NextGen targets middle schools
The 2015 National Signing Day has come and gone, and the elite college football programs have shifted their focus to the classes of 2016 and 2017. Shortly after the ink was dry on this year's National Letters of Intent, coaches started looking to secure early commitments of rising seniors and juniors.
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Coaches recognize that getting off to a good start can create early momentum that will help build a top-ranked recruiting class. USC sprinted to the finish line and surpassed Alabama for the first time in years by closing out four five-star prospects over the last two days, three of whom (Iman Marshall, John Houston and Rasheem Green) that have been on the radar for years.
So what are programs doing to catch up with USC and Alabama's recruiting success? They are trying to beat them to the punch. They are identifying prospects earlier (and earlier) with the hopes of developing strong long-term relationships -- so that when it comes time to commit, they will choose their program, because they feel more comfortable.
Several years ago, USC accepted a commitment from seventh grade QB David Sills. More recently, North Carolina extended an offer to WR prospect Blake Hinson. Currently there are double-digit middle school prospects with Division 1 scholarship offers, a huge increase from previous years.
NextGen All-America Showcase Camps are designed to provide exposure for the country's top Middle School football players.
NextGen will host 12 Showcase events this year scouting more than 5,000 middle school athletes to find those future five-stars.
Middle schooler's are different. Some have not started puberty, some are in the midst of developing, and some kids have full beards. We have all seen incredible athletes in youth football that are merely average as they get to high school, while some kids are just growing into their bodies -- becoming high school studs and college all-stars.
Kids must be recommended by a reputable source in order to participate in a NextGen Showcase or submit video that is evaluated by the NextGen staff. Our staff will comb through a few hundred videos, and boom, someone will jump off the screen.
Owen Pappoe from Georgia, and Bryn Tucker from Tennessee have stood out on film. Eighth grader Pappoe is an incredible athlete. He's 6-1 190 pounds, and he plays wide receiver, defensive end, linebacker and cornerback. He's a unique talent, because you don't know how big he's going to get. He's already the size and speed of a college receiver or DB, but he may turn into a defensive end or linebacker. He still has a baby face, and looks like he's got a lot of room to grow.
Tucker is a 6-foot-3, 265-pound seventh grade offensive and defensive lineman. Linemen are always interesting at this age, because you wonder if they can move. In addition to his size, this kid has great feet.
NetGen started #TheSearch to find players like this. In partnership with Rivals, this will provide these types of prospects great exposure.
NextGen is careful with how it describes the athletes. The last thing we want to do is to stunt a player's development by telling him he's already made it, or he's a five-star. We call them future five-stars, because we know they have a long way to go. They have to continue working hard to become five-stars.
Both of these young men are already receiving feelers from colleges. Pappoe visited Tennessee and will visit Ohio State this spring while Tucker has taken trips to Florida and Middle Tennessee.
These are the types of athletes that will compete at NextGen Showcases across the country. More importantly -- they are the types of prospects colleges are looking to develop early relationships with.
Brent Williams is the founder of NextGen and a former NFL defensive end.
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