Brandon Chatmon, LB Imhotep Charter HS

By, Matt Alkire

 

 

Three years ago at the New Level Athletics 7-on-7 passing tournament tryouts there were over 300 players in Conshohocken, Pa., jockeying for a spot on the prestigious Pennsylvania team. Players from all over Philadelphia, Montgomery, Chester, Berks, Bucks and Lancaster Counties were in attendance. While I was watching some of the nation’s best perform, young players were standing out to me above the 300. Players like David Williams, Justin Moody and Brandon Chatmon were just babies then, but they made their presence known.

 

By the end of the tryout, I had identified those three as my top players for the future of Philadelphia Football. Williams has since picked up over 40 offers and will make his commitment soon and Moody will also make an FBS selection. Chatmon was electric that day wearing the number 187 on his back. It was quite fitting given that any quarterback that threw near the linebacker had his passes picked off or knocked away. Chatmon showed great coverage awareness, nimble feet and great hands for a defensive player. Fast forward to 2012 however and his recruiting picture is not the same as the other two athletes.

 

Brandon Chatmon had a fine tenure at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield, Pa., under legendary coach Dan Algeo and continued his ways in the coverage game. When scouting Florida commitment Skyler Mornhinweg at quarterback, I watched Chatmon read and knock down five of the passes he threw in that game alone, only dropping some of them due to wet weather. You see, Chatmon has always been a complete linebacker however at O’Hara he was heralded for his coverage ability. He was new to the middle linebacker position and learning his keys for Coach Dan Algeo against the run having been used to playing on the outside.

 

During his junior season Chatmon was offered a scholarship by the University of Pittsburgh under Head Coach Todd Graham. His stock was rising quickly and the 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker was soon to be on the same path as Justin Moody. However his grades suddenly dropped and Todd Graham left Pittsburgh. Shortly after leaving O’Hara, Chatmon also found out he would not retain his offer to Pitt under the new regime there.

Between the changing of schools, the loss of an offer and a drop in grades – Chatmon was flung from the recruiting slalom that everyone else at his level was riding.

 

 

After careful consideration, his father Kalvin chose to send him to Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia, a school known for discipline, academic excellence and honor.

“Academically at O’Hara I let an offer from Pittsburgh go to my mind to be completely honest,” Chatmon stated. “When I saw my grades it was shocking. It just humbled me and put me back in my place. Looking back I was walking around with this mindset that I had it made and I know now that I was being naïve. Then colleges would come by and want to offer, but flat out told me they couldn’t because of my grades. I put myself in a bad situation.”

 

“The move to Imhotep didn’t really change a lot because my mindset had already gotten put in the right place, but there are a lot of players that are like-minded there and care about their future,” Chatmon said. “My first quarter at Imhotep I was immediately putting up Bs across the boards and the coaches were still on me to get better. We have mandatory study halls two hours before everyone else in school has to be there every single day and the coaches are on me every single day. Don’t get me wrong, Coach (Dan) Algeo did the same thing, but I just wasn’t listening back then. I’ve just grown to understand and appreciate the importance of things now.”

 

For the record, Chatmon now carries a 2.7 core GPA and his SAT score has risen to a 980. By the end of the school year his core GPA could certainly rise above a 3.0 again as it once was.

This was never a matter of a young man not being able to do the work, but one that simply let some early success in recruiting go to his head. Unfortunately, such is the case with schools offering sophomores.

Chatmon did switch from middle linebacker to strong side linebacker at Imhotep as well this season and his game certainly improved. He improved on many things this season including tackling through the ball and reading keys before the play, becoming a more instinctual player off the edge. This was most evident when teams started to quickly run the ball away from him after the first few games of the season for Imhotep.

 

The Panthers had an excellent season as a team, coasting through the Philadelphia Public League like a hot knife through butter. With Chatmon as a team captain, the defense gave up only 43 points in ten regular season games. Most of those games were blowouts, so many of those points were put up against backups as well.

 

“I felt so much better playing on the outside because that’s where I’ve always been taught to play and where my skill set fits,” Chatmon explained. “It gave me the ability to play within the system, read the play and do things like intercept passes, break up passes and play like a safety like everyone always says I play like (writer’s note: that is his reputation). The other thing I did was played the run much better this year and was able to make some plays hitting people. My defensive line was great and I give them a ton of credit. I worked out with Tra Thomas (Philadelphia Eagles) in the offseason a lot and that helped me a lot with my read and react skills as a senior.”

 

Chatmon did make drastic improvement this season and when he gets into college with a solid linebackers’ coach, he really has a ton of upside.

 

As for Imhotep, they made a State Championship run this season which was halted just this past weekend by the Wyomissing Spartans in the Final Four. The season ended at 14-1 for the Panthers, but it was still a great accomplishment as Philadelphia Public League schools do not represent the city in the state playoffs often.

