Underrated Impact Players To Look Out For (Colorado)

Imagine being an athlete while the whole world basically shuts down in the midst of offseason workouts. That is what all of these student-athletes had to overcome when the global pandemic hit in March of 2020. The stats this season may not be as gaudy as they have been in previous seasons, due to less games being played all throughout the state of Colorado. This makes it even more important to highlight some of the kids who fought through all the adversity and were still able to become impact players in the Fall of 2020. Today we focus on the players in the class of 2022 and 2023 who may be flying under the radar, but deserve some more attention. Malique Singleton- Defensive Back, Grandview High School It is no surprise at all that the first kid being covered comes from a consistent 5A powerhouse in Colorado. The first word that comes to mind when watching the tape of the 6’1 175 pound safety is playmaker. Singleton had 5 interceptions in 7 games along with a team leading 61 tackles in his junior campaign. Singleton is a very good instinctual athlete, who is also not afraid to show up in the run game. His biggest strength is zone coverage where he can read the quarterback’s eyes, by jumping routes and using his fluid hips. Although he may not seem like the most physically imposing safety (in terms of weight) he still manages to beat blocks easily by winning with his speed, and is always a threat to take it to the house when he has the ball in his hands. It’s really surprising that the second team all centennial league defensive back has no offers yet, but with another offseason to get better and put on some more weight and strength there will definitely be some schools with interest in the preseason, and especially if he has another solid season in the fall of 2021. Hayden Woodruff- Offensive Lineman, Mullen High School Our first underclassmen cracks the list! He may not be able to drive a car yet, but he’ll drive a 4 tech 10 yards back into the ground violently. Standing at 6’4 300 pounds his versatility is very important as he primarily plays tackle but may need to play some guard at the next level, unless he keeps growing which is very likely. Woodruff has very good technique and quick hands which help him excel when it comes to run blocking. He may not be the strongest tackle out there yet, but once he gets his hands on the inside of a defender it is a wrap. Woodruff is a very good athlete for his size, you can tell by the way he fires off the ball, and was also a state qualifier for wrestling in 2020. With a 3.5 cumulative GPA Woodruff has all the characteristics colleges look for in an offensive lineman; intelligence, toughness, work ethic, good character, body and foot quickness, with great balance and body control. Woodruff was able to snag a second team all conference nod in the 5A Jeffco conference as a sophomore, it is safe to say his best days are ahead of him. The only reason he may not have offers yet is because it is still very early in the process, it won’t be surprising at all when colleges start to show interest pretty soon. [player_tooltip player_id="58934" first="Eli" last="Hubert"] - Wide Receiver, Silver Creek If you look up a Swiss army knife on google, you may find a picture of [player_tooltip player_id="58934" first="Eli" last="Hubert"]. Here is a kid who is listed as a receiver, but when you turn on the tape is everywhere on the field. Hubert had 6 total touchdowns in 7 games. 3 of them were receiving, while he had a kick return touchdown along with 1 on the ground and even threw for a touchdown. The Junior out of Silver Creek may be a bit undersized at 5’10 170 pounds, but can easily translate that to the slot at the next level. Hubert is a sure handed receiver who is a big play waiting to happen, he doesn’t have too many wasted movements, as he is more of a one cut get up field type of guy. He possesses the speed necessary at the wideout position and plays bigger than his size by attacking the football and coming away with 50-50 throws. Hubert may need to sharpen his route running skills, as DBs on the next level can be very physical. His electrifying play earned him 1st team all region and all conference in the 4A Northern 1 league as a kick return specialist averaging over 30 yards per return. Hubert also recorded 21 tackles as a cornerback to go along with all of that offensive versatility. Hubert should have offers pouring in from D2 level schools in the near future. Hayden Triplett - Running Back, Dakota Ridge It is fascinating that this kid is only a sophomore. Triplett is a back who does not really dance much and will always hit the correct hole hard. His vision is what really separates him and helped propel him to 10 total touchdowns in 8 games. Listed at 5’9 172 pounds, Triplett is a compact power back with rare speed for someone who runs that hard and tough. Another thing that he does well is catch the ball out of the backfield and break tackles once he has the rock in his hands. Tripplett is a big play waiting to happen who has a great combination of elusive change of direction, and strength to always fall forward. The young Dakota Ridge eagle made quite the name for himself earning 2nd team all conference honors in the 4A Jeffco league. He averaged a whopping 7.9 yards per carry while splitting the backfield with 2 seniors, the sky is the limit for this guy when he becomes the lead back next fall in 2021.     Tai Faave - Linebacker, Fountain Fort Carson What better way to close out this list, then with the best 2 way player to be mentioned yet. Another young bull makes the cut being a class of 2023 graduate. Faave is the true definition of a sideline to sideline middle linebacker; he ended his sophomore campaign with 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, to go along with 67 total tackles. What makes him really special is that he also had 5 touchdowns on the other side of the ball averaging over 10 yards per carry. You can tell Faave has a sensational work ethic by checking out his twitter page and also by watching how quickly he triggers to the ball, it’s obviously a testament to how much time he puts in the film room. For his age, standing at 6’0 205 is a very solid height and weight, at the next level he seems to be perfectly suited to be an outside linebacker. Lastly with this great athlete playing both sides of the ball it ultimately helps him even more at the Linebacker spot because he shoots gaps and meets running backs with great physicality, he is definitely a feared hitter in the 4A southern conference

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Underrated Impact Players To Look Out For (Colorado)

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