Mankarious’ Offensive MVPs from The PRZ Next New Jersey Camp
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Last weekend I was able to link up with my old colleague and friend, the one-man industry himself Al Pops. Being what I consider at least, the nation’s savant of identifying middle school football talent, Pops did not disappoint. These prospects,…
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Continue ReadingLast weekend I was able to link up with my old colleague and friend, the one-man industry himself Al Pops. Being what I consider at least, the nation’s savant of identifying middle school football talent, Pops did not disappoint. These prospects, in particular, stood out amongst the rest at their respective position groups.
Here are my offensive position group MVPs for offensive line, wide receiver, running back, and quarterback.
Offensive Line
Being the smallest position group numbers-wise, Benjamin Havunen Benjamin Havunen 6’1″ | 275 lbs | OL VA was a mountain of a young man and played like a man amongst boys. Havunen was, head-and-shoulders above everyone else and clearly the best offensive lineman in the group. Possessing great size at 6’1″ 272lbs, Havunen has the potential to pan out either as an interior offensive lineman or tackle. My guess is that he may end up playing tackle. Havunen moved extremely well laterally for someone his age and size. This allowed him to take away inside rushes by powering down with ease. Big enough, he simultaneously covered enough ground on his kick-step to prevent an outside rush. Most importantly, the young Virginian’s shoulders mostly stayed square to the line of scrimmage while all this was going on. Should Havunen get beat or find himself out of position he recovered extremely well, especially being disciplined in what he has been coached and not forgoing his technique. The last thing Havunen did nicely was use his hands. Whether it was punch-and-recoil, refitting on a defender’s chest, or hand placement to ride someone past the would-be quarterback, Havunen seemed to be a natural with his hands.
Wide Receiver
Amari Jones Amari Jones 5’10” | 150 lbs | WR Seton Hall Prep | 2028 NJ was MVP at wide receiver. If I recall correctly this strayed from the consensus of the camp. Jones did have a few drops that were certainly frowned upon; however, his explosion, twitch, speed, and sharpness were simply too hard for me to overlook. Jones’ cuts when route running cut up the turf at times. The ability to stop on a dime and make his break stood out. Jones was also a prospect who was always running at full speed as he flew all over the field. I am not sure if he realized it or not, but Jones also beat press coverage by reading the defender’s leverage, taking advantage of that. Lastly, Jones never lost a matchup by someone out-manning him – only a drop or two plagued him. As excited as I am to have discovered Jones, for him to be a truly elite receiver he must convert all catches.
Highlights
Running Back
From the minute I walked into the place, Al Pops made sure I knew who Logan Dairsow Logan Dairsow 5’9″ | 175 lbs | RB St. Augustine Prep | 2028 NJ was; and who Dairsow is, was clearly the best back of the group. Dairsow is an athlete who can turn quickly in tight spaces. During Indy he was very tight to each and every cone he approached and had the wherewithal to not trample all over them. His quick feet appeared to be a blur as he picked them up and put them down as if he was trying to put out a fire. These skill-based traits translated well to the competition portion of the afternoon. Dairsow was the most explosive runner out of the group, literally nearly blowing out his cleat. Lastly what made Dairsow shine in my eyes, and perhaps the most prevailing ability, was the immediate and sudden burst he demonstrated after coming out of his break or cut.
Quarterback
Another pick where I went against the grain of the camp pick, quarterback-wise I could not keep my eyes off of Zymere Weaver Zymere Weaver 6’2″ | 170 lbs | QB NJ . Every rep he took I had to take a look-see. Weaver throws an absolute beauty of a ball. He has a compact, quick throwing motion that deploys the ball in a hurry. Arm strength is not an issue, as he was launching 40+ yard bombs with ease. Weaver’s accuracy was there for the most part and he had a keen idea as when to throw the ball, independent of throwing to fellow camp goers he had no rapport with. At 6’2″ and 185lbs, Weaver certainly looks more than the part.