 

“It was just a really exciting season and I’ve never played for anything as big as a state championship in my entire life. We got to go out all over the state and play under lights in big atmospheres and I loved it. I’ll never forget this year for my entire life. Just going out every week with guys like Dave Williams and the rest of my guys on this team was the best time of my life. If I could go back in time and redo training camp and the whole thing over and over again I would. It was awesome.”

 

 

Next up is recruiting for Chatmon where he’s getting interest from both FBS and I-AA schools at this point. It’s a bit of a mix for the young man and this time around he’s more focused on getting it right.

“Right now I’m just looking for a home basically,” Chatmon offered. “Somewhere that I can thrive academically and also form a new family with. I want to find a school where I know I fit in with the people there as well as they do with me. A lot of kids go out looking for that winning football program or top-shelf school and I know wherever I go I’m going to help that team win, so that’s secondary right now. I just want to find a new home. Then I’ll focus on winning football games.”

 

This time around Chatmon will be looking around in the right state of mind and what once could have been Pittsburgh’s gain will be another school’s.

 

As a senior, Chatmon had 73 tackles, 10 pass breakups, six sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one defensive touchdown.

 

 

 

Running Up Hill: Tim Foster, LB Pleasant Grove HS Class of 2015

 

 

By, Matt Alkire 

When you first flip on film of Pleasant Grove High School’s defense, Tim Foster is an easy player to spot. The general response from anyone who is familiar with the 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore linebacker would tell me that I’m writing the obvious, but in fact I’m not. As talented and physically imposing as Foster is, Pleasant Grove doesn’t make him easy to find.

Their defensive scheme consists of plenty of different looks. First you’ll see the young player lining up as a MIKE in their 4-3, however he’ll move to SAM as well and rush off the edge. They will also stem a linebacker into the nines for a 5-2 look where Foster is impressive at both MIKE and SAM. When they switch to a 3-4, you can him at five-tech taking up double teams. He’s also a force to be reckoned with off the edge in the four-man front. In other words, finding Foster can be tricky and when you combine that versatility with his talent you have the ingredients to drive the opposing coordinator nightmares.

 

For the Pleasant Grove, Ga., native it has become normal however.

“It was difficult at first to know all of my responsibilities in each scheme, but because I started my freshman year I caught onto everything quickly with the help of some senior leaders on the team,” Foster said. “I really enjoy playing SAM and defensive end the most. Playing at SAM you just get more contact and getting to make plays and at end I thrive with that competition. You go up against those big, talented big boys and I love that. That’s where I feel you’ll see the best come out in me. For example, when I went against the best offensive tackle in the state I had three sacks, two forced turnovers and three pass deflections. I just get up for those games.”

“When you get into those games you have to know what the task ahead of you is and attack it, but at the same time you have to realize it’s a team sport. The task is to take care of your house and have the rest of your team do the same.”

 

As a senior, Foster had 65 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, four interceptions, eight forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was named first-team All-County for his exemplary play for the Spartans. 

Pleasant Grove High School went 7-3 this season and lost in the first round of the playoffs, but Foster certainly didn’t go down without a fight. Going up against Pinson Valley who is a loaded squad the versatile linebacker had an outstanding game.

“They had a wide receiver that is going to Auburn (Earnest Robinson), a linebacker Zach Cunningham (Alabama offer, among many others) and a running back in Nick Gibson who is talking to Nick Saban (and has a Mississippi State offer as a junior),” Foster explained. “I actually made Gibson fumble in the 4^th quarter with five minutes to go which gave us momentum, but our offense couldn’t score. They came back on the field and we stopped them dead at the goal line again. When our offense got the ball back they couldn’t score again. Finally, Earnest got in the end zone and we lost by six points. I ended up with five tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles in the game.”

 

This offseason, Foster plans on really improving certain parts of his game more than others.

“I’ll be working on my speed, opening up my hips and doing a lot of lifting obviously,” Foster stated. “My coach told me I really don’t need to get bigger, but it’s about core strength and becoming a more athletic player over the offseason. I just get out of the house every day and work out on my own too, making sure I get fruit and water in me to stay healthy.”

Frankly after watching his sophomore highlights, I feel Foster is definitely on the right track here.

 

View Tim Foster's Sophomore Highlight Film

Right now his pad level and overall body control – starting at the hips - are areas where he has the most room for improvement. At the linebacker position you have to play low and Foster does tend to come high, therefore on all plays he doesn’t change direction very fluidly. However, when he does come into the backfield with a low center of gravity, he will flip and dip to make really nice plays. Simply put, it’s not a matter of him not having the athleticism but simply repetition and muscle memory. He needs to keep low and work on his explosion.

Foster may not be an extremely instinctual linebacker at this point, but not all linebackers are. He does read and react very well which is simply different. I see sound tackling for the most part, very physical play against linemen and the ability to shed and move on the ball in one motion. Foster is aware of what is happening around him. He is very stout. The added dimension he brings as a pass rusher is also impressive.

What remains to be seen is how much he continues to grow. He could end up as a 3-4 outside ‘backer or defensive end.

The rest of his family wasn’t bad in the area of sport either.

