Another prospect to establish himself was Ace Eschenburg Ace Eschenburg 5'8" | 178 lbs | ATH TN , an athlete at Lipscomb Academy. Eschenburg was stellar from start to finish, impressing during both testing and positional training. On top of his excellent execution during running back drills, I liked how Eschenburg got involved at receiver. This talented prospect from the Nashville area can be dangerous at multiple different positions.

2030 D1 Nashville RB/Slot Ace Eschenburg Ace Eschenburg 5'8" | 178 lbs | ATH TN put together one of the more impressive performances at the position all weekend and stood out as a go-to piece in the offense. He consistently gave his quarterback a dependable outlet, showing natural hands and ball skills that are advanced for his age and position. Eschenburg also ran routes with purpose, using sudden breaks to freeze defenders and create separation. What really stood out was his competitiveness at the catch point, fighting to secure the football and finish plays. He played like their top offensive skill player and made a strong case as one of the best running backs in attendance.

The Offensive MVP on last year’s 6^th Grade Tennessee Future Stars team, the first time Ace Eschenburg Ace Eschenburg 5'8" | 178 lbs | ATH TN touched the ball in this year’s game, it looked like he would be in the mix to repeat for the honor this year as a seventh-grader. After his Lipscomb Academy teammate Bryce Aukerman Bryce Aukerman 6'1" | 168 lbs | QB Lipscomb Academy | 2030 TN aired out a beautiful ball, Eschenburg ran underneath it, made the catch and started heading to paydirt. However, a stellar defensive play by Kentucky resulted in him fumbling the ball as he churned towards the endzone.

Seemingly taking a good deal of mental strength, Eschenburg wouldn’t let the second quarter mishap define his 7^th Grade Tennessee vs. Kentucky Future Stars Game. While repeating as MVP wouldn’t happen, the significantly thicker and stronger ATH would finish with a couple catches on the day and a number of targets.

Eschenburg made a considerable difference for the Volunteers through four quarters on both sides of the ball. On the defensive end, Eschenburg impressed me with his ability to pierce through the pocket and shut down the run game. I also liked how Eschenburg could read the offense like a book and quickly take down receivers after the catch. Eschenburg could also use bursts of speed to stop the rush.

When looking at the stand out performances in this game, there’s no better place to start than with the game that Eschenburg had for the 6h grade Tennessee Future Stars. Unlike the 7th and 8th grade games, some athletes played both ways in the 6th grade game and that’s the case here. Honestly, he could have won MVP for both sides of the ball. Between big hits on defense as an attacking Defensive Back and the countless catches, he was all over the field. Eschenburg hauled in the lone touchdown reception for Tennessee in the game as well. One last thing that won’t show up in the stat sheet but caught my eye throughout the game, was Eschenburg’s ability to stalk block on the outside as a receiver. He clearly takes pride in his blocking and made it a miserable day for Kentucky defensive backs all around.