Stock Surging: Iowa's C/O 2023 Rising Skill Part V

There are many names in Iowa’s class of 2023 that need to be on your radar. Take a look below to see what made them stand out as underclassmen. These skill position players made a big splash during their Sophomore campaigns. The sky’s the limit with the tools they possess and there is no slowing down their ascent. Paxten Van Houten, Fremont-Mills, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EgxGY">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/PaxtenVanHouten">Twitter</a> WR, 5’9, 170 Van Houten is a dynamic playmaker who needs to have the ball in his hands and gets the job done in many ways. He plays with instinct that sets him apart from the competition. Van Houten runs crisp vertical routes and gets a step on his opponent. He absolutely battles when the ball is in the air. The contested catches he makes against larger defenders is a testament to how much fight he brings to the position. Van Houten has big value in the Bubble and Jet game, too, as he is highly skilled in the open field. What impresses most is what he does after the catch or handoff and the creativity used to pick up extra yards. Van Houten navigates traffic with well-timed jukes and cuts that leave tacklers confused and frustrated. He is so slippery and elusive; top-notch run after catch ability. [player_tooltip player_id="118838" first="Logan" last="Sibenaller"], Kuemper Catholic, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EueZb">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/LoganSibenaller">Twitter</a> RB, 5’9, 165 Sibenaller is an every down back who possesses electrictifying speed. He can run behind power and zone schemes and has a knack for reading blocks and getting vertical. If the play calls for him to get to the line of scrimmage with urgency he bursts through holes, makes a move, and is gone. If the play requires patience he allows the play to develop and turns it upfield. His start-stop ability, lateral cuts and jukes, and the way he churns his feet on contact makes him very dangerous in traffic and the open field. It is unlikely that any defender is going to be able to run Sibenaller down when he gets to space and finds daylight. Sibenaller has excellent hands out of the backfield, especially when motioning to bubble or into a route. He insert blocks in split sets like a beast, too. Ryan Brosius, Wahlert Catholic, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EX898">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/BrosiusRyan">Twitter</a> RB, 5’9, 150 Brosius does an outstanding job operating as a Wing in a run heavy offense and executes plays like Rocket Toss and Double Dive at a very high level. Brosius’ skill set lends well to this role; he is very nimble and accelerates quickly so being able to start plays in motion gives him an advantage. At the rapid rate in which he achieves full speed he is often at Linebacker depth or off-tackle before a defense can react. On Toss Brosius gets the edge behind impressive blocking from his Receivers and turns up the sideline. If there is a cutback to be made he attacks space and is dangerous once he’s in it. He has excellent balance, absorbs contact, and showcases strong field awareness. On Double Dive he does a noteworthy job of working off of his Fullback and exploding into the secondary. Landon Hochstein, Norwalk, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EWtZj">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/landonhoch">Twitter</a> QB, 6’3, 170 Hochstein does a lot of things really well with his arm out of the Spread. He has a lot of poise in the pocket and keeps his feet active as he patiently works through his progressions. Hochstein shows that he is very alert under pressure and can escape to make something out of nothing. Through the air he catches and releases impressively on short patterns against loose coverage. He delivers well-timed balls on routes like curls, hitches, and sticks. He leads his crossers very well and in stride. He also has a flair for dropping balls in right over the top of underneath zones and just out of the reach of defenders for easy completions. Hochstein has the arm strength to launch it deep and puts a perfect amount of air under the ball on such plays. He is also a very proficient ball carrier against a light box. Connor Carver, Fort Dodge, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EWezj">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ConnorCarver3">Twitter</a> QB, 6’1, 190 Carver displays many qualities of the modern Quarterback and what the position has become; most notably, being able to maintain impressive throwing mechanics from uncomfortable positions or when on the run. There are times Carver senses pressure and evades pass rushers looking like it will be a busted play, but he keeps his eyes downfield and delivers an impressive ball. Carver is also very fast and can gash a defense when scrambling if a throw isn’t there. When he can set his feet Carver steps into his throws and gets a lot of zip into his passes from the ground up. Carver launches an accurate deep ball that has a spot on trajectory. He can also put his underneath throws on a rope and out of reach from defenders. He is also dangerous in the mesh on plays like Zone Read. Ben Sandvig, Ankeny, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12764761/Ben-Sandvig/highlights">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/bensandvig">Twitter</a> DB, 5’10, 175 Sandvig is a terror for opposing Wide Receivers. He can jam exceptionally well and knock his matchup off their route or prevent them from getting in it altogether. Sandvig can also play in reverse. He is capable of playing man coverage at a high level, but really excels in zones. It doesn’t matter if it is the flat or a deep portion of the field, Sandvig is going to make plays. He is disciplined within his zone and exchanges impressively, but the most notable part of his game is the way he breaks on Receivers once the ball is in the air. He plants, pivots, and lines up his target with precision. Sandvig’s closing speed is imposing and he carries it right through the point of attack. Unwitting opponents don’t stand a chance and the collisions are big. He is a ballhawk in deep zones and makes athletic interceptions.