A stand out athlete for Plainfield, Joel Cordoba Joel Cordoba 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Plainfield | 2025 State NJ is a player that has gained some recognition and will continue to receive more offers when the season begins. I have been keeping my eye on Joel for the last two seasons, and everything I have seen has me believing he can be a legitimate talent at the next level. From the safety position, Joel showed excellent anticipation and the ability to sniff out the pass so he can jump the route. If Joel comes down with it, good luck catching him. He picked the ball off 5 times last season and returned 3 of those for touchdowns.

Not only is Joel dangerous on the defense side of the ball, but he absolutely balled out as a receiver. Racking up 1234 yards and double digit touchdowns, Joel displayed a huge catch radius and burst of speed out of his breaks that left defenders in the dust. Already receiving offers from Duke, Pitt and UConn, Joel will continue to get recognition as the season nears.

Not sure what they are feeding them at the Cordoba household, but Joel Cordoba Joel Cordoba 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Plainfield | 2025 State NJ is likely going to be the second Cordoba boy to earn himself serious scholarship money, following older brother Josue Cordoba Josue Cordoba 6'4" | 265 lbs | DL Plainfield | 2024 NJ as a collegiate football player. The junior led Plainfield in all major receiving statistics (66/1234/9) while impacting the game on the ground (8/58/2), and playing outstanding defensive back to the tune of  63 tackles (44 solo) and 4 interceptions – 3 of which were returned to the house.

Cordoba typically lines up at safety and makes outstanding jumps on the ball. He reads the quarterback’s eyes clearly and makes an immediate break the moment he thinks the quarterback is loading up to throw. This jump allows him to be very aggressive in trying to jump routes. Should Cordoba be unable to make a play on the ball, he will look to play the body and deliver a big hit. What allows him to make such big plays on both sides of the ball is that he consistently high points the ball and is an exclusive hands-catcher. As a receiver he has a solid release from the line of scrimmage. Cordoba also does a great job of adjusting to bad balls as well as tracking the deep ball’s trajectory. One bit of advice I would impart on Cordoba is to be mindful of which way he opens up, understanding where his leverage is, when he takes his defensive drop.

One of my favorite receivers in the class, Joel Cordoba Joel Cordoba 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Plainfield | 2025 State NJ made it near impossible for corners to keep up with him in 2023. Racking up 1234 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall for Plainfield, Joel was one of the most explosive receivers in the state. With a very quick burst, Joel is able to catch defenders off guard as he darts on by towards the end zone.

When the QB tosses it up high, Joel is able to outcompete the defender for the ball with his longer reach and hand strength. He can take it right out of the defenders and can even come down with it when he is heavily covered. Look for another big performance out of Joel in 2024.

Another player I’ve praised in the past, Joel Cordoba Joel Cordoba 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Plainfield | 2025 State NJ was one of Plainfield’s biggest playmakers on the season. While he was a dangerous threat in the receiving game, he made just as big of an impact on the defensive side of the ball as well as he picked the ball off 5 times and returned it for a touchdown on three of them. As a receiver, Joel played explosively throughout 2023.  With a quick first step off of the line Joel used his speed to leave defenders behind. Racking up 1204 yards and 9 touchdowns, Joel is ready to make just as big of an impact at the next level, but lucky for us, he has one more year to prove his worth.

The only player on this list that was on the losing side of the game on Thanksgiving, Joel Cordoba Joel Cordoba 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Plainfield | 2025 State NJ still deserves the recognition after a big receiving performance. The Plainfield WR played his heart out as he had 12 receptions for 135 yards and 1 touchdown. Joel is a downfield target that can snatch the ball away from defenders in the air. He has a big frame and is an easy target to toss it up to. And with quick reflexes on both sides of the ball, it’s no wonder Joel has garnered interest from schools like Duke, Sacred Heart, and Akron.