Friedman's Takeaways: Imhotep Showcase

Imhotep Institute Charter School in Philadelphia, Pa. is a regular stop for college football programs from around the country. They've had players go on to play in every Power Five conference and at schools coast to coast. Imhotep's Spring Showcase was on Wednesday and dozens of college coaches were there checking in on the big time prospects and the up-and-coming stars.

National recruiting analyst Adam Friedman was also on hand and delivers his observations below.

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Zahir Mathis showed why he’s one of the highest ranked players in his class during the workout on Wednesday. He has an impressive combination of quickness, length and an aggressive playing style that makes him difficult to contain. Having seen Mathis play in multiple games, his playing strength is obvious, but he’s so lean right now and needs to bulk up before he can really take the next step as a prospect. He has the athleticism to stand up and play in space, but he will likely end up having his hand on the ground primarily. Mathis is going to add a significant amount of weight to his frame once he gets into college strength and conditioning program.

Of the three power five commits on the field, Pittsburgh defensive line commit Jahsear Whittington looks the most underrated. He’s gotten a little bit bigger, carries very little bad way, and still plays with great quickness and strength. The Panthers just had Calijah Kancey go in the first round of the NFL Draft and they are getting another player with the similar skill set in Whittington.

Penn State defensive back commit Kenny Woseley looks like he’s been putting in some work in the weight room this offseason. He doesn’t look overweight but he looks a bit bulkier than he was this time last year and that should help him be more prepared to contribute at the next level.

The same can be said of Georgia 2025 Rivals250 running back commit Jabree Coleman. A big, bruising ball carrier, Coleman has grown about an inch and lost a few pounds. During the workout on Wednesday, he showed of his abilities as a receiver out of the backfield.

Imhotep has two freshmen that every school in the country is going to want to take a closer look at. The first one is 6-foot-6 offensive lineman Jesse Moody. He is a massive prospect who carries surprisingly little extra weight for a player his age. Moody moves incredibly well for a player his age and size. He'll develop physically over the next few years and, if all goes as planned, should become a very popular prospect.

Zykee Scott, a class of 2027 prospect, is already a taller and long linebacker for his age but it was his agility in the open field and short area quickness that helped him land his first offer from Penn State this week. He's going to see a lot of playing time this year and he should end up one of the more heavily recruited prospects in the area.

Class of 2026 running back Sy'eer Coleman is another big time running back with the size to run over most defenders and speed to outrun most of them. He'll be a fun recruit to track over the next few years.

Saimire Locks should be on every Power Five recruiting board right now. The 2025 prospect is about to begin his first year at Imhotep but already looks like a seasoned veteran. He is about 6-foot-1 and plays much stronger than his 170-pound could indicate. Locks can cover a ton of ground and seems to have solid footwork. IT will be great to watch him more closely throughout the rest of the offseason.

The Philadelphia (Pa.) Imhotep Institute Charter School has been churning out Power Five prospects for years and many of them were on the sidelines on Wednesday to support the next group of college football recruits.

It's not often so many of those famous alumni and other NFL and college stars from Philadelphia come back to the city to help the rising football prospects but they do for the Wiz and Wave Philly Football Day.

"Coach Wiz and Coach Wave were household legends in the area who used to coach youth football," said Cyril Woodward, as assistant coach at Imhotep and co-founder of the Wiz and Wave Philly Football Day. "They passed away a few years ago so I wanted to honor them by throwing something for the city. We came up with the idea to have a day where we have some of the guys from the city who are professionals or in college come back to the city host a free camp where we give away free food and back to school supplies."

A lot of current and former Imhotep star prospects played for Coach Wiz or Coach Wave. The camp takes on a higher meaning for Imhotep's Jahseer Whittington, a defensive lineman committed to Pittsburgh.

"Losing them was a very big deal. If you played Philly youth football, you knew who they were. Some of the young guys coming up now maybe weren't coached by them but they knew who they were. Wave was my uncle and I lost him my freshman year. He was the greatest guy you could ask for. He would bring the energy but he was a great coach who kept me disciplined and my mind on the prize.

"Being a part of the camp before coming to Imhotep was a great experience. That's what made me choose Imhotep as my school. They're known as a family around the community and you can see that out here today. We have a lot of alumni watching today and came back because we're a family. When I leave here the young guys will be able to text me and I'll give them advice just like the older guys did for me."

Along with Whittington, the list of expected volunteers for Wiz and Wave Philly Football Day include D'Andre Swift, Sharif Floyd, Christian Barmore, Kyle Pitts, and many others.