His father, Tim Foster Sr., played baseball for Jackson State University in college. His uncle was also a running back for Tennessee State and spent time in training camp for the Cleveland Browns. He hopes to follow in his uncle’s footsteps for football while his father wants him in baseball.

 

Foster is very set on what he wants to do.

“I’ve always loved football so much more. The first time I held a football it was just special. I had two older brothers that were great at the sport and they worked with me and teach me how to run routes starting at four years old. We were just out in the back yard when I was a little kid, getting taught how to run my post routes the right way. My brothers played wide receiver and running back, but they didn’t want to play in college and pursued higher education exclusively.”

Both his mother and his father have given him sage advice.

“My father has always taught me that football is always going to be there, but it’s the impact that you leave on your life and on football,” Foster told us. “On the other hand, every day before I leave the house my mother tells me that we all make choices but at the end, our choices make us.”

Foster and his older brother have a bit of a training ritual that they do on a regular basis. It was one that seemed quite fitting for what his mother tells him every day.

“My brother takes me to my grandmother’s house where there is a huge hill I run up all the time,” Foster offered. “This thing is huge. I mean it takes literally two or three minutes to get to the top sprinting at full speed, so when you get there, you’re just done. The one thing is, when you get to the top you’re overlooking the entire city and look back and see the bottom of that hill. It’s sweet. You’re on top of the world for a minute and you made it, just like life.”

So, every day Tim Foster follows his mother’s advice making the choice to run up those hills, both literally and figuratively.

 

 

 

Stronger than Yesterday, Weaker than Tomorrow: Dillon Tighe, WR Arundel High School

 

By, Matt Alkire

Like many receivers, Arundel High School product Dillon Tighe has learned that it’s about more than just speed and having good hands. To even continue pushing the envelope and being amongst the best at your position you must not only sacrifice your body, but play and practice with your soul on the line as well. At Arundel, being a starting receiver has become more of a right of passage over the years than a simple changing of the guards as it would be at other schools.

This is most likely why the 6-foot, 185-pounder has lived by the phrase “stronger than yesterday, weaker than tomorrow” throughout his career. Tighe spoke about what those words have meant to him while playing for the Wildcats. 

“It’s a saying me and my buddies Romeo Harris that graduated last year had together,” Tighe said. “Essentially, we understood every day is another chance is to get better than the day before, but at the same time if we didn’t keep working harder the next day we were accomplishing nothing. That’s really the way I’ve approached my career as I’ve always felt like an underrated player that gets overlooked. In a way, I’m always proving to myself and others that I can play at a very high level.”

Tighe is from a high school that demands elite performance. The Wildcat offense pretty much re-writes the record books at will when it comes to passing in the State of Maryland. Alec Lemon – who will enter the NFL Draft this year – still holds the state receiving yards record. R.J. Harris attended New Hampshire and holds the state record in receiving touchdowns. Former Arundel quarterback Billy Cosh (Houston) held the state passing yardage record until it was broken just this year.

 

So playing with a chip on your shoulder isn’t taboo or frowned upon, it’s necessary and encouraged. Arundel is a team of aerial assassins who leave teams decimated in their wake. Tighe is just another outstanding receiver in their stable of college bound athletes.

“When you walk onto the team after players like R.J. and Alec you do have a ton of pressure to put up big numbers, but at the same time we’re all so different in our own way and it is about team success in the end,” Tighe stated. “We definitely put our receivers in positions to be very successful and exploit defenses. I’ve always been the guy to work the slot and outside and really find holes to move the chains and make plays with the ball in my hands. My teammate Tyler Young is our speed guy on the outside that we go to for big plays. Everyone has their job in our offense and that’s what it’s all about.”

When you watch Tighe in action, you can see a lot of positives in his game. Perhaps the most impressive thing about him is his hands. Tighe catches the ball away from his body, can handle high velocity passes and also corrals passes one-handed when needed. Arundel uses him mostly in the slot to create mismatches and he is a complete mismatch for opponents both in man and zone coverage. He does a very good job of reading a zone and hitting soft spots and sells his routes well, breaking off his stem late and forcing corners to flip their hips so he can simply whisk by them. When he gets the ball in his hands he also does a nice job of making people miss in the open field, however because he is such a good route runner right now he doesn’t need to do that too much at this point.

 

View Dillon Tighe's Senior Highlight Film - Click Here

 

As for things to work on, Tighe could use a college training regiment. He needs to add muscle mass – especially in the lower body. That will help him become more explosive off the line and increase his top end speed. He could play inside or outside at the next level, but either way I’d like to see him become a more sudden athlete in every way.

After watching Ryan Burbrink work the slot at DeMatha High School years ago and go to Bowling Green where he’s been successful, Tighe is different, but offers the same type of weapon. 

Upper Hand asked him what he thinks his best qualities are as a receiver. At the same time, we looked for him to be critical of himself in what he could work on.

