UA Future 50: Levenson's takeaways

BRADENTON, Fla. – The Under Armour Future 50 camp played host to 50 of the best prospects in the 2026 class. Players took part in a modified 7-on-7 tournament along with a skills camp featuring position drills and routes on air.

With the camp officially in the books, here are the main takeaways.

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There is no question which quarterback did more for their stock coming out of Future 50 than Greensboro (NC) Grimsley four-star Faizon Brandon. The last time Rivals was able to extensively evaluate Brandon was last August. Since that time, the 6-foot-4 quarterback has added more than 20 pounds of muscle to his frame, now sitting at 197 pounds.

To add to that, the arm talent is elite and the accuracy has been among the best of the group. He is mechanically clean and despite not being tested much with real coverages, the ball placement has been great. Another trait that could vault Brandon into elite status is athleticism that allows him to make accurate throws from a variety of arm slots.

There will still need to be a big look at Brandon later this fall to see how his new look body and skill set match together against live competition. But based on the evaluation this weekend, Brandon is due for a significant rise from his current ranking of No. 134.

There was a quality group of pass catchers at Future 50, but none caught more eyes than wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. and tight end Kendre Harrison. Both prospects are No. 1 at their position, so it came as no surprise to see them atop their specific positional groups. But it is important to note that neither were pushed in drills or competitive play.

There was no 1-on-1 portion of the event, so in drills, routes were only on air and the competitive aspect was a new-style 5-on-5 on a half field, played from mid-field to the sideline. Neither athlete, who both look to stand at least 6-foot-6, were able to truly show off their speed or route running abilities, being limited by the playing format.

In regard to Henry Jr., who is the No. 3 prospect in the 2026 class, we were hoping to get an updated evaluation on his speed at this point in his development. There are not really any concerns about his speed, but at 6-foot-6 and closing in on 200 pounds, what kind of mover is he?

He certainly showed he can get open, which doesn't require much separation with his length and reliable, soft hands, but what is the top end speed? For now, we don't have an exact answer.

With Harrison, his ceiling is as high as he wishes it to be. He is a multi-sport standout, likely to play high level basketball in college to go along with his football career. There is more to his game on the football field than has been tapped into at this point, so getting that out of him is the next step. The format this weekend did not push or test his abilities. Even with that, he is one of the best pass catching prospects in the country.

While we did not get a complete look at their skill sets, they performed exactly how we would expect to in this setting. They were better than those around them and looked to fit their current rankings.

One of the best benefits of Future 50 is the focused evaluation on the top of the rising junior class. It is a great opportunity to see what is currently perceived as the cream of the crop to see how they shape up side by side through drills and competition.

Following this event, there may not be a position likely to see more changes in the rankings than the quarterbacks. As pointed out earlier, Brandon will certainly be a riser among the group. In fact, if he continues his growth and trajectory, there is a discussion to be had in the future if he is the No. 1 quarterback in the 2026 class. Brady Smigiel is currently ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in the country, but has had inconsistent accuracy due to some footwork that needs to be refined. There is no question of his arm strength, which pops, but with his lower half not quite as advanced, a shuffle at the top may be in order.

Jared Curtis, the No. 19 overall prospect and No. 2 pro-style passer, is in attendance, but is not competing as he recovers from a recent hand injury. Accuracy and footwork has also been a critique of top-50 prospect Brady Hart this weekend. Noah Grubbs, the No. 44 overall ranked prospect and No. 4 pro-style passer, has struggled at times this weekend with arm strength, which has led to ball placement and accuracy inconsistency.

Top-100 prospects Dia Bell and Jaden O’Neal showed flashes of some really strong play in both drills and team play.

There were a handful of prospects who competed at Future 50 that do not necessarily have one position set for the future. Two are ranked as “athlete” in the current 2026 rankings in Keisean Henderson and Derrek Cooper, a pair of top-30 prospects.

Henderson, who is committed to Houston as a quarterback, spent his time in Bradenton playing three separate positions. In drill work, Henderson worked out as a quarterback, but in games, he was making plays at both wide receiver and defensive back, reeling in touchdowns and defending passes. His highest upside is as a skill player, but he is set on playing quarterback in college. He is one of the top-ranked athletes in the country, which he proved this weekend, so will he ever lean into those skills at the next level?

Derrek Cooper, who was named MVP of Future 50 by Under Armour, worked out as a running back in positional drills and then was all over the field in games. He was making plays at wide receiver, defensive back, linebacker and even got some handoff, jet sweep type plays in live competition on offense. As of right now, there is no answer as to where he fits in the future. We likely won’t know for quite a while what his best fit will be.

Two more prospects, who are ranked at specific positions will likely see changes in the next update. Jayden Petit is ranked as a wide receiver, but after watching his play style and taking his current measurables of 6-foot-4 and 202 pounds into consideration, he is a better fit as a tight end. He was one of the better performers coming out of the weekend, flashing strong hands, crisp route running and the ability to make plays in traffic.

Another positional change likely to come is J’Zavien Currence, who is under consideration to move from safety to linebacker. He played linebacker primarily in live play this weekend and has a frame to allow more weight that is about 200 pounds right now.

Two defensive backs that had buzz all weekend were four-star Elbert Hill and three-star Victor Singleton, who both come from Ohio. Hill was one of the fastest players at the event and was lock down in coverage all throughout live play. There were very few times he was even tested by opposing quarterbacks, but made plays when he was.

One of the best coverage plays of the weekend came when Hill defended a pass in the end zone intended for five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. Hill, who is ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the country, showed why he is one of the best defensive backs in the 2026 class.

Singleton was a player who had a few more plays to his name with several big pass deflections, certainly outplaying his current three-star status. He is a player that will continue to see his stock rise as his junior season is underway this fall.

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