The Connecticut NEPSAC Schools once again left a lasting impression during Monday’s Showcase Day. As always, the top rising seniors worked and impressed but there were also some underclassmen that made their mark.
Here are some observations.
*Cheshire quarterback Keegan Croucher really turned some heads and proved why he is one of the two best signal callers in New England in the 2027 class. He showed good touch, timing and anticipation on his throws. Defensive end/EDGE Noah Frazier continued to garner more attention and pick up more offers. Wide receiver Jovon Williams continues to impress and he is up to 17 offers as of last week.
*The offensive line talent was on full display. Sure, the Massachusetts NEPSAC schools have a lot of the top talent in the area but there is plenty in Connecticut as well. St. Thomas More offensive tackle Eliott Demaine had an impressive day and received seven offers including one from Duke.
*Suffield Academy had a solid showing. 2028 quarterback Zach McKenzie really impressed and is a name to keep an eye on moving forward. 2027 offensive lineman Hawken Anderson has 6 FBS offers and picked up a Liberty offer. 2026 defensive tackle Dylan Manuilow had a great workout and head coach Chris Setisn says he has gotten a lot of call backs on him. Says he sees offers coming. 2026 offensive lineman Hogan Bloomfield is back and healthy after hurting his foot last season. He stands at 6’6 300 pounds.
- Tyler Whitney has the Taft program on the rise and several players from the program impressed the coaches.
Post graduate 2026 defensive lineman Brian Oliver picked up 5 FCS scholarship offers, with a few new ones coming in by the end of the week according to Whitney. 2028 linebacker Steve Soares picked up a UConn offer and showed that he is a National Level recruit in the 2028 class. 2026 QB Gilbert Kimrin had an outstanding day throwing the ball. He has good size (6’5 200) and plus arm talent. Whitney says several coaches told him that they thought he was the best quarterback that they saw on the tour (including kids with P4 offers). Kimrin broke his collarbone last season and missed 7 games. 2026 TE/DE Jonah Oquendo had a great day on both sides of the ball. He has 1 FCS offer and many FCS schools are very close to offering him. 2026 offensive lineman Will Palmer had a great showcase and competed well against two defensive lineman with FBS offers (Oliver & Okeleke). He solidified himself as a legitimate FCS prospect. 2026 DL Jude Okeleke (6-2 285) is probably Taft’s most well known prospect. He has official visits set up to Syracuse and Temple. He is quicker, more consistent, and in great shape. He is right on the cusp of top 25 FBS offers. Finally, 2026 running back Charlie Garnett and OLB Alyan Hussein are players to watch for Taft. Both pushed themselves from D3 prospects to in the mix for FCS offers. 2028 OL Foster Friess (6-6 290) is enormous, athletic, and a talented athlete. He will be a major Division 1 recruit. He played JV last year (Whitney says it is his second year of football). He will gain recruiting traction this summer. 2029 quarterback Matt Pangaro is another player to watch.
- Several Loomis Chaffee recruits popped and put themselves in a position to pick up offers. Defensive backs Latrell Noel and Ardon West, and linebacker Jackson Strand had the biggest days in terms of the players with D1 interest. OL/DL Cruz Trujillo and LB/DB James Higgins had great feedback and interest. RB/LB Ben Curtis also got a lot of interest as a tweener Ivy/NESCAC prosoect along with quarterback Romy Jain who has generated some FCS interest.
Avon Old Farms continues to churn out talent. Former Darian tight end Charlie Thom was the star of the show. Thom has converted to offensive tackle and in the process is picking up multiple offers along the way. Since last week, he has picked up offers from Wake Forrest, Nebraska, Syracuse, UConn, JMU, Liberty Bowling Green, Buffalo ECU, Delaware, Penn and Princeton. Thom is a terrific athlete with big time upside as a left tackle potentially.
Other AOF prospects that are are garnering attention after the showcase include Kharon Craig. Craig, a Hartford Connecticut native who has several notable offers including: Georgia, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse and Buffalo. He has also generated interest from Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, and UVA. Luke Hutchinson, the son of NFL Hall of Fame guard Steve Hutchinson is a 6’3” 235-pound tight end who arrived in Connecticut on Sunday and has already made an impression on AOF coach Jon Wholley and his staff. Hutchinson currently has 13 DI offers including Virginia, Mississippi State, and Appalachian State among others.
*It was a great day for Brunswick as well as several players enhanced their stock and received offers. Starting with the 2026 group. Offensive lineman Owen Swenson had a solid day as did follow lineman Sean Berntsen. Defensive back Kieran Edwards also popped. All three received interest and some offers. From the 2027 class, wide receiver Noah Park really impressed coaches and is a strong prospect moving forward. Former Darien quarterback Ben Rolapp will continue to develop and he is on college coaches radars as is defensive lineman James Cragin.