“I think I’m a very good route-runner that has great hands,” Tighe offered. “I’ve worked on my route-running for years and also take pride in my football intelligence in terms of reading what’s out there in coverage and reading where I might find a soft spot to sit. Another thing I do think I do a pretty good job at is making people miss with the ball in my hands after the catch with my ability to change directions quickly.”

“One thing I could definitely work on is trying not to make too much out of a play when I get the ball in my hands in the open field. I have a tendency to try and do too much at times. Getting in and out of my routes quicker and off the line with more burst is something that I want to work on as well. I’ve never been in a position to have to go up and get the ball before, so I definitely need to work on jump ball situations as well too.”

Frankly, not far off of our assessment as far as this young man is concerned.

 

 

Tighe has had a number of schools check in on him so far. He camped at Massachusetts, Penn State, Maryland and James Madison – among others. He has been receiving a good amount of attention from schools at the Division I-A and I-AA levels with quite a bit coming from the Patriot League because of his outstanding grades (4.19 core GPA, 1450 SAT).

He’s pretty specific in what he’s looking to do when he gets to school.

“While I’m undecided, I guess I am decided as I’d like to go into either Kinesiology or Political Science,” Tighe explained. “If I went the path of Kinesiology I’d like to be a trainer at the college level and with Political Science it leaves me so many paths in terms of both public and private sector work that I could do. Government really fascinates me.”

“In terms of the type of school, I’m not particular but I guess it would be nice to be closer to home. I’m not picky about weather or smaller things like that. It’s just about finding an atmosphere that feels like a second family to me really. I look for the type of coaches that can be somewhat of a father figure and that will talk to you and care about things other than just football.”

The prolific pass catcher has a pretty simple wish list actually – he broke it down for us.

“I just want an opportunity to prove myself at the next level. It really goes back to being felt a little overlooked, so I have that drive to get to the college level and keep driving every day to get better and prove myself every day by helping my future teammates.”

As a senior, Tighe hauled in 51 passes for 680 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also averaged 37.5 yards per kick return.

Mayhem Off The Edge: Tristin Freeman, LB Valley Forge Military Academy

By, Matt Alkire

Tristin Freeman was always a player that stood out in high school, but he absolutely exploded onto the scene on the biggest stage during his junior season – the state championship game. West Catholic was playing South Fayette led by highly touted signal caller and future Division I player Christian Brumbaugh and Freeman played a game for the ages.

Ask anyone who watched the 2010 Class AA showdown between West Catholic and South Fayette and simply mention No. 49 on the blue squad. Words like relentless, terrorizing and unstoppable will be thrown around. Freeman may as well have been a Greek God for those four quarters. He absolutely abused Fayette’s line, he pancaked their backs in pass protection and he sent Brumbaugh running for his life and forced so many errant throws that you started to feel sorry for the boys in green and white. It was truly one of the most dominant one man performances you’ll ever see in a high school game and while the Burrs rolled 50-14 to a championship, Freeman burnt his name into every recruiter’s brain that got that film or was at the game.

The hybrid pass rusher also brought home West’s first state championship ever.

 

“Words can’t even describe it because ever since I touched a football that was one of my goals,” Freeman mentioned. “I remember sitting there at the end of the game being on my knees crying I was so happy. It was just surreal. One of the biggest reasons I went to West was because I saw them play in the 2008 State Championship game and to get done what they fell a little bit short of felt great.”

Freeman ended his prolific high school career with offers from Army, Navy, Buffalo and VMI. His plan was to sign a letter of intent with the Naval Academy in February of 2011, but late in the game he found that his grades were not high enough. The 3.1 GPA he had been proud of only translated to a 2.5 core and his SAT was too low.

At that point, he scrambled to find a prep school.

“I didn’t know that I needed a 900 on my SAT to get into Navy until too late coming up to signing day, so I was unable to attend the academy,” Freeman said. “I obviously started to panic at that point and was just looking for a place to go so I could get my scores up because I realized that was the most important part of the process at that point.”

Freeman ended up at Valley Forge Military Academy, a program that has undergone many coaching changes over the past three years.

“When they approached me they had hired a coach who quit two weeks later, then hired another who just didn’t show up and finally the defensive coordinator Josh Sands was given the position,” Freeman explained. “I didn’t really worry about it because I had a school to go to and the coach isn’t why you go there, but obviously building a relationship with someone I didn’t know was new.”

Playing in a new scheme was also different. West Catholic mostly ran a 3-4 with Freeman mostly playing inside linebacker or a hybrid outside ‘backer/defensive end. In their 4-3 set, he always had his hand on the ground. At Valley Forge, the Trojans ran a complicated 3-5-3. Then toward the middle of the season, they switched to a 4-3 with stand-up defensive ends, showing more of a 2-5 look.

 

This is where Freeman really had to adjust, study the playbook and remain effective. He did just that, finishing his season with 85 tackles, seven sacks, eight pass deflections and a fumble recovery on defense while playing outside linebacker.

“It was definitely challenging at first, but I picked up on the concepts quicker than most, so I was able to help my teammates pretty quickly and help the unit get up to speed,” Freeman stated. “The rush linebacker position really put me back where I was in high school which is very natural for me, so I thought I fit best there.”

