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.

Antonio has been doing everything right. Working out with Rising Stars, active in the weight room, and unafraid to compete at prospect camps.

I love Antonio’s trajectory. Last season, I thought he was quite raw, and I wasn’t sold on him. Now, after an incredible offseason, I’m more confident than ever. I’m not sure if Antonio will be a Varsity player this season. No matter where he plays, I expect to see vast improvements in his tape. Lastly, no matter if he’s on JV or Varsity, the trajectory is the same- another year of relentless hard work, he’ll easily be an amazing college prospect.

LaLama has done nothing but work since he hit our watch list. Since December, Antonio has improved his 40, Shuttle, and broad jump. Steady, incremental improvements like this paint a good picture for the type of player Antonio could be once he’s an upperclassman.

From camps, 7on7, and more, Antonio seems to be doing everything right. It’s a process and takes a lot of discipline and delayed gratification. Keep going, keep having fun, and I could soon be writing about Antonio’s “breakout season”.

I’ve talked about Antonio a couple of times lately but I came away from our Prep Redzone Showcase really impressed by him. In short, Antonio is a reactive kid with the ability to shed blockers and get downhill. He showed at our Showcase how agile he is and the way he can change direction on a dime. As he continues to work in the weight room, he is going to continue to develop the physique of a strong off ball LB, and the technique is already far ahead of others throughout the class.

Antonio showed some flashes of brilliance in his freshman year. Yes they’re JV highlights, but you can already see the instincts and aggression that will go a long ways. I also got to see Antonio work in person at the Stock Up Showcase and his physical build and athletic ability definitely jumped out to me. This is a kid who can get sideline to sideline, takes good pursuit angles and seems to always be in the right place at the right time, which takes a lot more than luck. Sharpening these skills against varsity talent will take him to a next level next season I believe. I am high on what he has to offer and I think he has a very high ceiling if he continues to work!