: A typical scat-back who can play in the backfield and line up as a receiver. Simmons is a home run threat when he touches the ball. His elusiveness shows up when he cuts back to beat defenders and sees holes develop with 20/20 vision. Upon contact, he needs to keep his legs churning to fight for extra yardage. An added bonus in his game is that he scans the field effectively in blitz pickup and is topped off by a firm anchor in pass protection. With two more years at Catholic Memorial, expect Simmons to get more carries out of the backfield and maximize his versatility in the passing game when lined up out wide.      Evaluation: A tall, stocky defensive back who can play both corner and safety thanks to his instincts. Graham has fluid hips, allowing him to make a seamless transition out of his backpedal. His ball skills are a work in progress as he struggles to secure interceptions with his hands. A staple point of his game is his ability to come up and make tackles in run support. The biggest area of improvement is that he needs to take sharper angles on pursuit. He would benefit significantly if he were used more in a hybrid safety/linebacker role to maximize his style of play.   <ol class="wp-block-list"> <li></li> </ol>      Evaluation: A home run threat on offense that also splits time on defense. As a receiver, he gets a solid release off the line as he gains separation. McIntyre is a seasoned route runner capable of running the entire tree. He has the intelligence to seek out soft spots in zone coverage and adjust his catch radius to off-target passes. When the ball is in his hands, he can turn short gains into explosive plays thanks to his ability to create yards after the catch. In order for him to be a complete receiver, he needs to work on his blocking downfield. On defense, his closing and ball skills are his key strengths. McIntyre is known as a zone-coverage corner, as he struggles to be physical in tight man coverage. The primary area of concern for a defender is that he struggles to step up and make tackles in open space, as he whiffs on wrap-ups. Lastly, he needs to take sharper angles when making tackles. McIntyre is best suited as a Z and Slot Receiver at the collegiate level, which is the avenue to maximize his style of play.      Evaluation: A twitched-up, versatile two-gap defender with a high motor and a relentless pursuit effort. Chafin is a vocal player who leads by example, rallying guys around him. He has tremendous lateral quickness and change of direction when used as a looper on twists and slanting inside on stunts. His play recognition is sharp when it comes to reading pullers and spilling traps. X has quick hand usage when destroying blocks and when using outside counters as a pass rusher. He needs to develop his speed-to-power and have a plan for when to use inside counters in pass rush situations. Entering his Junior year at BB&N, he has a chance to climb up the rankings as he continues to dominate his style of play as a 3-tech and 1-tech.

Today's under-the-radar prospects feature six prospects who come from Christian McIntyre Christian McIntyre 6'1" | 190 lbs | DB Avon Old Farms | 2027 State New E , who makes his way from Xaverian Brothers High School to Avon Old Farms for his Post Grad (PG) season, Aj Sanchez, and Xzaviauhn (zay) Whigham Xzaviauhn (zay) Whigham 6'0" | 190 lbs | ATH Archbishop Williams | 2027 State New E , who are two-way players from an Archbishop Williams Team that was one win away from playing in the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium. The next prospect is a scat-back from Catholic Memorial, Christian Simmons Christian Simmons 5'10" | 165 lbs | ATH Catholic Memorial | 2028 State New E , who has blazing home run speed when he touches the ball. With Christopher Vargas Christopher Vargas 6'5" | 190 lbs | QB St. John's Prep | 2028 State New E (Ohio State Commit) and Riley Selvais Riley Selvais 6'0" | 185 lbs | WR/DB St. John's Prep | 2028 State New E garnering all the attention at St. John's Prep with multiple offers, keep an eye out for DJ Graham DJ Graham 6'2" | 190 lbs | DB/ATH St. John's Prep | 2028 State New E . Lastly, keep an eye out for (X) Xzavier Chafin Xzavier Chafin 6'3" | 250 lbs | DL Buckingham Browne & Nichols | 2028 State New E from Buckingham Brown and Nichols, who is a two-gap game wrecker looking to increase his offers.