NJ's Top Sophomores of September: Offense Edition

There is still one weekend left of September, but it's important to start highlighting some of the best performances we've seen thus far in the season. The sophomore class in my mind is the sweet spot for recruiting, where the players may have gained a ton of attention yet but are starting to heat up. Here are six of the players every college should have on their radar for the remainder of the season.    Heading into the 2024 season, it was tough to tell what direction Millville would head after losing their senior QB and a ton of offensive talent. Well, Millville picked up right where the left off and a lot of that has to do with the exceptional play of [player_tooltip player_id='489023' first='Robbie' last='O'Connor']. Playing lights out through the first 4 games of the season, Robbie is torching defenses as he has thrown for 856 yards, 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Through those first 4 games, Robbie and Millville have marched down the field with very little resistance, as they have put up a total of 160 points thus far (40 points per game.) Robbie has an absolute cannon for an arm, which comes in handy when you have a receiver like [player_tooltip player_id='218554' first='Lotzeir' last='Brooks'] to run underneath it. Robbie has a very quick release and can throw a dart to any point on the field. Robbie is a big reason why Millville remains a contender for a state championship.      The top sophomore passer in the state through 4 games, Gavin Yablonowitz is lighting it up for Robbinsville. Starting off the season with an 0-2 start, Robbinsville has bounced back since with back to back wins. In those victories, Gavin threw 6 touchdowns and over 600 yards. Robbinsville really seems to trust Gavin, as a majority of their offensive yardage comes through the air. Keep an eye on Gavin as he progresses through the season. He has a tendency to force the ball into tight windows. While sometimes it works out, a few times this season the ball has ended up in a defenders hands. I am sure we will see Gavin clean up that part of his game and continue to perfect his craft.     There is good reason why [player_tooltip player_id='691039' first='Abdul' last='Turay'] is ranked as the #2 RB in the 2027 NJ class. All around explosive talent, Abdul is proving in his sophomore campaign that he is a force to be reckoned with. Through four games Abdul has put up some massive numbers. Rushing for 685 yards and receiving another 171, St. John Vianney's gets Abdul the ball as often as possible. With an astonishing 13 visits to the end zone thus far, Abdul may come out of the 2024 season with the most points scored in the entire state. While all of these stats are extremely impressive, what stands out the most to me is how efficient Abdul has been with the ball in his hands. Averaging 10.7 yards per carry, St. John Vianney is nearly guaranteed a first down every time Abdul touches the ball. Colleges are starting to notice Abdul's skill level too, as he has offers from Syracuse, WVU, and Northern Illinois. More offers should be coming soon.     [player_tooltip player_id='614993' first='Chukwuma' last='Odoh'] is not your average sophomore running back. Bigger than your traditional high school back Chukwuma is a bulldozer of a back with built in elusiveness. Rushing for 432 yards and 6 touchdowns through the first few games of the season, Chukwuma is a reliable runner in the backfield that St. Thomas Aquinas can rely on between the tackles and beyond. I think we will see a lot of cases where Chukwuma will take the ball up the gut and emerge out of the pile with a full sprint towards the end zone. Chukwuma also has enough speed to beat the defender to the edge and turn upfield, setting himself up for runs down the sideline or quick cutbacks across the field. This is a back that will be talked about for years to come.      One of those players that I am just being introduced to, [player_tooltip player_id='1466302' first='Jeremiah' last='Carr'] is putting up some impressive numbers for Paulsboro. Averaging 78.5 receiving yards through 4 games, Jeremiah is using his bigger frame (6'0") to dominate his opponents. Few DBs are having success covering Jeremiah, as he has already found the end zone 5 times this season. Keep an eye on what Carr does from here on out.     There isn't a lot of information about Jake Schutzel, but from seeing his past performances this month, it's best to keep your eye on him for the remainder of the year. Totaling 289 receiving yards and a touchdown through 4 games, the tall target has become a reliable source of clutch catches for Freehold. Jake is seeing a ton of throws go his directions, as in his last game he had 6 receptions for 72 yards and the lone touchdown of the season. Jake is going to continue to give defenses trouble as his presence downfield is tough for any high school DB to contend with. I foresee a lot of touchdowns heading his direction in the future.

There is still one weekend left of September, but it's important to start highlighting some of the best performances we've seen thus far in the season. The sophomore class in my mind is the sweet spot for recruiting, where the players may have gained a ton of attention yet but are starting to heat up. Here are six of the players every college should have on their radar for the remainder of the season.