We were able to attend and cover Notre Dame safety Tae Johnson’s first youth football camp at North Side High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. “Just a Kid from Fort Wayne” quickly became the camp’s theme as several middle and high school athletes from across Indiana showed up to showcase and compete.
In attendance to help instruct the youth, Johnson came bearing the gift of fellow gifted college athletes. Mylan Graham, New Haven HS grad and Notre Dame wide receiver, Brock Schott, Leo High School grad and Indiana Hoosiers tight end, Nicholas Thompson, Bishop Luers High School grad and Toledo defensive back, and a few others.
Although the middle school session was dominated by rain, those youngsters remained determined to battle and compete — they were going at it regardless of the forecast. Many of them enjoyed themselves so much that they stayed another few hours after the conclusion of their camp to watch the high schoolers. This was where one player stood out above the rest — North Side’s athlete, Maalik Moore.
Approaching this summer, the class of ’27 athlete has over 15 offers to play at the next level, but has ambitions to add some more to that list. As a three-sport athlete (basketball and track), Moore has some impressive athleticism that translates in all three respective sports. It also allows him to be productive on both sides of the football, so he has a decision to make once he does make his commitment on where he wants to play in college — defensive back or wide receiver.
At Tae’s camp, Moore stood out as the most athletic, most fluid, and most confident player there by far. From the moment he hit the field, he was ready to work by jumping to the front of the line for warmups and to compete in 1-on-1 coverage. He won essentially every rep and even added some flashy one-handed catches to add some extra excitement.
When I talked with him this past December, Moore told me he probably sees himself more as a DB, but he’s talented at wideout as well, so we will see. North Side head coach Ben Johnson has had the privilege of coaching this 6’3, 185-pound athlete and believes he’s in for a huge year.
“Maalik has been a very productive player for us for 3 years. I’m very excited for him coming in as a senior and having so much playing experience on both sides of the ball. We, as a staff our expecting him to lead this year as a senior. He has always shown up, worked hard, etc. It’s now time for him to step up with his voice and be more vocal as a leader,” Coach Johnson told us after the camp.
It will be intriguing to see how Moore gels with the new quarterback, Brandon Sanders. Last year, Moore finished with 792 yards and 13 touchdowns receiving. New North quarterback Sanders was also at the camp and was impressive throwing the football.
“We do introduce a new QB that will be a 1st year starter in Brandon Sanders, I believe Maalik can help him get comfortable very early in the season. Brandon is a special talent. He is very accurate and has a really strong arm. I can’t wait to see the two gain chemistry over the summer,” Coach Johnson added.
It could be a huge year for North Side—another year of building a culture that they’ll want to sustain for years to come. In addition to dominating at the camp, according to a video post from Coach Johnson, Moore broke the school record by running a 4.36 40-yard dash. Get the popcorn ready, it could be a move this year at North Side.
Ohio Invades Fort Wayne
One of the biggest surprises attending the camp was a pair of twins, Jalen and Jordan Manz, from Paulding High School in Paulding, Ohio, which is about a 50-minute drive from Fort Wayne. Their football program is coached by Jim Menzie, who is coming off an 11-1 season. They also went undefeated in their conference (Green Meadows).
Ohio. Jalen is 6’1 180, has a solid frame as a linebacker or a safety at the next level. While Jordan is a couple of inches shorter at 5’10, and primarily plays wideout. Nonetheless, the two brothers stood out with their size and athleticism compared to their competition. It was quite enjoyable watching the two go head-to-head as well.
Jalen stood as one of the most built, strongest players in attendance, and it transitioned over to the one-on-one reps. As a NWO Defensive Player of the Year and Crescent News DPOY, he is amongst the best the state of Ohio has to offer. He was also 2nd Team All-Ohio Div. 6 at linebacker and led the area with 148 tackles, 28 TFL, four sacks, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions. His brother Jordan is a 1st team wide receiver who finished with 47 receptions for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns last year.
Paulding head football coach Jim Menzie was in attendance as well at the camp and was able to tell us a little more about the boys.
“They are the biggest characters on our team. They’re always willing to give credit to their teammates. These two are the most compassionate players who hold themselves to a higher standard. They are very coachable and make plays on both sides of the ball,” Coach Menzie told us.
These two young men shone as top talent and competed at the Tae Johnson Camp and deserved to be highlighted. Coming off such strong years, you never know — down the line, you may hear one, if not both their names, again playing on Saturdays, and you can say you’ve been told about them.
