Oliver’s PrepRedzone Illinois & Indiana Showcase MVPs
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We’re going to wrap things up from our second-ever Illinois and first Indiana event from last Saturday’s Crown Point PrepRedzone Showcase at the Sparta Dome with some of my overall MVPs across each and every position group included that afternoon. With almost…
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Continue ReadingWe’re going to wrap things up from our second-ever Illinois and first Indiana event from last Saturday’s Crown Point PrepRedzone Showcase at the Sparta Dome with some of my overall MVPs across each and every position group included that afternoon. With almost 150 athletes representing three different states, four graduating classes, and eight positions on the gridiron, there was a TON of talent represented in Crown Point last weekend, and I wanted to make sure to give the athletes I saw some exciting potential from the well deserved attention and exposure they deserve. The athletes highlighted stood out to me for numerous reasons across the testing, indy, and 1 on 1 portion of the event, and I really enjoyed watching them all work and compete on a wonderful afternoon in Indiana. Thanks for checking out who came to play last Saturday, and I hope you enjoy the read!
Defensive Line
Brooks Bahr Brooks Bahr 6'6" | 275 lbs | DL Loyola Academy | 2023 State IL (Loyola Academy, IL) 2023. 6’5, 248 lbs.
About as surefire of a future P5 DL prospect I’ve seen throughout our Showcase tours in 2020-21, there was a lot of hype coming in behind the Ramblers sophomore despite some limited varsity experience early in his career at one of the CCL’s premier powerhouse programs. Holy cow though, this kid is a monster and is posied for not only a ton of future varsity success at the prep level but a very high ceiling as a future P5 collegiate defensive lineman. With a huge frame, really long arms, and an incredible amount of strength in his chest and lower body, there were a ton of reps where opposing OL could simply not handle his strength and were easily pushed backwards into the QB during 1 on 1s. I was also excited to see that the sophomore could mix things up and counter with speed moves and displayed an ability to cut back inside and beat OTs through the B gap if he needed to. I also saw him completely bull-rush lineman onto their butts, something that we really haven’t seen a lot of throughout the showcase circuit, and he did it multiple times throughout the afternoon. He was one of my overall MVPs and he will see his recruitment eventually explode with offers once the time comes.
Leighton Jones Leighton Jones 6'3" | 280 lbs | DL Brownsburg | 2023 State IN (Brownsburg, IN) 2023. 6’2.5, 253 lbs.
I was finally fortunate enough to get my eyes on some Brownsburg Bulldogs this past Saturday in Crown Point, and holy moly was I blown away with each and every prospect I saw compete from that high school last week. Jones was one of the standout Bulldogs from the DL position group and with broad shoulders, thick legs, and some large hands and feet he carried a really powerful frame for the trenches and showed an ability to play on the interior as a 3T or outwide at the 5 and was one of the most complete and balanced defensive line recruits at the Showcase who clocked a 4.78 short shuttle at 250+ and used that insane quickness to keep blockers guessing all through 1 on 1s and was lethal at crossing the tackles face and showed the speed and bend to get around the arch upfield as well. I loved the technique and twitchiness he played with and he’s another young DL from Saturday who has P5 potential. He also ran a 5 flat 40, jumped 9’ on the broad, and recorded a 7.88 L-drill.
Preston Jarvis (Brownsburg, IN) 2023. 6’, 237 lbs.
The second Brownsburg Bulldog sophomore to catch my eye from the DL group, Jarvis is a really intriguing prospect with FBS talent who was an instinctual pass-rusher that played technically sound and could string together pass-rush moves and counter opposing blockers punches and pass-sets with ease. He also possessed one of the strongest initial punches of any defensive lineman of the afternoon, and timed his punch effectively and sent blockers backwards throughout the 1 on 1 portion of the event consistently, and also had a strong rip and a push-pull that he displayed as well. He’s got a really high ceiling and was fun to watch last week.
Eddie Tuerk Eddie Tuerk 6'4" | 265 lbs | DL Lyons Township | 2024 State IL (Lyons Township, IL) 2024. 6’4, 238 lbs.
What a spring from Mr. Tuerk and what a prospect we have on our hands from Lyons Township. The freshman standout clocked a 4.75 short shuttle at almost 240 lbs. and showed an excellent get-off and some impressive twitchiness for his size and age. He was able to win the majority of his reps at the snap of the football, where his quick first step and powerful second set really kept lineman off-balance and unsure of whether to gain as much depth as possible in their pass-set or to anchor up and try to withstand the power-rush oncoming onslaught. When this didn’t happen though, the freshman was efficient using his length and light feet to get inside of, around, or right on through his would-be blocker. He’s a surefire P5 prospect who is going to have a lengthy sheet of offers before it’s all said and done, and I feel grateful I got to see him at his genesis. Big things coming, Eddie!