 

View Tristin Freeman's Highlight Film

That is one thing about Freeman, while his 5-foot-11, 235-pound frame scare some coaches away period, he is a deceivingly good pass rusher off the edge, especially in a 3-4 as an outside linebacker. He also keeps a very low base, levels off well and is a terror off the tackles. As ridiculous as it is to compare a high school player to an NFL talent, his skill set isn’t far off from that of Elvis Dumerville. We’re obviously not comparing the two players, but Freeman certainly could put on an extra 20 pounds of muscle and that has been the first name that has come to mind – especially from having scouted him from his days playing for Louisville alongside Amobi Okoye and Montavious Stanley. He is short, but could definitely put his hand on the ground at the collegiate level and play defensive end for teams looking for a fierce pass rusher.

The North Philadelphia native also got a chance on offense at running back this season where he put up an impressive 520 yards and four touchdowns on only 95 carries, showing some extra athleticism. While he won’t play offense in college, putting up that production at a pretty elite prep school level is impressive in itself.

Freeman did talk about what he is looking for in a school this time around. He also now has an SAT score of 860 and is awaiting results of his third attempt which he thinks will improve on that.

“I want to go somewhere that I know I fit into, get a very solid education and that has great coaches,” Freeman offered. “Obviously I want to be put in a position to be very successful and help my team win games immediately as well.”

“Sports Management is a major I’d like to pursue, so an institution that offers that is definitely what I’m looking for,” Freeman added. “I have so many things that intrigue me for life after college and they just all come back to the game I love, so if that means being a scout, an agent or coming back to coaching that’s fine.”

Over his final two seasons for the West Catholic Burrs, Freeman registered 145 tackles, 60 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, 13 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and intercepted two passes. He also returned one of the fumbles for a touchdown.

 

 

 

Will Weathers: QB/ATH Brook Hill HS

By, Matt Alkire

Many communities around the country greet the arrival of high school football season with a certain level of excitement and expectations that would be deemed typical. Parents and fans filter into the stands each weekend hoping for their team to garner a respectable record, win most of their games and in some cases – approach greater accomplishments like state playoffs. Then you have the elite, the uber programs. Programs like The Brook Hill School where winning playoff games is expected and everyone simply wakes up for the state championship game. These places are the ultimate pressure cookers, the true Mecca of high school football. Quarterback Will Weathers transferred into this atmosphere going into his junior season, one he’ll never forget.

Call it fate, baptism by fire or simply the weight of an entire town on a young man’s shoulders but Weathers quickly found himself the starting quarterback for Head Coach Terry Pirtle in 2011. No added pressure for the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder by the way, but his school had just been to the state championship two years before and made appearances there as regularly as I skip the salad bar at an all you can eat buffet.

Weathers however did not bow to the pressure.

“Our school had been to the state championship two years before I transferred there, but they just never won the whole thing,” Weathers stated. “We had just always been a program that was consistently outstanding and was used to being in that spot. Brook Hill is a small school so I got to know everyone and built bonds really quickly. I then found out that I was going to be the starting quarterback over our coach’s son Travis Pirtle who was going to play the slot instead. All of the sudden Travis started helping me get up to speed with the offense which I thought was just really cool of him to do and the seniors really took me in and helped me too. Still, there was a ton of pressure and expectation to get the job done.”

 

That season was a bit of a blur for Weathers. He threw for 1255 yards and 17 touchdowns without any interceptions while also picking up 1,000 yards with his feet along the way. The dual-threat prospect did what he was supposed to do, lead Brook Hill to a state championship bid. Austin Regents remained the monolith in their way to the record books.

“Throughout the playoffs we knew that Regents was the team we were going to meet in the championship, so we had been preparing for them each week along with the team we were playing at that time,” Weathers said. “Our entire team was very focused and ready for Regents ahead of time as we had been putting in different packages specifically focused for that game ahead of time to be completely prepared.”

Still, no amount of preparation takes away the nerves of that experience. Anyone who has ever been on that stage does know however, there can be defining moments in contest that turn the tide and almost give a player that centering kick to the head they need. It settles you down. Everything slows and becomes reality. Will Weathers remembers one of his moments very well.

“Obviously you’re nervous about a state championship game, but we were also ready to just go out there and put all of that hard work on the field,” Weathers explained. “We had a great running back and our slot receiver/corner (Travis Pirtle who had played outstanding all season) couldn’t play, so we had a freshman out there. Obviously, having a freshman starting in the championship game made it uneasy.”

“Our game plan was really to run to the weak side of the field and really let our horse carry the ball as my running back was terrific. I just remember a huge 3^rd down play we had, it was 3^rd and 13. They had this big ole’ nose guard that was immovable all day and our center isn’t the biggest guy, but we called a quarterback draw and he side-stepped him and made a nice lane for me. I ran right off his block and got a first down that set us up for a touchdown. That score really swung the momentum for us in a big way. Then two of the other plays had nothing to do with me, but it was great as the freshman that had to step in for Travis at corner picked off their quarterback twice in the red zone. We just made big plays when it mattered.”

