If you followed The hunting report all season, you know scouting never sleeps. It’s always scouting season, and I love it when we start to get into the part of the year where the post-season all-star games start announcing their player acceptances and the game rosters start picking up. form.
While many focus on major games like the Reese’s Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl, true evaluators and talent scouts understand that Game 1 begins this weekend in beautiful Daytona Beach, Florida with the FCS National Bowl.
The FCS National Bowl was created in 2014 as two separate games: the FCS Bowl and the National Bowl. The former was for more prospects from FCS, while the latter was more for prospects from the Division II, Division III, NAIA and USports ranks. Founded by former Franklin & Marshall football star Michael Quartey, Esq., the two games have been combined in recent years into an all-star event, where players undergo weigh-ins conducted by professional scouts and two days of practice which end in a match. Sunday, December 11.
I’ve been to this event since 2014, and as this is the first All-Star game to come out of the blocks, the attendance from scouts across pro football betting will be huge. Expect to see plenty of scouts from the NFL, CFL, USFL, XFL, IFL and ELF dotted around Daytona Beach’s Municipal Stadium this weekend.
Keep it locked on my YouTube channel, Football Gameplan, where I’ll provide video highlights and training recaps, as well as player interviews from the event.
For complete FCS National Bowl rosters, click here.
Here’s a look at some of the players to watch this weekend:
WR La Martez Brooks
- Middle School: Murray State
- Height: 6-2
- Lester: 208
Brooks is a very physical receiver and plays a physical brand of football. What I mean is that he’s both physical in his approach as a receiver, whether it’s getting out of the media coverage, playing catching point, what he done after the catch in terms of broken tackles. He is also physical on the perimeter as a blocker in the running game. The red-shirted senior definitely understands where his hands are, proving to be comfortable catching the ball away from his body and also in traffic. It’s a quarterback’s dream with his catching radius. I will be looking to see if there is some positional flexibility in his game, which will help him project himself as a professional player.
RB EJ Burgess
- Middle School: Franklin Pierce
- Height: 5-11
- Lester: 220
One of the best running backs in the Division II, Burgess brings terrific burst and acceleration to the position. I like how it has the ability to shift into second or third gear to rip off long runs and make a house call. As a junior last season, Burgess rushed for over 1,200 yards with 10 rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He also had 26 receptions for 400 yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens have struggled on offense this season, so Burgess’ numbers have been cut in half. However, despite the numerical decline, the talent was still there and is still impressive. I’m excited to see how he competes this week in front of professional scouts, as there’s a lot of interest in his game. Scouts flocked to New Hampshire last season to watch Burgess practice and play games. One of the best drills in an all-star practice is the RB-vs-LB 1-on-1 lightning pickup drill. And that’s where I can get a better gauge on his pro pass ability.
DL Tyler Tate
- Middle School: Millersville University
- Height: 6-3
- Lester: 260
Head Coach JC Morgan is one of the most underrated coaches in college football and has done a great job bringing talent to Millersville. Tate is one of those guys who flourished under Morgan’s tutelage. Last season, Tate replicated his 15.5 tackles for loss performance he had as a junior, while also finishing with 6.5 sacks. What’s impressive about the tape is how strong he is at the offensive point for just a 260-pound defensive lineman who plays mostly as a technical 5-man. That raises your eyebrows as a evaluator because you notice that the required skill is there, but the upside potential is high because you recognize that he is playing a little undersized. He will be a fun study throughout the process and also this week in training as you can see him take on FCS offensive linemen to see where he is currently and how far the gap will be for him to filling up as he makes the leap into the professional ranks.
DB Kyeon Taylor
- Middle School: Kean University
- Height: 6-2
- Lester: 198
Taylor is a fantastic Division III prospect who has a Division I frame, which instantly stands out on film. He has strong media and offline coverage skills, and is also very active – but patient – with his hands. During his time at Kean, Taylor completed 10 passes and broke up another 30 during his career. Taylor isn’t afraid of running support and actually hits like a linebacker in that regard. I think he has a home plus a combined security as a professional player. This week is going to be vital for him because of the importance of competitive jumping and the athleticism he will see on the field. He has a lot of physical and athletic traits that you want to see in someone playing high school in today’s game.