Parkview Football’s Top Returners For The 2021 Season

Coming off of a 2020 season in which the Parkview Panthers were expected to make it much further in the playoffs than they did, the team will be returning in 2021 with a roster that does not have nearly as much depth as it did in the past few years. To start, the Panthers will be losing star players such as [player_tooltip player_id="33667" first="Cody" last="Brown"], [player_tooltip player_id="33743" first="Quincy" last="Bryant"], Jaxon Horne, and Ronnie Hamrick. While the team will certainly look to patch it’s newly found holes on both sides of the ball, there will aslo be plenty of players who will be looking to step up to the plate as well, and to prove that the team still has plenty of upside in their future. Going into next season, look for a few of these key players to step up for the Panthers and to be some of their top returners. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33997" first="Champ" last="Baker"]-</strong> <em>CB</em> Baker, a 2022 prospect, has big shoes to fill in the 2021 season due to the fact that he will be replacing plenty of star studded DB’s from the team’s 2020 lineup. Regardless, Baker, who also measures in at 5’11, 170 pounds, proves to not only have the length, but the range and speed to cover good ground, and make plays on the ball. When evaluating him, not only does he have the quick feet, and the ability to make great tackles in space, but he also has the hips that allow him to bend well, change direction, and to position himself well when the ball is in the air. While we would like to see him play the ball more aggressively at times, we do like the way that he attacks ball carriers. Baker is not afraid to come downhill and use his body to make strong tackles. Expect him to further develop in the 2021 season and to be a solid player for his team. <strong>Zion Taylor-</strong> <em>WR</em> Taylor who was a sophomore during the 2020 season will be returning in 2021 and looks to add on to his previous success as an underclassmen. As a WR, not only does Taylor have great quickness, but he also has great route running skills as he is able to get out of his breaks well, and also does a good job of stacking defenders. Taylor’s burst and explosive ability allows him to be able to gain separation from defenders and also proves to be key in his ability to break tackles and gain extra yards. While we do feel that he can be a bit more polished all around, we do like his upside, and the way he attacks the football with his hands when he makes receptions. This upcoming season, look for Taylor to make a positive jump in his overall ability as a WR, as he will likely be a key option for his QB [player_tooltip player_id="34066" first="Colin" last="Houck"]. <strong>Quan Evans-</strong> <em>D</em><em>B/ WR</em> Evans, who has had his fair share of success on both sides of the ball, will be returning for what he most likely hopes to be a strong 2021 season. Last season, Evans recorded 8 TD’s, and 2 interceptions. On the field, while Evans may appear to be a bit undersized, he has the burst and ability to change direction on a dime that consistently allows him to be in place to make big time tackles and stops. This is the definition of playing bigger than your physical size. He also has the ball skills, and ability to read the QB that you look for in a DB and he proves to play loose in his lower body, which helps him to flip his hips well and to be able to get out of his breaks. Along with this, Evans also mirrors WR’s well, which ultimately puts him in place for pass break ups. Next season, we expect Evans to be a key DB for the Panther’s defense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34066" first="Colin" last="Houck"]-</strong> <em>QB</em> Houck, who saw himself take the reigns last season with plenty of playing time, finished the year with over 1,700 passing yards, 20 TD’s and only 8 interceptions. Because of his success, he has slowly started to receive Power 5 offers, as he has already been offered by Florida State, and Arkansas. During the 2020 season, Houck proved to have good pocket presence, and a solid arm. Not only does he make the short and intermediate passes well, but he also proved to make deep, college level throws look easy. With this, he also has good ball placement, a quick release, and an ability to maneuver well in the pocket. While he is not always polished with his footwork, we do like his release, and his ability to evade pressure and keep his eyes down the field. Look for him to continue to develop in his ability to read coverages, and to be able to tie his physical ability together with his overall understanding of the game of football. He can certainly develop into a big time QB prospect in the state of GA.