3 Ohio Athletes Who are Deserving of D1 Interest

Coaches in nearly any sport will tell you that versatility is a valuable trait, and football is no different.  There are a select few prospects out there that because of their athletic skillsets can play more than one position at a high level.  In the world of high school football recruiting we simply call these kids "athletes".  Meaning they have a set of movement skills and traits that can carry over to more than one position.  When it comes to schools recruiting such young men these athletes eventual positions may be based on what position that the school sees a higher ceiling in, or it can be as simple as a college recruiting them to a certain position out of need.  In this article I’ll be highlighting a few of the athletes that are still uncommitted and are looking for interest. [caption id="attachment_76296" align="alignleft" width="165"]<img class="wp-image-76296" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/11/Tyrese-PSU2-234x300.jpg" alt="" width="165" height="212" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34368" first="Tyrese" last="Hudson"] C/O 2021</strong>[/caption]<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34368" first="Tyrese" last="Hudson"] 5’11 160, C/O 2021, (Bishop Ready)-</strong> Hudson is a multifaceted player.  In the 2020 season he lined up at running back, wide receiver and cornerback.  He’s played receiver and defensive back, but until 2020 as a senior in high school he had never lined up as a running back.  Interestingly enough I found this fact out from Tyrese himself after I’d watched his film in preparation for this article.  In watching his film I would never would have known that Tyrese had never played running back.  He looked like a seasoned vet.  Reading his blockers and using quick cuts to weave in and out of the defense, Hudson has an elusive running style and the speed to make the big play.  When playing wr Tyrese athleticism also shows up as he was utilized on reverses and would attack vertical passing routes.  As a cornerback he plays with anticipation and ball skills and has fluid hips.  I honestly think he could be of value on either offense or defense based on the recruiting schools needs.  I tend to like his value a little more on offense due to his ability to lineup at running back or receiver.  Hudson had an offer to Southern Miss, but that offer was pulled when Southern Miss fired their head coach one game into the 2020 season.  He’s received past interest from P5’s such as Tennessee of the SEC and Big Ten schools like Purdue, Penn State, and Ohio State.  Unfortunately, with the current pandemic and the cancelations of last years summer camps, much of that interests has dropped off.  As of late the majority of Hudson’s interest has come from D1 FCS schools such as Marist and Bryant as well as FBS Ivy League member Brown University.  I believe without hesitation that Hudson is a D1 FBS football player and any school that starts showing interest will be happy they did. &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_76285" align="alignleft" width="162"]<img class="wp-image-76285" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/11/Hopperton-186x300.jpg" alt="" width="162" height="261" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34423" first="Hunter" last="Hopperton"] C/O 2022</strong>[/caption]<span style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="34423" first="Hunter" last="Hopperton"] 6’2 230, C/O 2022, (Streetsboro)-  There’s an old football term of a "first off the bus" guy.  Basically the thought was you put your most physically imposing players at the front of the bus to be the "first off the bus".  It was thought of as a way to intimidate the opposing team.  Hopperton is absolutely a "first off the bus" guy, because the first thing you notice when you see him is how physically imposing he is.  Hopperton has played tight end, defensive end, and outside linebacker.  As a tight end he ru</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">ns strong routes, is a willing and capable blocker, who has plus hands.  I like Hunter as an outside linebacker at the college level though.  He’s an impressive athlete in space, and has very good short space quickness, as well as good overall speed for his size as a 4.7 guy.  He plays with great leverage which will allow him to stick blockers at the point of attack and disrupt plays in the run game.  His athleticism makes him a threat to drop into coverage and make plays in the pass game.  As a senior Hopperton helped lead his Streetsboro Rockets to an 8-1 record and a regional semifinal.  Hunter is a kid who I really see as a D1 FBS kid.  He has the size, the movement skills, and he’s as hard nosed as they come.  D1’s need to get on this kid now and get him to your camps next summer.  You won’t be disappointed, I promise.</span> &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_76290" align="alignleft" width="165"]<img class=" wp-image-76290" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/11/Perdue-174x300.jpg" alt="" width="165" height="285" /> <strong>Koraun Perdue</strong><br /><strong>C/O 2021</strong>[/caption] <strong>Koraun Perdue 6’5 210, C/O 2021, (Aiken)-</strong> Koraun is a player who’s flying a little bit under the radar right now.  At Cincinnati Aiken Perdue played both sides of the ball as a senior.  On offense he lined up at tight end and on defense he lined up at outside linebacker.  As a tight end Perdue is a long athlete with a large catch radius.  He has a solid get off and a nose for the ball.  I like him more as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme at the college level.  At 6’5 210, get him on a college strength program and training table and he easily has room to fill out to 235-240.  Instinctually he’s still a work in progress, but with additional strength along with his combo of size and athleticism he could turn into a huge problem for offenses at the college level.  He has the speed to be a terror off the edge with the quickness fluidity to drop and play in coverage.  I think Koraun is a good fit for the D1 mid-major or D2 level in college.  Right now he has an offers from Lake Erie College, Avila University, and Central State University.  In the past he’s received interest from Cincinnati and Marshall and if there’s a D1 FBS out there who’s looking for a player with a high ceiling that they can develop Koraun is their guy.