What a difference a year can make on this level. In September 2025 I took note of King Grant King Grant 5'11" | 170 lbs | EDGE Howell Rebels (Youth Program) | 2031 NJ at the 12U All-Star tryout and thought he did OK, but not a lock to make the team. He ultimately did not end up on the team down at AYF Nationals. However, this past weekend at the 14U tryout, Grant was an obvious standout. He muscled up, got taller and changed some of the bad weight from last year. He is going to be an excellent Defensive Lineman for this team.

I noticed Grant early during the opening session of the tryout due to his stature, but it took a bit for him to win me over. He moved well through bag drills and looked to be one of the more athletic kids at the first session. It wasn’t until the hitting started where his strengths as an Edge defender came to light. He has a Linebacker build, and after watching film I see that he operates out of a standup stance, but he still held his own getting down in a three-point stance as the coaches asked. He’s an interesting chess piece and I’m interested to see if – A.) he makes the team and B.) what further development will turn him into.