Hackensack, New Jersey – Sunday’s New Jersey Under Armor camp featured some of the Northeast’s most promising players, and despite cold, windy and rainy conditions, there were plenty of impressive performances. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst adam friedman I would like to share four quick takeaways from the event.
Bryce Underwood and Matt Zollers release statement
five stars LSU quarterback commit bryce underwood He is one of a tight group of players competing for No. 1 on Rivals250. He has only recently started participating in the off-season camping circuit in a big way and has unsurprisingly impressed at each event. At OT7 in Orlando two weeks ago and at the Under Armor camp in New Jersey this past weekend, Underwood showed off his unique physical abilities that will help him shine on the field. As a passer, he can put the ball anywhere on the field with his touch and timing. He may be a little immature when it comes to footwork and mechanics, but it's safe to say he has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in this class. We'll get even more opportunities to see Underwood perform against elite competition this offseason, and tracking his development throughout the rest of the process will be a great way to see the difference between him and the current Rivals250 No. 1 That should tell you a lot about what the competition is like. University of Southern California quarterback commit julian lewis It will be played.
missouri quarterback commit matt zollers He has been on an upward trend throughout the offseason, and it is no exaggeration to say that he will be in the Rivals 250 when the rankings are updated at the end of the spring training season. The four-star athlete from Pennsylvania gets better and better with each event he takes part in, and this weekend's effort was his best yet. His well-rounded skill set and excellent arm strength, coupled with his ability to consistently deliver accurate, catchable passes on short, immediate routes, make him a high-rise prospect. . Missouri fans should be very excited about where Zollers is in his development process and how well his skillset fits. Eliah Drinkwitzattack plan.
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Tyler Merrill lives up to the hype
Sunday's camp was the first large camp of the offseason. tyler merrill I attended and it couldn't have been better. The top-ranked guard in the 2026 class has good size for an offensive lineman and has the quickness and strength to compete against the best defensive linemen in the country. The 6-foot-5 Pennsylvania native dominated the competition Sunday, playing almost exclusively at left tackle one-on-one. His Merrill was quick with his snaps, patient with his pass sets, and had a powerful punch and strong hands, which he used to redirect defensive linemen. He was only beaten once by an outside pass rusher, but Merrill was as solid as expected the rest of the time.
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Promising underclassman quarterback emerges
Sunday's weather wasn't ideal for quarterbacks, but there were still several juniors at the position who stood out. Semaj Beals and coran mcneil Two quarterbacks in the 2026 class have already received impressive offers at this stage in their careers. Both Beals and McNeil are rated as three-star prospects and have traits and skill sets that are clearly attractive to college coaches. If he shows more consistency and accuracy in tight coverage as a defensive back, he may receive even bigger offers.
Christopher Vargas Class of 2028 and Outlook for 2027 peter burke and carden davis All are very interesting prospects. Vargas, a freshman, is a towering quarterback with a quick release and solid throwing mechanics at this point in his career. Burke and Davis are a little more polished as quarterbacks in 2027. Burk's passes could really cut through the wind on Sunday. Davis arrived early, threw to running backs during one-on-one sessions with linebackers, and played against receivers and defensive backs in later sessions. Wind and rain, as well as varying speeds of his intended targets, made it difficult for him to throw with consistent timing, but with the great tools he has, he's one of the most interesting quarterback prospects in the East. It will be.
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Weather has a big impact on receivers and defensive backs.
Sunday's weather conditions were truly disappointing for players regardless of position, with receivers, defensive backs, and quarterbacks bearing the brunt of the cold, wind, and rain. At no point in the day did the rain fall as hard as during his one-on-one sessions between receivers and defensive backs. It was difficult for the receiver to catch the ball consistently, but the outlook is as follows. lex cyrus, notre dame cathedral dedicated Elijah Burress, messiah hamptonand pennsylvania state university dedicated lyric samuel I was able to stand out. syracuse dedicated Terrell Wilfong, Keanu Johnson, Carter BonnerSyracuse commit Darien Williams, jordan houston and Ohio dedicated Dizzy Jones He also flashed at various points during position drills and one-on-ones.
Some receivers had trouble catching passes in the rain, and many defensive backs lost their footing because of the slippery grass. Despite less than ideal conditions, rutgers dedicated Rennic Drillas, larry moon and Demari Clemons I was able to get a lot of reps. 4 stars jordan thomas, Ohio dedicated deshaun stewart, Terron Johnson and charles bell He had a fair share of wins and showed impressive technical skills during position practice before one-on-one.