The news spread fast at the end of the 2021 season: Joenel Aguero was coming back to St. John’s Prep.
Joenel Aguero (HUDL)
The class of 2023 safety/wide receiver spent his first season in Danvers, but then played his sophomore and junior years at IMG Academy in Florida.
But Aguero came back, and is expected to play for the Eagles as a senior. He has been welcomed back with open arms, and on Thursday we spoke to Prep coach Brian St. Pierre about Aguero and some other Eagles and their college prospects.
First we talked about what it is like to have Aguero back on campus.
“It’s great to see him again. He’s such a good kid, and had such a good relationship with the players before he left,” St. Pierre said. “It’s great to have him back. And obviously you know the caliber of player he is, as well, which gets you excited about the prospects of having him in the fall and having him back in the fold. So, it’s been great.”
As for recruiting, Aguero has plenty of time for his decision.
“He’s enjoying all of it,” St. Pierre said. “I think he has in his mind what his top five are. I think he’s taking visits. He’s very open-minded. He’s got everybody in the world calling him. I don’t think he’s in a rush to make a decision.”
St. Pierre said it can be difficult to figure out which offers he already has. Aguero is a top-100 prospect in the nation.
“I know he has Alabama,” St. Pierre said. “He has Georgia. He has LSU. He has Miami, USC, Oklahoma, Clemson. You name it, he probably has it. Ohio State. So, yeah.”
And it’s easy to see why he is held in such high demand.
“He’s unique that way,” St. Pierre said. “He plays with a unique . . . He’s controlled, but very violent on contact. He’s a very explosive athlete from point A to point B, and he’s a very violent tackler within the framework of the game and the rules. He’s a very good tackler. That pops on tape. You don’t see kids like that. He’s been doing it since he was a freshman. He’s been doing that since he was 14, 15-years old his freshman year. He’s a guy that seeks out the contact. When it happens, when he gets there, it just flashes, and pops on the screen big time.”
It will be interesting to see where Aguero ends up.
Another junior worth watching is wide receiver Jesse Ofurie. He already has offers from the likes of Harvard, Dartmouth, and Columbia, along with UMass. By the time all is said and done, St. Pierre thinks Ofurie will have an offer from every Ivy League school, but St. Pierre believes he is an FBS-caliber recruit.
Senior Jackson Delaney, a wide receiver, will play at Brown. Senior running back James Guy has not decided yet, but is talking with Bentley, Merrimack, and Bryant. Another senior, Dylan Wodarski, will attend University of New England as an outside linebacker. Quarterback Jack Perry will be at Bates. Two seniors, cornerback Matt Mitchell and safety Ryan Grenier, will attend Union. Defensive tackle Dylan Roberts will play at Bates, while guard Jake Cuddire is looking at Stonehill, Assumption, and St. Anselm.
Back to the juniors, wide receiver Stephon Patrick will play somewhere in college, St. Pierre estimates in the FCS/Div. 2 range. Offensive lineman Pius Ejindu is another FCS/D2 prospect. Christian Difo, also a lineman, has FCS/D2 interest. Running back Carson Browne has very good grades, which will play into his recruitment. Tight end/defensive end Mike Nabbout and fullback/linebacker Jack Fillion will both play somewhere, but where is still up in the air.