Must See Northern IL Offensive Prospect Guide

As the 2021 spring season approaches, we wanted to provide a guide to some of the best offensive talent in the Northern IL area. Each of these players has a bright future at the next level, and is a must watch this season. Senior QB: [player_tooltip player_id="20226" first="Ryan" last="Saxe"] (Fremd HS)- Adequate height and weight, slender, trim, proportioned with some definition. Smooth footwork off snap in order to square base. A rhythmic thrower with a tight, short motion and good release. Solid pocket presence, can move to elude pressure, but also shows the willingness to take a hit to make a throw. Solid play strength, with hip and core torque. He is going to be at his best working the short to intermediate areas of the field. Possesses enough zip to fit the ball into tight windows in those areas. Good accuracy, allows WR to pick up YAC with good ball placement. Good mobility and eye discipline when working outside the pocket. Good speed and agility, coupled with a physical running style allows him to move the chains when needed. As a passer, keeps eyes downfield and can generate enough torque to throw off platform. To reach his full potential he will need to develop more patience in the pocket, he likes to hit his back foot and get the ball out. When initial read isn’t there he looks for escape lanes instead of continuing to let the play develop. Overall, a good player that still needs some work but has the tools to be successful. Senior QB: JT Thomas (Loyola HS)- Adequate height with good weight, thick, proportioned with solid definition. Very good footwork and eyes off the snap. He gets through reads quickly and displays the ability to get to his second and third options. Good pocket presence, uses short, quick lateral and vertical movements to elude, while keeping eyes downfield. Very good motion and release, short, quick, and the ball comes out clean. Good play strength, generates majority of his power from his core, and can push the ball down the field, while also being able to complete throws from the far hash. Very good spot thrower, leads WRs and hits them in stride. Anticipates the break very well, and gets the ball out on time. Good accuracy and touch, in order to not only protect WRs, but also throw a very catchable ball. Solid mobility, enough to keep defenses honest with zone read concepts, but isn’t going to be real effective with his legs unless he is just moving to throw. Overall, a very good player that is a bit undersized height-wise, but has all the tools and traits. Junior RB: [player_tooltip player_id="20876" first="Denim" last="Cook"] (St. Teresa HS)- Adequate height, solid weight, and a developed frame. Good acceleration off the snap, coupled with good vision in order to see and hit hole. Maintains vision in hole and shows very good ability to cut off the backside of blocks. Good play strength, both lower and upper body to run through arm tackles and traffic at the LOS. He’s a physical runner at all three levels of the defense, and displays good contact balance. Possesses good speed to power transition on the second and third levels. Solid speed, enough speed to be a chunk runner, but not a home run threat. A very promising player who will get a lot of recognition in 2020. Junior RB: [player_tooltip player_id="20875" first="Jordan" last="Anderson"] (Joliet Catholic HS)- Good height, weight, and a developed frame. Very good burst off the snap, coupled with good acceleration to hit the hole with power and speed. Very good play strength both upper and lower body. Shows very good leg drive on contact at all levels, and displays a very good stiff arm. Good contact balance to bounce off defenders with little wasted movement. Along with his power, he possesses good speed to have the ability to bounce around the edge when there is penetration between the tackles. Very good long speed, once into the second and third levels, he has the ability to finish runs with pure speed. A very good player who has all the tools to be a big time running back at the next level. Junior OT: Danny McGuire (Marist HS)- Good height and weight, trim, buff, proportioned with definition. An aggressive mauler at the LOS, who shows good UOH and play strength at the POA. Very good leg drive, he’s a people mover, who also possesses the athletic ability use subtle quickness to establish and maintain good positioning through play. Shows the ability to scrape and get up to the 2nd level, and shows good body control to breakdown and square defenders. In Pass Pro, possesses the lateral agility along with maintaining play strength to be effective off snap. He likes to get into defenders quickly off snap, in order to quickly establish hand positioning, as a lot of his success is based on UOH. No movement limitations, and he will be able to be effective in a kick slide. Overall, he is going to be a very good OT at the next level, as he has very good traits that will continue to improve with coaching. Junior OT: [player_tooltip player_id="20900" first="Valen" last="Erickson"] (St. Rita HS)- Good height and weight, trim, proportioned with definition. A versatile OT who has the ability to play on both the left and right side of the LOS. A very good run blocker, who shows heavy hands and very good play strength. His UOH allows him to establish positioning into the defender’s chest, and once he gains positioning he finishes with very good leg drive. Solid leverage, maintains bend throughout play. Shows the ability to pull and get to the 2nd level without hinderance. In Pass Pro, athletic enough to be successful in a kick slide, even though he prefers to contact defenders off the snap at the LOS. Displays good punch, and maintains heavy hands to keep defenders off his chest. Good lateral movements, in order to mirror defenders, and wash defenders out of play. Overall, a very good OT prospect who has a lot of potential at the next level. Junior OT: [player_tooltip player_id="20899" first="Yaser" last="Al-Awadi"] (Maine East HS)- Good height and weight, thick, proportioned with definition. A powerful OT who’s game relies on his ability to quickly get hands on defenders, and use play strength to win. A good run blocker, who has solid get off and UOH in order to get into defender’s chest, shows vice grip hands. Very good upper and lower half strength. Solid Pass Pro ability when able to land initial punch at LOS. He must establish positioning quickly and get into defenders. The concern will be with speed rushers, and his movement abilities in order to get to the top of set. A solid prospect who has a lot to like, but he will need to improve lateral quickness to ensure success at the next level.