St. John's Prep at Springfield Central Preview (Players to Watch)

As we approach Week 1 in Massachusetts High School Football, we have a marquee matchup between two powerhouse programs that have multiple Division I commits and offers. You can't ignore players like [player_tooltip player_id='400828' first='Christopher' last='Vargas'], the top-ranked quarterback in the 2028 class, committed to Ohio State; [player_tooltip player_id='943868' first='Isaiah' last='Rogers'], committed to Notre Dame; and [player_tooltip player_id='1691043' first='McCoy' last='Richardson'], committed to Wake Forest but could possibly flip his commitment to Penn State. St. John's Prep features hidden gems such as [player_tooltip player_id='889581' first='Riley' last='Selvais'], who, despite having 13 Division I offers, is giving secondaries fits in the slot. Next comes [player_tooltip player_id='998736' first='Maxwell' last='Parent'], a bowling-ball-type back who plays bigger than his size. Next comes star-studded linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1001608' first='Owen' last='Muldoon'], who has two offers from UMass and URI.    Fresh off committing to Ohio State, Vargas looks to increase his leadership role within the offense. Vargas looks more poised in the pocket as he keeps his eyes downfield, zipping the ball with pinpoint accuracy. Look for him to improve on his checkdowns as he goes through his progressions efficiently.     Evaluation: A home run threat when he touches the ball, Rogers possesses an explosive burst when hitting the hole with vision. Rogers is elusive out in space, making defenders miss in the open field. He isn't afraid of contact when needed to churn out extra yardage. Rogers is a willing blocker on the perimeter, bringing a jolting pop at the second level with his hands inside. As a pass catcher, he is a crisp route runner who catches the ball with strong hands while gaining yardage after the catch. For Rogers to maximize his value as a running back, he needs to be more involved in pass protection.     Evaluation: A quick, twitchy receiver who plays fast and has the versatility to play on the outside, slot, and returner. A route-running technician who runs the entire tree. He has the football intelligence to exploit soft spots in zone coverage. He catches the ball with sticky hands and has elite yards after the catch, turning short gains into big, explosive plays. An added bonus is that he is a willing perimeter blocker, though he needs to keep his hands inside. As a returner, he sees the lanes develop with spatial awareness and vision. However, he needs to work on getting his elbows inside when fielding kicks.     A twitchy downhill menace with a relentless motor to the ball. Muldoon is very instinctive with his run fits, diagnosing the plays and shooting the gap with tremendous closing speed. A tackling machine is an understatement, as he takes sharp angles and delivers hits with physicality when wrapping up the ball carrier. He is physical in block destruction, though he needs to be quicker with his hands when shedding blocks. He has superb lateral quickness when spying mobile quarterbacks. In pass coverage, he has a fluent change of direction when dropping back.     Evaluation: A thick-built back with a short stature who flips the switch when given the opportunity. As a ball carrier, he is known for his physical running style, earning yards after contact by keeping his feet moving and falling forward. He has the vision to see the holes develop, allowing him to burst through the second level. Despite being more of a north-and-south runner, he cuts back when it's necessary. As a pass catcher, he tends to drift in his route running, though he still manages to make catches and create yards after the catch. In pass pro, he is Instinctive in blitz pickups; he anchors well against speed-to-power moves.     Evaluation: A versatile two-gap defender with twitch and a relentless motor. At the snap of the ball, he has an explosive first step and a rapid upfield burst. However, he needs to lower his pad level, as he sometimes shows a high hat. Richardson gets knock-back extension, leaving blockers at bay. In the run game, he needs to be quicker with his hand usage when shedding off blocks. As a pass rusher, his bread and butter is speed-to-power with a variety of inside/outside counters.

As we approach Week 1 in Massachusetts High School Football, we have a marquee matchup between two powerhouse programs that have multiple Division I commits and offers. You can't ignore players like Christopher Vargas Christopher Vargas 6'5" | 190 lbs | QB St. John's Prep | 2028 State New E , the top-ranked quarterback in the 2028 class, committed to Ohio State; Isaiah Rogers Isaiah Rogers 5'11" | 207 lbs | RB Springfield Central | 2027 State New E , committed to Notre Dame; and McCoy Richardson McCoy Richardson 6'2" | 284 lbs | EDGE Springfield Central | 2027 State New E , committed to Wake Forest but could possibly flip his commitment to Penn State. St. John's Prep features hidden gems such as Riley Selvais Riley Selvais 6'0" | 185 lbs | WR/DB St. John's Prep | 2028 State New E , who, despite having 13 Division I offers, is giving secondaries fits in the slot. Next comes Maxwell Parent Maxwell Parent 5'8" | 190 lbs | RB/DB St. Mary's Ma. | 2027 State New E , a bowling-ball-type back who plays bigger than his size. Next comes star-studded linebacker Owen Muldoon Owen Muldoon 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB/RB Springfield Central | 2029 State New E , who has two offers from UMass and URI.