Antonio is off to the start I hoped to see. This dude is big, physical and brings the juice on every snap. He reads and reacts well, flows and is able to get off of blocks. He has never had any issue filling gaps and stuffing the run, but I have seen a few examples now of Antonio dropping back into coverage and being able to cover ground in a hurry.

Still a FBS grade in my eyes, and I see he is starting to get that attention.

Antonio was a player who has worked really hard to reshape his body and become a more physical linebacker for Romeo and let’s just say mission accomplished. Antonio was excellent all night in helping shut down an extremely potent rushing attack that Adams brings to the field. Antonio recorded double digit tackles and was in on multiple big hits. One thing that really stood out was Antonio’s ability to get side line to side line and make plays. Antonio took open lead blockers and pulling guards all night but did not give up any ground in the process. Antonio scraps down the line well and detects plays quickly. In a class of excellent linebackers in the 2028 class Antonio has taken a back seat to none.

The evolution out of Antonio has been impressive, and now he’s ready to step into the leadership role, as well as playing a massive role in this Romeo defense. LaLama has all of the traits you want to see out of a young LB. He’s relentless, flies around and can make every play, no matter where the ball ends up. This Romeo team as extremely high expectations this fall, and Antonio leading this Bulldog defense in the right direction is going to play a major factor.

Antonio is a player that I feel has plenty of room to grow heading into his junior year. The Romeo linebacker has continued to add good size and weight to his growing frame and I see that paying huge dividends in the fall. Antonio shows good burst on film and does a very good job reading his keys from his linebacker position and making a ton of plays around the line of scrimmage. I expect Romeo to have a nice year this year and a lot of the success for the Bulldogs hinge on the underclass men taking a step forward. Antonio has certainly done that for himself and could see that paying off for his team in the fall.

Another day another Romeo linebacker popping up on the radar. Antonio is a linebacker I have become a big fan of. One thing that immediately stands out is his ability to drop into coverage and react to the ball and get a hand on the pass. A lot of linebackers struggle in pass coverage but it’s rare that a 2028 backer has these ball skills so early. Antonio is a very twitchy athlete that comes down hill and delivers big hits on the running backs. This would be a linebacker I would jump on now. A big strong athlete that can run and hit doesnt come around all that often , and won’t be on the market long.

Antonio has done everything necessary to put himself on the radar of D1 coaches. He has put in the work in the weight room, and has packed on a ton of muscle. He has gained a significant amount of height as well over the last couple of years since I first saw him work. His football IQ has very clearly developed, as his film shows a ton of examples of him diagnosing a play quickly and flying to his position. He takes good angles and is a superb tackler. I will be recommending Antonio a ton over the coming months to just about anyone that will listen.

Antonio is on a pretty crazy trajectory. A couple of years ago, he came out as a thin and athletic LB with raw traits that gave him a high upside. Now, he has packed on A TON of muscle and developed his athleticism a ton. Easily the best LB in the building on Sunday.

-Broad shoulders and extremely powerful lower half. Explosive first step

-High football IQ, allowing him to be a leader of the LB group

-Excellent in the agility drills, with great change of direction and acceleration

Another dude who has made the most of his Varsity opportunity. Antonio is an off-ball linebacker who does a nice job making stops between the tackles. Throughout the season, Antonio has improved his reaction time and general confidence. Where he used to second-guess and allow himself to get blocked, Antonio reacts a step quicker, and is able to sidestep some of those blocks, leading to consistently better positioning. He’s also growing as a pass defender, and that part of his game will absolutely be needed against Dakota.

Antonio is developing into a good linebacker. I was able to watch him this past weekend against Dakota, and I was happy to see him start. In addition, he did well against the inside run. That also shows up on tape. Playing Mike, Antonio does a good job keeping his eyes in the backfield, and attacking if and when a ballcarrier rushes between the tackles. Plus, plays like 0:12 show Antonio on a QB spy.

Great physicality, developing athletesism, and developing nicely in the IQ department as well. I like where Antonio is at!

LaLama is a major part of this Romeo defense, and it’s young role players like him that will dictate Romeo’s ceiling. He’s coming along nicely regarding play speed and physicality. A handful of great inside run stops, and a few promising reps in pass defense. Players like Antonio will be key in Romeo’s stout defense.