 

The result – Brook Hill School – State Champions…

 

 

The 2012 season was a year of adversity and tribulation after losing 18 starters from their championship squad. Brook Hill School finished up 6-4, but Weathers says that he learned just as much from this year as he did the success of 2011.

“I just tried to encourage our young guys because we had a ton of sophomores starting for the team,” Weathers offered. “The path I took was to really lead them by example. Last year the team was really counting on me to make big plays and this year I had to really guide and teach the younger players even during games in a lot of situations. A lot of people might get frustrated with that, but you’re going to have adversity in football just like you do in life. The point is to adapt and do what you have to do to win, so I accepted my role. It’s always fun to play football, but to have them working so hard because they saw me working that way was definitely inspiring and showed me something new in myself I didn’t know I had before because I was used to playing with older players.”

Speaking of encouraging signs, Weathers is seeing some in recruiting right now. Schools like Abilene Christian, Air Force, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Midwestern State and Harding are hot on his trail.

 

Watch Will Weathers' Highlight Film

Looking at his film, there is a lot to like about the signal caller and also some things he’ll need to work on at the next level. He was a tough one to evaluate as often times you could see that he did deal with dropped passes on a regular basis.

Weathers best two qualities in terms of what he does on the field come down to athleticism and accuracy. In today’s college football environment where the spread offense has become so popular, his ability to get rid of the ball quickly and accurately and also make teams pay with his feet is very attractive.

He does not display a cannon for an arm, but frankly that looks to have more to do with a lack of proper mechanics than strength. Case in point, when he’s throwing on the run and does have to put his lower body into a throw – he fires the ball. Standing in the pocket he is often straight-legged and upright. That can be coached out very quickly. Having a feel for where the ball needs to be placed so that his receivers can turn up field and gain yards after the catch cannot be taught quickly however.

As a runner, he is not just a “scrambling quarterback”, but actually exhibits very good vision and instincts in the hole and open field. You see a bit of tailback in Weathers. Also, the young man is very tough with the ball in his hands. Most quarterbacks will slide or run out of bounds however Weathers regularly uses a stiff arm or drops his shoulders.

 

 

While his first choice at the next level and coach’s first choice will most certainly be at quarterback, my opinion is that he brings added value as a scholarship player in one big way. He could eventually be a quarterback, running back, receiver or safety for a program as a scholar-athlete. Not many players bring that athletic combination to the field.

 

As for Weather’s thoughts, he’s open to that change if it needs to happen as well.

 

“I prefer to play quarterback, but if I had to move somewhere else on the field to help my team I’d do that. I think I’m best with the ball in my hands and have played running back before and done it well, so I could play there at the next level. Tight end is another place I’d feel comfortable.”

A student who is brilliant at mathematics, Weathers says a future in Engineering could be in the cards in college. He scored a 1700 on his SAT and has a 3.4 GPA. We asked him what he’s looking for in a college or university.

“I’m not necessarily looking for a huge university because I don’t want to be another face in the crowd,” Weathers explained. “I am looking for a school where football is very important to the town and student body and gets a ton of support. Also, I want to go somewhere that is very well respected academically. As far as a coaching staff, I look for people who want to make me better not only as an athlete, but as a student and a man as well. I love competitive coaches and look for someone I can respect.”

At the end of my conversation with Weathers, I jokingly asked him if there was anything else people needed to know about him. His hobbies, whether or not he liked to take long walks on the beach – the usual puff piece material which I wouldn’t write even if he did give me. As it turned out he finished my job for me with quote of seven simple, but serious words.

“You don’t want to play against me.”

 

 

 

Beyond His Years: Sonny Abramson, Class of 2016 Quarterback

By, Matt Alkire

 

As I begin to write this article I realize the hypocrisy of what I’m about to embark on as my reputation has always been that of a scout brutal on quarterbacks. Hyperbole has never been an issue. In fact, finding a signal caller heavily touted to stand behind has never been something I could do. It’s always been the steely-eyed underdog with great pocket presence or toughness that his team rallies around that I am fond of. So, as I go into interviewing and talking about ninth grader Sonny Abramson I’m discovering new territory – the first pocket jockey I’m all in on.

I first came across film of Abramson in the 6^th grade – that’s right – middle school. My initial thought when his father sent the film to me was what I was supposed to with it. In this day and age where I’ve seen a player like David Sills commit to Southern Cal as a 7^th grader I simply don’t understand hyper-advanced recruiting. Players at that age all look like they should be having sleepovers and trading baseball cards, lanky and uncoordinated, the way 99.9-percent of us were. Sonny was different though. He had an air about him in the pocket and a gun for an arm relative to his age. I kept my ears perked.

