Elite Football Combine Stars (Part 2)

Every winter and spring, Matt Biermann, the owner of Elite Football Academy in St. Louis, holds an epic combine. On Saturday, March 6 was no exception. With over 200 players from as far away as Kentucky and Wisconsin, the competition was fierce and tons of players in the classes of 2022, 23, 24 and even 2025s got to show their skills. Here are a few who stood out: ATH Ezra Peterson, Staley, 2024 Talk about another impressive athlete from the class of 2024. Peterson, who is 6'1, 222 lbs. put on a <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/03/elite-football-combine-stars-part-1/">show much along the lines of fellow classmate Ryan Wingo</a>. The rising sophomore tore up all the testing. His running tests were good but where he shined was in the powerball toss and jumps. Peterson chucked the medicine ball 42-feet, 2-inches. His broad jump was 9'5" and he skied for a 37 inch vertical jump. Highlighted as a ball carrier his freshman season, Peterson will be recruited as one of the top up-and-coming linebackers in the country. WR Chase Buford, Republic, 2022 One of my favorite parts of the Elite Football combine is the new talent that shows up each year. The younger guys who are fresh on the scene but also players I didn't know much about. Buford fits the latter. The senior-to-be ran fast (4.52 40), was extremely quick laterally (4.43) and jumped out of the Lou Fusz Athletic facility. His 38-inch vert was one of the tops among all the participants. Buford is very brisk in his movements, deceptively fast as a route runner and plays up to his explosion. With more opportunities in 2021, Buford is a player to watch. OL Dontrell Holt, Joplin, 2024 Joplin always seems to have stud offensive linemen and Holt is next in line. The 6'3, 270 pounder was not intimidated facing more experienced pass rusher in 1 v 1s or in the testing aspect of the combine. His power showed through the entire day but especially in the powerball toss where the freshman finished in the top 10 with a 41'-2" throw.  Holt has all the attributes to be a dominant player moving forward and I expect major moves from him in the coming years. LB [player_tooltip player_id="96259" first="Connor" last="Lair"], West Plains, 2022 Lair, who is the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/missouri/rankings/2022-rankings/">No. 4 ranked linebacker</a> in his class, continues to impress and grow as a player and athlete. Prep Redzone has written about Lair multiple times and the West Plains LB continues to live up to the hype. The soon-to-be senior ran a blazing 4.63 40, chucked the powerball a combine best 49'9" and exploded off the ground with a 32.5 inch vertical. Lair is about to see his offer sheet take off. WR [player_tooltip player_id="37530" first="Caleb" last="Merritt"], John Burroughs, 2022 I love when players who really don't need combines to improve their recruiting show up just to compete. That is the sign of a dog! Merritt fits that role to the tee. The highly recruited junior and <a href="https://prepredzone.com/missouri/rankings/2022-rankings/">No. 7 ranked player</a> in the state by Prep Redzone was lights out at the combine. Already an established route runner, Merritt shined in drills and in testing. The 6', 170 lbs. speedster ran a 4.6, blazed a 4.19 short shuttle and jumped 36.5 inches in the VJ. Merritt continues to impress as a player and person and will own the college campus he heads to in 2022.