Hidden Gems in the class of 2021

Every year thousands of high school football players receive scholarship offers to play at colleges all around the country. However, there are simply too many players spread throughout America, and not enough time for coaches to see and evaluate every one. Here we will look at 5 of the top players in the class of 2021, in no specific order, who will be going into this season trying to prove that they are much better players than their current list of offers recommends. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38543" first="Kolbe" last="Katsis"]: 6’1" 170 Lbs., Wide Receiver, Lincoln Christian</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">[player_tooltip player_id="38543" first="Kolbe" last="Katsis"] proved that he is the top receiver in class 3a last season as he displayed a variety of elite receiving traits on his way to 1100 yards and 11 touchdowns. For starters, his underneath route running was exceptional in 2019, there was not a defender that he had any problems separating from all season. Additionally, he showed great speed all over the field, especially after the catch where he looked like a very natural and fluid ball carrier. And finally, he was used all over the field as a receiver in 2019, showing that he can strike from any distance, including in the return game. With a similar season in 2020, Katsis could elevate himself to a level similar to some of the other top WRs in the state.</p> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38544" first="Korbin" last="Cox"]: 5’9" 190 Lbs., Runningback, Jones</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">[player_tooltip player_id="38544" first="Korbin" last="Cox"] is a true triple threat RB. He’s great out of the backfield on inside zones and as a receiver and can also block if needed. However, Cox has a few small parts of his game that may be holding him back from his full potential. Cox doesn’t turn on the burners until he gets to the open field, leading to many runs that could’ve been 15-20 yd runs but instead only turned out to be 5 or 6-yard runs. Also, Cox had a bad habit of simply running into defenders in the open field to try and get a couple of extra yards instead of trying to make them miss. If Cox can run with a little more burst and urgency and show that he has the agility and explosion to make more guys miss in the open field, he will definitely shoot up recruiting boards in 2020.</p> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38551" first="Shea" last="Dan"]: 6’5" 175 Lbs., Wide Receiver, Union</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">[player_tooltip player_id="38551" first="Shea" last="Dan"] is a big, tall wideout who has offers from a plethora of division 2 schools but definitely has the talent to play at the Division 1 level. Standing at 6’5" Dan towers over most defenders he matches up against and uses his long frame extremely well in jump ball situations. He also displayed good speed for his size in 2019, proving that he can be more than just a jump ball or RedZone target. 2020 will be a big season for [player_tooltip player_id="38551" first="Shea" last="Dan"] to show that he has what it takes to play at college football’s highest level.</p> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38542" first="Cayss" last="Lowery"]: 6’3" 185 Lbs., Quarterback, Chickasha</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">[player_tooltip player_id="38542" first="Cayss" last="Lowery"] joins a long list of dual-threat QBs who need to prove that they are more than just athletes with an arm in 2020. Throughout the 2019 season, there were moments that showed his promise as a quarterback prospect but there were also moments that showed he needs to improve in a few areas. On the run Lowery was exceptional in 2019, showing that he can throw the ball with velocity and accuracy while moving and that he can extend plays out of the pocket with his feet. However, throughout the season he had a bad habit of scrambling or fleeing the pocket when he didn’t need to. If Lowery can display better passing when his feet are set and better pocket awareness in 2020 he has a solid chance to be one of the better quarterback prospects in the state.</p> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38528" first="Elijah" last="Reed"]: 5’8" 160 Lbs., Wide Receiver, Jones</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">[player_tooltip player_id="38528" first="Elijah" last="Reed"] is one of the best receivers in the state but unfortunately has been overlooked to this point because of his size. Reed is only 5’8" but make no mistake, the man can jump. I<span style="font-size: 1rem;">n addition to his elite speed, </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Reed has a great vertical for his size and put it on display often in 2019. He has clocked in at various camps in the 4.5 range in the forty-yard dash, but his on the field play speed suggests that he could be even faster. Along with his straight-line speed, [player_tooltip player_id="38528" first="Elijah" last="Reed"] is one of the shiftiest receivers in the state. He was constantly putting his foot in the ground and making defenders look silly throughout the 2019 season. And just when you thought you’ve seen all of [player_tooltip player_id="38528" first="Elijah" last="Reed"]’s game, you see his skills as a returner and as a blocker. Reed was one of the more dangerous returners in the state last season and was also a nasty blocker in the run game where he put guys on their backs almost weekly despite being smaller than most of the guys he went up against. I really hope a high-level college gives this guy a chance because he is a flat out baller.</span></p> <p style="padding-left: 40px;"></p>