Scouts Notebook: Immediate Reaction to the PSR Showcase

<p>On Saturday, May 13 I was fortunate enough to reconnect with an old colleague of mine <a href="https://twitter.com/ScoutNickP">Nick Pennisi</a>. Since Nick and I last worked together, he has gone on to build one of New Jersey's top private <a href="https://psrcombine.com/">camp/clinics</a>. Not only is the event well orchestrated and conducted, it has now gone on to attract talent as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Virginia. Above all else, the prospects in attendance are prime. </p>   <p>Unquestionably, this is a must-attend event. Below are a few thoughts and reflections I had after experiencing my first PSR Showcase.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Legit</h2>   <p>This was one of the better showcases event that I have had the opportunity to attend... and for a number of reasons frankly.</p>   <p>First I will start with the man in charge - Nick Pennisi. He was clearly the captain of this ship, everyone knew this and obliged by his direction. What he said goes. Without hesitancy, his entire support staff were bought in and knew what to expect. This created for a seamless experience for campers, clinicians, and everyone in between.</p>   <p>PSR Combines are an NCAA-approved service. This is a big deal in terms of how his event is perceived by colleges. Many colleges subscribe to his service and consider Pennisi, a former member of college recruiting staffs, a highly reliable source.</p>   <p>In a similar light, Pennisi takes a college-esque approach to his program as well. Knowing that in college every movement their athletes take is recorded, Pennisi's staff recorded <em>every single rep</em> that <em>every single prospect </em>took. Athletes and colleges alike have access to this footage.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Different Approach to Showcases</h2>   <p>Having been cut from the same cloth as Nick, I had a reasonable inkling that his event will have a few tweaks from your run-of-the-mill showcase. The first thing that was immediately different were the time blocks. Each segment of the program was a 1-hour block. This allowed for plenty of spins and plenty of coaching opportunities to improve.</p>   <p>In the same light, something Pennisi does different was include run-game elements during the 1-on-1 period. This is different from other events in the sense that his competition only focuses on pass-game elements, exclusively, in this non-contact padded camp. That said, the run game drills are conducted in a safe, controlled environment.</p>   <p>To the event's benefit, there was a staggered approach to scheduling. The linemen showcase was on about a 60-75 minute lag from when the skills started. As a scout at the event this was a big win. I am sure colleges coaches in attendance appreciated this subtle tweak as well.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Coaching</h2>   <p>To my naked eye, there were 35-ish colleges in attendance on Saturday - which is a <em>great</em> number. The colleges ranged from FCS-level down to D-III. In other words, there was something for everyone who was in attendance and colleges were actively looking to give out money. In fact, [player_tooltip player_id='825234' first='Samaad' last='Hicks'] received an offer from Maine on the spot!</p>   <p>On the other hand, local area assistant high school coaches were hired as clinicians for the day. These coaches represented some of the top programs in our state. Most importantly they brought the juice, energy, and life to the event. This translated and resonated with the prospects in attendance as they were fired up the entire day. </p>   <p>The other thing I sensed, but did not verify, was that there was a great rapport between Pennisi and his clinicians. It seemed as if they have been working together for some time now. Nothing was lost in translation and they were able to catch a beat running. This led to a smooth, well-ran, organized event.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">All About That Action</h2>   <p>As I was walking to check in I noticed some familiar faces from other events, the recruiting circuit, and recognized some team apparel. There are a few ways I can cut this up, but I will first start with the "travel squads."</p>   <p>Many high schools, both from close and from far, sent a bevy of athletes to the PSR Showcase. A few schools that stood out to me in terms of numbers of prospects in attendance were: Millville (13), Union City (11), Monsignor Farrell (9), Paramus Catholic (8), and Woodbridge (6). Seems to me that prospects from these schools will line up against whoever, whenever, where ever.</p>   <p>This event seems to be embraced by head football coaches in the state as well. I spoke with at least three different head coaches from prominent programs across New Jersey, as well as several members of coaching staffs that were out in full-fledged support for their players.</p>   <p>The last thing I will close with is this: talent. This might be one of the most talent-packed events around - spread across each graduating class at that. To name a few top prospects that the event drew, talent the likes of [player_tooltip player_id='172493' first='Anthony' last='Crawford'], [player_tooltip player_id='825247' first='Jayden' last='Jones'], [player_tooltip player_id='734112' first='Justin' last='Platt'], Lakeem Steele, [player_tooltip player_id='220086' first='Alexander' last='Bosch'], [player_tooltip player_id='402248' first='Zahir' last='Weatherington'], [player_tooltip player_id='505379' first='Richard' last='Pacheco Jr'], and Aiden Schomp were showing up and showing out. This made for a fiery and competitive event from opening whistle to closing whistle.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"></h2>

On Saturday, May 13 I was fortunate enough to reconnect with an old colleague of mine Nick Pennisi. Since Nick and I last worked together, he has gone on to build one of New Jersey's top private camp/clinics. Not only is the event well orchestrated and conducted, it has now gone on to attract talent as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Virginia. Above all else, the prospects in attendance are prime.