Recap: YAA Columbus Top Performers

The You Are Athlete Regional Exposure Camp Series made a stop in Columbus, OH on March 29th. Some of the top prospects from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and many other states were in attendance.

Below are evaluations by Brandon Howard, former National Analyst for Rivals.com and 247Sports. The prospects below earned an invitation to the You Are Athlete All American Showcase this upcoming May in Houston, TX.

DL

MVP - Roy Price (2027 - OH)

Outstanding frame with good height and length. Physical traits of a true hybrid edge with athleticism and ease of movement to play traditional off-ball linebacker role if needed. Could fit multiple roles in varying defensive schemes.

Jack Rader (2026 - OH)

Shows strength, burst & motor in ability to get off at snap. Has lower body flexibility to dip shoulder and get around edge to accelerate into backfield. Shows off-ball quickness.

Sean McCall (2026 - OH)

Plays fast and plays hard. Always looks like he is going his absolute hardest on the field. Closes quickly and runs down plays. Shows good awareness of where the ball is and gets to it quickly.

Darryn Howery (2027 - OH)

Disruptive player with good traits to play multiple positions and alignments. Uses explosive first step to shoot through gaps and wreck havoc in the backfield. Always looking to get home and finish.

Deion Walker (2027 - KY)

Size and strength to play inside full-time with functional athleticism and movement ability to play outside with a hand on the ground. Pursues well relative to size and finishes with intent as a tackler.

OL

MVP - Maddux Murphy (2026 - MI)

Tall and long frame, with narrow lower half. Plenty of room to add size and strength. Plus athlete with mobility and quickness. Light on his feet and comfortable moving laterally. Keeps defenders at arm’s length with long reach.

Kalel Johnson (2027 - OH)

Long and lean with a plenty of untapped physical upside. An up and comer that added several inches and mass in high school. Has adjusted well to his growth. Can pave out massive running lanes himself and shows toughness and some nastiness

Arion Stuckey (2026 - KY)

ability to play any position on the offensive line if needed. Can stand to keep improving his technique, namely his hand placement and radar in quickly identifying defenders at the second level. Has a solid motor and upside.

Carter Vance (2026 - KY)

Athletic with quick feet. Fires off quickly at snap. Gets to the second level easily. Physical at point of attack. Patient in pass pro. Does not lunge. Once engaged, controls defender well. Has good body control.

Braylin Parker (2026 - OH)

Balanced blocker with great body control and awareness in pass and run situations. Patient as pass protector with good punch, footwork and overall technique. Strong anchor and ability to redirect underneath.

WR

MVP- Keysean Williams-Jarrett (2027 - IN)

Not the biggest receiver, but plays bigger than listed size thanks to good athleticism and above average bulk relative to frame. Strong-handed wideout who plucks the ball consistently.

Daylin Taylor (2026 - MI)

Provides both chain-moving possession consistency and big-play ability. Excellent body control and adjustment ability. Makes routine plays but Needs to add weight and strength to combat larger defenders at the next level.

Christian Gillings (2027 - MI)

Not overly tall but thick athlete with a powerful frame. Has good ball skills, tracks the ball effectively in the air and shows strong hands at the catch point. Good feet at the line of scrimmage on his releases and shows solid route-running ability.

Tyler Willson (2026 - KY)

Compact and lean frame but has room to gain muscle without sacrificing quickness. Solid pass-catcher with soft hands. Lethal in open space. Versatility to line up at various spots in spread offense. Light on his feet as a route runner.

Carter Jones - (2027 OH)

Good pass catcher who is quicker than fast. Has ability to create separation as smart route runner. Frame can easily carry more weight with the potential to improve physicality both before and after the catch. Slippery prospect in open field.

RB

MVP - Andyriq Thomas (2027 - OH)

Shorter but well built player that has a powerful lower body and a sturdy top half. Sudden, quick back that plays with a physical temperament and can pick his spots to be punishing.

MVP - DeVontai Moore Jr (2026 - OH)

Moore has good strength for a smaller back, size limitations are there. Can run between the tackles but improved burst allows him to run outside. Can run away from a defense as well.

Daiquan Galloway (2027 - OH)

Has a rare combination of size, strength and speed and runs with decisiveness. Doesn’t dance around, more of a one-cut-and-go runner.

Kingston Majeed (2028 - OH)

Athletic-framed back with limited size but good strength for someone in the ‘all-purpose’ mold. Sufficient long speed but excellent burst and short area quickness.

James Bambard IV (2027 - MI)

Very good instincts with the football. Has make-miss ability. Effective pass-catcher out of the backfield.

DB

MVP - Braylen Fountain (2028 - DB)

Shows good closing speed and accelerates through contact in run support. Plays with physical mindset. Very competitive. Good feet and loose hips.

Brayden Carpenter (2027 - MI)

Has playmaking skill in coverage with the ability to manhandle receivers off the line and then turn and run down the boundary. Has great upside as a long term defender.

Gabe Wilburn (2026 - OH)

Skinny framed cornerback with good length that has deceptive size. Has reactive quickness and twitch that you see in smaller corners, but the length of a coveted ‘big’ corner.

Antoine Jackson (2028 - OH)

Shows physicality and instincts in man coverage. Needs to get stronger and add good weight. Has a really high ceiling but has to continue to improve.

Darren Knotts (2026 - OH)

Plays fast and closes quickly in coverage. Has excellent ball skills for a corner prospect and shows that he can win in contested situations by attacking the ball at its highest point.

LB

MVP - Emarion Bell (2027- OH)

Thin, broad-shouldered, long-armed athlete. Needs to add bulk and mass, but length is rare. Really effective downhill tackler.

Judah Blair (2028 - OH)

Blair, Shoots gaps decisively and plays with quickness and burst. Has pass-rush versatility. Impacts throwing lanes with length. Could very easily be a 15+ offered kid before it’s all said and done.

Jagger Guidry (2027 - IN)

Highly active at linebacker. Has very good recognition skills and triggers quickly. Easily runs sideline to sideline. Lacks some length in coverage with his frame but does a good job of making plays.

Brennan Kesler (2027 - OH)

Plays with great range and is a great tackler. Excellent, when moving downhill and delivers solid hits with consistency. Flashes his speed and athleticism in tracking down ball carriers in pursuit.

Zyaier Gilbert (2027 - OH)

Tough and has a throwback streak to his game. Will need to adjust to playing against top athletes as he continues to hone in on his game. Good football player.

QB

MVP - Grayson Esguerra (2026 - IN)

Very instinctive passer that has creativity as a playmaker. Shows sudden movement and reactive quickness in the pocket both to avoid rushers and to deliver the football.

Justin Heckman (2027 - OH)

Good accuracy, particularly on short and intermediate throws. More athletic than you realize and can be a threat in the run game. Does not have an overpowering arm and can float downfield big throws.

Jace Houston (2027 - KY)

Houston has a solid arm with ability to drive the ball downfield with zip. Highly creative player who thrives making impromptu plays outside of structure with the skill to make difficult off-platform throws.

LaMarques Greenwood II (2027 - OH)

Pocket passer who can make all the throws and is accurate to all three levels of the field. Shows excellent touch on the deep balls and has the arm strength to make the deep outs and comebacks on a rope.

Gavin Pritzkau (2030 - FL)

Understands timing and anticipation, can get through his reads and find his secondary receivers. A natural leader, a great teammate and someone who looks like a future captain at the next level. Mobility and being able to avoid a pass rush is an area he can improve on. Good start for a very young QB.