YAA Charlotte Middle School Top Performers
I attended the YouAreAthlete camp in Charlotte, which featured prospects primarily from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. The camp was divided into a Middle School session in the morning and a High School session in the afternoon.
Virginia Prospects
I don’t purposely seek out Virginia prospects when I attend camps outside the state, but somehow they seem to rise to the top.
Defensive tackle Xavier Johnson (6-0, 270) has star-rated ability as an 8th-grader. He flashed his skill set during the drills and the one-on-one competition. The Norfolk native played for the famed Colts travel team, but he is not sure which high school he will attend.
Photos from the Middle School Camp
Fredericksburg native Daniel Kugbegah is a 2030 prospect who was selected overall YouAreAthlete linebacker MVP. His drill work was almost perfect, and he dominated the one-on-one drills even while guarding receivers. He made it impossible for the offense to complete any passes, either with tight coverage or tipping the ball away. Kugbegah didn’t know which high school he will attend next year, but I have a Rivals profile waiting for him.
Edge Kaysen Hill is an 8th-grader from Chesapeake and was selected as one of the defensive line MVPs. Hill said he is zoned for Oscar Smith High School.
YouAreAthlete Top 8th Graders
Edge Amar’e Moore attends Mountain Island Charter Middle School in Charlotte. At 6’2, 200 pounds, Moore probably could have competed at the high school camp held later in the afternoon. He appears to have all the tools to start in his freshman year, and it is easy to see his advanced training.
Cornerback Carter Jaime (6-0, 155) was another 8th-grader I felt could compete at the high school. He was my top defensive back, and he spent the morning session locking up the receivers with tight coverage. He is a player I could see having stars behind his name before he finishes his high school career.
Defensive tackle Davante’ Quarles is a prospect who shines when the stakes are high. He did not impress me during the drills, but he came to life during the one-on-one drills. He was selected to compete in the final lineman one-on-ones and couldn’t be blocked.
8th-grader Gavin Whitney (6-2, 300) from Cummings (Ga) was one of the largest prospects at the Middle School YouAreAthlete camp. He already has college-level size, and he was selected as the Offensive Lineman MVP. Whitney says he is an offensive guard, and I created an IOL Rivals profile for him.
6th grade and Under
Receiver Ramelo Daniels was the top receiver I watched during the 6th-grade-and-under drills. While many of the young guns made catches with their body, Daniels stood out using both hands to catch the ball where it was thrown.
5th grader Nehemiyah Douglas was selected as the young gun linebacker MVP. He made plays in the secondary and seemed to have good instincts to make a play on the ball.
Others
As with most camps, the wide receivers/running backs outnumbered the defensive backs/linebackers by a 5-to-1 margin. Still, during the YouAreAthlete Middle School Charlotte session, the DBs and linebackers seem to win most of the head-to-head matchups. Several that stood out included linebacker Kaleb Feaster, 5th-grader Kolton Abney, 6th-grader Aiden Nash, and Jayden Middleton.
Must be something in the water in Rock Hill, Sout carolina, because I wrote down the names of at least a dozen prospects at the YouAreAthlete Charlotte camp, including Nehemiyah Douglas, who I wrote about earlier.