Under Armour Next MS Camp, Baltimore: Top Performing OL/DL
I had the pleasure of attending and covering the UA Next Middle School camp in Towson, Maryland this past weekend. Although I primarily scout talent out of the state of Pennsylvania, the UA Next MS camp provided a ton of…
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Continue ReadingI had the pleasure of attending and covering the UA Next Middle School camp in Towson, Maryland this past weekend. Although I primarily scout talent out of the state of Pennsylvania, the UA Next MS camp provided a ton of talent from multiple states, talent that deserves to be covered at length. In this piece, I will break down some of the best performances I saw from the OL/DL group consisting of 6th-8th grade stars.
Dominic Funke | 6’3, 195 | DL | St. Sebastian | 2026
NaRod Jarvis | DL | 757 Colts | 2026
Dominic Funke and NaRod Jarvis both stood out as the camp’s best pure edge rushers. Coming from a HS scouting background, I tend to evaluate players to an incredibly high standard. I had to continuously remind myself that both of these kids are just that, kids with a ton of time to grow into their bodies. Funke is a little slim when compared to Jarvis but has a great overall height-weight combo that coaches at the HS level will drool over. I was happy to see Funke take home the MVP for his position, it was deserved. There wasn’t a more consistent pass rusher at this camp. At this point in his career, Funke going to win the majority of his reps by taking advantage of leverage inside or out. His speed and ankle bend off the ball makes this easy at this level. I can see him adding ten pounds in one off-season, this would do wonders for his future projection, hopefully adding a little more power into his repertoire. Exciting player.
Jarvis may be the complete package at his position. He can win with strength and attitude. He’s got plenty of athleticism, enough to play OLB or TE in my opinion. This athleticism only helps when bending the corner on bigger tackles. He might be raw in the sense of utilizing his strengths, but most 8th graders in the country are! I’m positive this young man tested well, given how well he moves from drill to drill as well as passing the eye test. A lot to love about this young prospect.
Tyler Wade | DL | 2027
Jordan Harrison | DL | 2026
Maleki Knutt | DL
Next, we have three interior linemen who gave the opposing offensive line trouble during 1v1s. This trio, alongside Jarvis and Funke outside, won nearly each rep against the offense. Tyler Wade is on the smaller side, but the 7th grader made sure to utilize his leverage each rep and get past his opponent. Harrison and Knutt are both beefier interior monsters who flat out have too much lower body strength to get pushed back into their hole. These three were eating all camp.
Jaiden Hodges | OL | 5’10, 240 | 757 Colts | 2027
Troy Solomona | OL | 6’0, 225 | 757 Colts | 2026
Despite it being a lackluster performance for the offensive line group, these two young men stood out to me. Jaiden Hodges, an IOL who can apparently play either guard position, went through drills with authority and showed off smooth feet for his size. Was surprised at how well he went through bags during Indi’s. He showed off some attitude and great balance during 1v1s, making sure his presence was felt inside.
Troy Solomona also impressed, a ton of effort and coachability throughout the entirety of the camp. Start to finish, the young man’s motor was running and he made sure to put up a fight against kids who were bigger, stronger and faster than he was. He was up for that challenge. This kid has leader and captain written all over his future. He’s got future 1st-team accolade winner written all over his future as well. Not a PA kid but I will keep my eye on him!