Class of 2023: 3A

There are several talented soon to be Juniors in class 3A.  Here are five players that are looking to improve upon their outstanding Sophomore season of 2020 or have a breakout Junior year in 2021. <strong>OL, [player_tooltip player_id="35665" first="Joe" last="Otting"], 6’4, 260, Hayden</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="35665" first="Joe" last="Otting"] is the #1 ranked OL and the #6 player overall in the class of 2023.  A versatile player who plays as a C,G and T.  When run blocking, he fires out low, uses his very good leverage to get under the pads of the 1T on down blocks, showing good hands as he delivers a powerful punch to the frame of his man and uses his excellent play strength to drive him out of the play with ease while displaying excellent physical toughness as he finishes the block to the ground.  In pass pro, he shows great reactive athleticism as he can pick up twists and stunts from the 3T while keeping his feet moving constantly as he shoots his hands onto the frame of his man sinking his hips as he anchors while keeping good distance between him and the QB. <strong>LB, [player_tooltip player_id="87837" first="JC" last="Cummings"], 5’10, 190, Hayden</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="87837" first="JC" last="Cummings"] is the 8th ranked LB and the 67th ranked player overall in the class of 2023.  He plays primarily as a MLB.   He is very good against the run as he effectively keys and diagnoses the play at the snap of the ball, uses his very good quickness and agility to navigate through traffic, uses his very good instincts as he takes the correct angle in pursuit, plays at a low pad level and displays very good form tackling ability as he uses his good play strength in his upper body, lower body and core to bring down larger RB with ease.  Occasionally, he will line up as a DT in a 2i where he uses his very good burst off the ball to shoot the A gap and uses his good motor and play speed in pursuit of the QB as he forces the QB to throw earlier than he anticipated. <strong>RB, [player_tooltip player_id="35678" first="Isaac" last="Klug"], 5’11, 175, Newton</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="35678" first="Isaac" last="Klug"] is the 14th ranked RB and the 78th ranked player overall in the class of 2023.  He is a very talented player who displays very good prowess as both a rusher and receiver.  He shows very good vision as he finds the open hole on inside zone runs, good burst through the hole as he accelerates to top speed quickly, runs behind his pads and shows great heart running over a larger DB at the goal line for a TD.  As a receiver, he displays excellent manual dexterity as he possesses a large catch radius which enables him to make the catch on passes that are thrown above his head.  Shows good ability to gain yards after the catch as he quickly turns upfield gaining several yards on screen plays as he outruns LB and some DB for the first down. <strong>DL, [player_tooltip player_id="122946" first="Ricky" last="Parga"], 5’8, 250, Newton</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="122946" first="Ricky" last="Parga"] is the 10th ranked DL and the 102nd ranked player in the class of 2023 overall.  He plays as a DT/NT where he lines up primarily in a 0T and 3T.  He is very good against the run as he uses his very good burst off the ball and uses his play strength and physical toughness to stack the C or G at the point of attack and shed the base block.  He keeps his eyes on the ball carrier constantly and displays very good play strength to bring down the large RB with ease.  He is a solid pass rusher who quickly penetrates the LOS and uses his good play speed in pursuit of the QB and is able to hit the QB as he throws leading to an interception. <strong>ATH, [player_tooltip player_id="87855" first="Matt" last="Lierz"], 5’11, 190, Holton</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="87855" first="Matt" last="Lierz"] is the 17th ranked athlete and the 119th ranked player overall in the class of 2023.  He plays as a QB on offense and a FS on defense.  He had a very good season in 2020 as he completed 5 of 10 passes for 91 yards and a TD while rushing for 71 yards and 11 carries with 3 TD on offense and made 51 tackles with 2 TFL, 4 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and a pass defensed on defense.  As a FS, he displays very good football intelligence as he quickly keys and diagnoses the play, uses his very good range and closing speed to get to the TE in his zone in cover 3 and delivers a punishing hit to the large TE at the exact moment that the ball touches his hands.  He displays very good ball skills, as he tracks the ball in the air while playing "center field" and is able to catch the ball at it’s highest point with his arms fully extended as he comes down with the interception. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;