The next year I got another clip from Neal Abramson and this one was special. Included in it was Sonny hitting a receiver on a crossing pattern that literally drove him back a few yards and into the ground. It was comedic and at the same time eye-opening. Should I give into the new trend of early scouting? I came to the conclusion that in this case I needed to make an exception. I had worked many youth camps as a volunteer and seen players at his age that played in national all-star games that weren’t near the level I was seeing on film. What was more; his father Neal wasn’t pushing an agenda. He just wanted an opinion on his son, no publicity or fanfare.

 

View Sonny Abramson's Freshman Highlight Film

There were no $25,000 weekends at passing camps for Sonny, no specialized diets (other than some wickedly good energy balls the family makes) and the Abramson family wasn’t looking to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids. In fact, they wouldn’t even make his highlights public. There was providence in what they were doing and it was for all the right reasons, something you don’t always see in today’s crazy world of recruiting.

Fast forward to this year at Pope John XXIII in Sparta, N.J., and you have what I see now - the best freshman quarterback I have ever seen in my life – on film or in person. You can trust when I say there was some pretty stiff competition before him, especially one in particular who blew me away years ago.

While I love Abramson’s arm, accuracy, mobility and all other physical attributes – it’s his mental attributes that blow me away the most. His pocket presence, poise and football IQ are off the charts. To watch the freshman walk under center, adjust line calls, routes and alter the offense on the fly is the thing of beauty. He gets the ball in his hands and processes information on the field as well as any high school quarterback I’ve ever seen, even at the senior level. Safeties are diving the wrong way, linebackers are tripping over their feet in backpedal and corners are biting on pump fakes like it’s their job. Then you see a beautiful, frozen rope pass.

Sure, he could get quicker in his delivery. He doesn’t use his lower body as much as I’d like on his deep ball and therefore shot puts it a bit, but when a 14-year old can lay in it the basket from 55 yards out I’m good to go. Tweaks can be taught, inherent intelligence and poise cannot. I guess the best way I can express my feelings about those issues is that I’d prefer my Lamborghini in silver, but if you give me a red one I suppose I could live with it.

An FBS-level coach who is taking a break for the season actually spoke with us after watching the young phenom’s film recently. He thought very highly of Abramson.

“If I compare this kid to what we evaluated as a staff last year, he’s already 95-percent above even the seniors from a mental standpoint and that’s the most impressive part. You can see some physical limitations with the kid just turning 14 years old a few months ago, but he has four years. When I look at him on film and see these adjustments on the fly, his ability to break down the secondary and fool them with fakes, site adjustments and just overall natural intuition – that’s a special kid. He needs to get stronger, but that comes naturally. He’s a player that will get offers as a freshman with schools looking to recruit so much earlier. That’s the newest trend. It’s become a basketball atmosphere.”

His high school coach Brian Carlson wasn’t quite as verbose, but the word maturity seems to keep hitting home as he told NJ.com, “His physical talents speak for themselves, his maturity is what jumps out at you and he never gets rattled. His intelligence is off the charts.”

North Jersey has always been rich in football tradition, it has just taken the rest of the country a while to catch up with that. In recent years with the constant coverage of high school recruiting and teams now flying all over the country to play games teams like Don Bosco Prep have gained national notoriety, being named the top program in the nation.

In recent years the area has hit a tipping point. Take the 2009 NFL Draft for instance – 1^st Round picks B.J. Raji, Brian Cushing, Kenny Britt, Eugene Monroe, Knowshon Moreno and Donald Brown were all from the Garden State. So, for a freshman to be starting at quarterback against top competition in North Jersey there would seemingly be a lot of pressure both from inside and outside the friendly walls of Pope John XXIII.

“When I came in I didn’t really feel it and I don’t pay attention to it to be honest,” Abramson said. “My focus is what we need to do to win and frankly, I thrive on that pressure, so I don’t think it would bother me anyway. I was just out there reading defenses and getting my timing down with my receivers to the point where we were in perfect sync, so I didn’t really have any time to worry about any outside noise.”

Abramson’s answers always seem to translate right onto the field, but they’re not robotic or prepared. Honestly, he has a very rare and somewhat odd way about him. Having dealt with over 10,000 young men in an interview situation you can get a good read on small things like voice inflection and smoothness to see if you’re being fed what you want to hear. Sonny just seems to be mature way beyond his years.

From watching his film for years and focusing on his year, I saw him making a lot of adjustments before the snap. He seems extremely cerebral and is just methodical at the line. I wanted to probe his mind and find out what is cycling through his brain when he gets behind center.

“I call the play in the huddle and within the first few seconds I’m doing my protocol which is just seeing how many safeties are high,” Abramson explained. “At that point, I look to see what the corners’ leverage is. At that point I have to see what the numbers game is in terms of our receivers versus theirs on each side of the field. After I’ve picked where we’re strong, I start deciphering what the defense is showing me and determine what set they’ll most likely be in. Then I look inside the box and figure out where the pressure points may be and which linebackers could come. Then I know if I need to keep a tight end in or need to check my back to stay in to block. Also, I can call a hot if I need to and just make sure I’m not taking unnecessary sacks or we’re not taking a loss on any given play.”

