Athletes traveled from all around the country to Atlanta Georgia from Dec 27th to Dec 30th, arriving from California, Florida and dozens of states in between. They were there to participate in this year’s National Underclass Combine (NUC) hoping to make a name for themselves. The combine, which pits top tier football prospects against each other in a series of 1-on-1, 7-on-7, and full team drills, showcases athletes ranging in grades from 7th through 12th. The week culminated on Friday, where grades 7th, 8th, and 9th played a game. Also playing a full game were seniors, while the 10th and 11th graders played in a controlled scrimmage based on specific game situations such as 1st and goal from the 10, 1st and 10 from the 25 yard line going in,and 1st and 10 from plus 40 yard line to name a few.
For Joshua Fisher, from Stafford High School in Fredericksburg VA, this was an opportunity to test his skills against some of the best. He excelled in the sessions from Tuesday to Thursday, impressing the coaches so much so that he was selected as a captain of the South team in the competition on Friday. Those seeing 6’ 2”, 218 lb junior linebacker perform both in the drills, where he had multiple pass breakups in both 1-on-1 and 7-on-7s and also gathered in a pick 6 in 7 on 7, and the team competition on Friday where he accounted for an impressive 13 tackles, 3 for a loss, and a forced fumble understand why he is getting attention from D1 recruiters. NUC CEO David Schuman commented, “I thought he really did a great job tackling. He did a good job getting to the ball.”
As for Fisher, when asked about his experience in Atlanta he replied, “It was a good experience for me. It felt good to be back in pads playing the game. I learned a lot, made a few friends, and was happy that I was able to contribute in the full scrimmage on Friday. Being recognized for my performance also gives me confidence that I can play with the best of them.” Fisher’s college interests so far include Duke, James Madison, UNC-Charlotte, UVA, Virginia Tech, NC State, and Louisville among others.
Fisher next travels to San Antonio next to compete in the Army All American Bowl combine where he hopes to be selected for a roster spot in the 2018 Army All American Bowl game. He also plans on attending several combines/camps in the coming months, including the All American Football Camp, VTO combine, Next Level Elite combine, and several school camps.
