The second new name and unranked prospect featured in this article, a 5’11, 185 pound running back and linebacker out of Columbia High School. He missed some time with an injury early in the season but has done an excellent job consistently uploading film since Week 3. He also posted a complete midseason highlight reel last week, giving college coaches approximately four minutes of footage to evaluate. He has received several accolades from local media, competes in wrestling and baseball, and has previously reported an impressive 3.9 GPA. That combination of academics, multisport participation and recognition immediately makes him an interesting prospect, even before examining his football production. His wrestling background is particularly encouraging for a linebacker, considering the leverage, balance and physicality required to succeed in both sports. On paper, he already looks like a recruitable player, and I was interested in seeing whether his film supported that impression.

His midseason tape opens with him recognizing a quarterback draw in the red zone and attacking the ball carrier in a one on one situation. He closes the available space, establishes contact and completely stonewalls the quarterback before he can generate meaningful yardage. I appreciate the decisiveness and physicality here, particularly his ability to finish the tackle without needing additional defenders to clean up the play. He demonstrates that he can win an individual matchup against a similarly sized ball carrier, which is an important quality for a linebacker responsible for stopping runs between the tackles. Most of his available defensive reps feature him aligned at inside linebacker, and this opening play provides an encouraging introduction to his ability to recognize developing rushing concepts and respond with physicality.

His second rep has him aligned near the interior gaps, where he quickly works past the offensive line and penetrates the backfield for a tackle for loss. I like how effectively he identifies the opening and attacks before the blocking scheme can fully develop. He doesn’t spend unnecessary time waiting for the play to reach him, instead using his initial quickness and awareness to create disruption behind the line of scrimmage. That is an encouraging trait for an inside linebacker, especially one who isn’t relying on overwhelming size to win his assignments. He needs to be decisive, understand where the football is going and consistently position himself to beat blockers to the point of attack. His early reps suggest he is comfortable handling those responsibilities, and I appreciate how frequently he is involved in plays near the line of scrimmage.

His third rep might be the most impressive play on the entire highlight reel. He appears to be aligned as the weakside linebacker, working from a position where he has to recognize the offensive blocking scheme and pursue the football across the formation. He identifies pulling guards and tackles, reads the developing action and immediately attacks through the backside gaps before the offense can establish its intended rushing lane. What stands out is how aggressively he works beyond his initial area of responsibility to get in front of the ball carrier. He doesn’t hesitate once he recognizes the concept, and his pursuit allows him to finish with a tremendous tackle for loss. I love the effort, motor and recognition on this rep. He demonstrates the instincts to understand what the offense is attempting to accomplish and the urgency to disrupt the play before it has an opportunity to develop.

The more I watch him, the more I appreciate how complete his approach to playing inside linebacker appears to be. He is an effective run stopper who can plug gaps, attack downhill, disrupt blocking concepts and pursue the football beyond his immediate alignment. His initial get off is encouraging, and he demonstrates the ability to penetrate the backfield when offensive linemen fail to account for him quickly enough. At the same time, he is more than simply an aggressive gap shooter. He can recognize pulling blockers, adjust his pursuit path and finish tackles in space when the play moves away from him. I particularly appreciate his willingness to serve as a cleanup defender when necessary, working through traffic and continuing his pursuit until the whistle. There is a physical, tone setting quality to his game that makes him the type of linebacker a defensive coordinator would appreciate having in the middle of the defense.

Although he identifies as both a running back and linebacker, there aren’t many offensive rushing reps featured in this particular midseason compilation. Based on what I’ve seen so far, his strongest positional projection is clearly at inside linebacker, where he demonstrates a good combination of instincts, toughness, physicality and consistent effort. I would still like to evaluate his coverage responsibilities, lateral movement and ability to handle larger offensive linemen before determining his exact collegiate ceiling. However, his defensive production is already encouraging, and his wrestling background adds another positive element to his overall profile. I also appreciate that he has been proactive about uploading film after returning from his early season injury, giving evaluators a substantial collection of reps rather than relying exclusively on individual game cutups.

Overall, I believe this is a rankable prospect who deserves to be added to our database during the next update. His academic profile, multisport background, local recognition and impressive midseason defensive film give me plenty of confidence that he belongs among Pennsylvania’s evaluated linebackers. He plays with excellent effort, recognizes developing rushing concepts and consistently finds ways to create negative plays for opposing offenses. His ability to stop the run, disrupt gaps and finish tackles makes him a valuable inside linebacker at the high school level, and I want to continue monitoring how those traits translate as he develops. There is enough here to justify an official ranking, and I’m excited to follow his progress as additional film becomes available.