Watching him process information after the snap is a thing of beauty. He broke it down for me.

“That’s when I’m really taking in large groups of information very quickly,” Abramson added. “I have to check the linebackers first, then see the corners and finish with the safety on one side. Then it’s back to the middle and over to the opposite side of the field and all of this needs to be done in a split second. What I do is move guys with pump fakes and manipulate the safeties with my eyes to open something up for my receivers. That defense is trying to outsmart me, so I have to do the same thing to make the play work. It comes down to finding a mismatch on every single play.”

I previously mentioned that I’m tough on quarterbacks to a fault. Much of that has to do with spread offenses and the dink and dunk style of offense they have produced. Quarterbacks can now get away with looking good while having mediocre arms and poor field vision. You don’t see them use the seams, make opposite hash passes or get the ball downfield and trust their receivers. Abramson does all of these things well as a freshman.

“I do put a lot of trust in my receivers, especially in one-on-one situations. You have to do that. If I see one of my guys get open and no safeties are over the top I’ll immediately change the call at the line or alter what I’m thinking in the middle of the play and put a good ball up there for them and let them go up and get it. If I don’t and can’t trust my receivers to make plays on deep passes then we’re just not doing our jobs.”

Speaking of the word “our”, Abramson uses “we”, “our” and “team” to a fault. You would expect him to take some credit. Don’t get me wrong, he knows he’s a talented quarterback, but it’s not something he communicates. What he is quick to speak about is how well his supporting cast is.

“My offensive line was great for me this year and gave me a ton of time,” Abramson gloated. “I just have a ton of trust in them and they really put it out there every single week for me and my running back Deshawn Chatelier who is terrific. Also, my receivers Noah Brown, Ryan Izzo, Tom Adams and Austin Bailey made my job a lot easier this year. Those guys were great.”

Moving back to the aforementioned outstanding schools in North Jersey however, we did ask Abramson why he chose Pope John XXIII whose legendary coach Vic Paternostro has just retired. He must have had his pick of the litter and while Brian Carlson’s resume was sparkling having been a head coach at Kean University, it would be his first year at the school.

“When we were looking at schools we were looking at atmosphere, athletics and academics,” Abramson stated. “I wanted to be able to get a great education with people I could relate to and play in a great football program. Coach Carlson was huge part of the process as well. He had just come into the program and wanted to put in the spread and play fast tempo football which is exactly what I was looking for, so that was huge. He’s also just a great person who was very good to talk to and is more of a teacher. We built a great relationship very quickly and I just really appreciate him as a coach.”

Speaking of coaches, Abramson works with two other big names in the business in New York Jets’ Quarterbacks’ Coach Matt Cavanaugh and quarterback specialist Trent Dilfer.

“I’ve been very privileged and thankful to work with Coach Cavanaugh and he’s taught me a lot about footwork,” Abramson offered. “He and I are both very strong believers that everything starts from the feet up because if you don’t have strong footwork nothing is going to happen right in your throwing motion. We’ve worked together for two years now and I travel up to the Jets’ facility to work out with him.”

“Trent Dilfer is another person I’ve been very lucky to work with and he’s the person who really helped me get my release so quick. We really work on my upper body mechanics and the mental part of the game. When it comes to reading defenses I talk to both Coach Cavanaugh and Coach Dilfer and I just really appreciate all the time these guys spend with me.”

As for recruiting, the young signal caller is taking things slower than a lot of young men at his talent level who have already given their verbal commitments to schools. He and his father Neal Abramson simply believe in a different approach.

The family visited Stanford a year ago and met the entire coaching staff, was at Oklahoma to meet Bob Stoops and his staff and spent a day at Rutgers. He told Upper Hand he’ll definitely be going back to Stanford and Oklahoma again in the offseason and is open to seeing other schools.

Academically, it looks like every school in the country will be available to the young man if he continues on set path. He currently carries a 4.26 GPA on a 5.0 scale while taking five honors classes in Geometry, Biology, English, World Cultures and French II as a freshman. He doesn’t yet know what he wants to do for a living, but has a pretty good idea of what he’s looking for in a college and what he’s interested in studying.

“I want to be able to contribute to the university I attend as a student in a special way, not just be an athlete,” Abramson made clear. “Academics are very important to me. I really like Biology and Sports Medicine and just find how the body works fascinating, so I think it would be fun to study. I’m so driven on the field and want to go to a school where the football program gives me an opportunity to be a part of a winning atmosphere and have championship goals, so I want that in the classroom too.”  

After nearly seven years in the business I can say this much, to see a nearly turned 14-year old handle himself at such a high level both on and off the field is truly unique. North Jersey is going to have the pleasure of calling one of their own a major FBS prospect for years to come and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him blossom into one of the nation’s most coveted recruits for the Class of 2016. Of course, he’ll still only be 17 years old the day he hits the field as a college freshman.

The 6-foot-1.5, 190-pounder threw for 2,137 yards and 20 touchdowns this season in 10 games and has been named a Youth All-American for the past two years.