Top Performers put coaches on notice in Houston
Showcase Football made its annual stop in Houston and like previous years, the region didn’t lack for top tier talent. Last week we shared out positional MVPs from the event but today we’ll break down top performers from those groups.
’25 QB, Christian Nunely showed up looking like a power 5 prospect. Tall and muscularly built, the dual threat signal caller threw the ball well and showed some of that running ability in team drills.
’25 QB, Tanner Huckfelt will never blow anyone away with his physical stature but his leadership and accuracy is what sets him apart. He’s a quarterback that earns his respect due to his hard work. Huckfelt looked smooth in drills and comfortable on the move delivering pin point passes.
’25 TE, Ty Roupe is legimately 6’6.5 and he carries it well. He started off a bit slow in drills but picked it up in the competition phase of the event. Roupe was fluid off the release, created separation at the top of his routes and used his big frame and catch radius to box-out defenders. Roupe showed soft mitts and ability after the catch.
’24 WR, Connor Thompson has size, speed and fluidity. He used his physical talent to run past and around coverage during the half line phase. Close to 6’3. Thompson does a nice job sinking his hips and getting out of his breaks. He was sure handed at all three levels.
’25 WR, Jalen Mickens built like a running back, Mickens was a tough cover all day. His quickness and athleticism makes for a long day covering him. Mickens showed the body control and elevation to play bigger than his listed size.
’26 OL, Dayjon Moore was really impressive at times. Physically built the way you want to see interior OLs. Broad shoulders and skinny ankles. Moore is an athlete on the offensive line. He was excellent in run blocking and pass protection drills. Coaches raved about his intensity and physicality throughout the event.
RB Buddah Guerra returned to Showcase for the second time in three years. He was a viral sensation as a 4th grader at the event in 2021 where he put on a show in the “cat &mouse” drill versus high school linebackers. Bigger, stronger, faster and better this time around, Guerra showed his natural play making ability catching a deep wheel route for a touchdown. He had some of the best footwork and sudden cutting ability in RB drills as well.
’24, Le’Kell Mc’Gowan had maybe the breakout performance of the day. At 6’4 225 with an explosive first step and long limbs, it makes you scratch your head as to why he doesn’t have 10+ college offers already. Mc’Gowan was a problem coming off the edge converting speed to power. Most impressive was how he carried himself throughout the day. High energy, high intensity and was always ready to compete. We definitely feel this is a prospect college coaches are going to love moving forward in the process.
‘24 LB, Bryce Kazmierczak was physically mature and dominant at 6’1 230. He excelled in the pass rush drills versus running backs. Kaz was just too big, too strong. In 9 on 7 drills Kaz fit up the run nicely. Good read and reaction with excellent angles to the ball. Kaz is a bit of a tweener right now and understands he needs a dominant senior year to get colleges to offer.
’25 DB, Zach Parish for a lack of a better term was ‘locked in’ at Showcase. He had the eye of the tiger and wanted smoke from the top prospect. Parish did more than hold his own. He competed his tail off and contested a bunch of throws. It was evident he has a high football IQ, sound technique and a nose for the ball. His breaks were clean and decisive. This is a player who believes his eyes and has the confidence to go and make plays.
’26 DB, Tromane Harris was extremely disruptive and caught the eye of Showcase coaches immediately for his ability to accelerate, close and finish on the ball. Harris was excellent in open field tackling drills. He got his hands in passing lanes and deflected a few balls. The freshman was certainly in the running for DB MVP when all was said and done.