Linebackers
Ty Hopp Ty Hopp 6'0" | 225 lbs | LB Aurora Central Catholic | 2022 State IL (Aurora Central Catholic, IL) 2022. 5’11, 219 lbs.
The sophomore LB/RB came into the Showcase with offers from Air Force and Army-West Point and showed off why he’s garnering attention at the D1 level as he was the most well put together LB at the event and tested well with a 4.87 40, 4.91 short shuttle, and 9’3 broad and was an impressive during Indy and the competition portion of the event as he was great at generating power out of his cuts and could stick his foot in the ground and change direction efficiently and got out of his stance explosively, especially when going downhill. Even without pads, it was obvious that Hopp is a physical player who has North-South power, and also maneuvered in space well and was instinctive in coverage and definitely played with impressive game speed, and was incredibly disruptive when he got his hands on route-runners during 1 on 1s, consistently rerouting them and knocking them off of their marks. He was a unanimous favorite among scouts and coaches at the LB position last week.
Defensive Back
Gregory Atkinson Jr. (Mishawaka Marian, IN) 2022. 5’11, 153 lbs.
My oh my what a performance from the Indiana junior at last Saturday’s Showcase. To preface things, our DB group was significantly limited in numbers compared to the deep WR group, so the DBs coming in were facing a tough task and a boatload of reps before 1 on 1s even started. Atkinson Jr. was more than up for the challenge presented, and even before 1 on 1s began he caught everyone’s attention with a 4.5 40 followed by a 4.38 40 as well as back-to-back 9’8 broad jumps that really showcased his athleticism and explosiveness. The 2020 All-State pick in Indiana especially showed up and showed out during 1 on 1s though, where he was the stickiest corner I’ve seen from the double-digit PrepRedzone Showcases I’ve attended since we launched last year. With the exceptional speed he showed during testing, he was unbeatable deep for the WRs at the event and was impressive at every point of the route. Where I thought he really stood out from a former DBs perspective was how fast and how explosive he got out of his breaks, and he was able to close on the football with some really standout ability and competed on literally each and every throw he went against all afternoon. He also possessed some great jumping ability and won 50/50 balls all day long, and he was physical at the LOS as well as at the catch point. He is ridiculously underrecruited at this point in time!
Offensive Line
Richard Myers Richard Myers 6'7" | 300 lbs | OL Castle | 2022 State IN (Castle, IN) 2022. 6’6, 299 lbs.
The MVP of the OL group came out of the 2022 class and the Castle Trojans program in Richard Myers Richard Myers 6'7" | 300 lbs | OL Castle | 2022 State IN . What was most impressive about the junior was the big boy’s ability to adjust and react to opposing pass-rushes and how light on his feet he was, as he was able to quickly cover ground in his pass-set if need be and could plant his foot in the ground and respond to inside breaking moves by DL during 1 on 1s. With great size and some noteworthy strength in his frame, he could anchor well and defend whatever opposing DL threw at him whether it be a speed rush around the arch of his outside shoulder or inside past his facemask. He was also confident and collected in his technique and fight and possessed a strong punch when he timed out his hands well against DL, and I came away very impressed with the junior and think he’s a big-time sleeper in a loaded Indiana OL class.
Benjamin Decker (Noblesville, IN) 2023. 6’4.25, 266 lbs.
A soon to be D1 recruit at the OL, Decker was a really impressive underclassman out of the offensive line group that showed noteworthy bend and flexibility in his ankles and hips that helped him to set an impressively strong base and really counter pass-rushers with authority and physicality all afternoon long in Crown Point and really highlight his potential and upside at the OL position. He’s got long arms, big feet and hands, and a lot of room to continue to grow and add strength and mass to his body without impacting his speed or quickness. He was fast and strong out of his stance and was able to beat rushers within the first one to two steps of their rush or at the top of his set where DL had to pick to continue bending outside or cut back across his face thanks to his strength and toughness at the point of contact. He was patient and strong with his hands as well, and had a great showing last weekend, and will see his recruitment blow up as an upperclassman.
Aidan Duerig (Mount Carmel, IL) 2023. 6’5, 298 lbs.
I got to see the Caravan standout compete in pads this spring against St. Viator where he left an impression on me thanks to his size and toughness on the OL, and I was very much looking forward to seeing him on the camp circuit last weekend in Indiana. He lived up to the hype and then some, as he was aggressive and physical at every point of the defender’s rush and really showed that he could react and flip his hips when threatened with an opposing pass-rush. His long arms and thunderous punch also left opponents reeling, and I think he has a really bright future and a lot of college suitors that could utilize his skill-set. He was fun to watch and his best football is in front of him!
Running Back
Caleb Marcus Caleb Marcus 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Brownsburg | 2023 State IN (Brownsburg, IN) 2023. 5’10, 159 lbs.
Another surefire Brownsburg D1 prospect out of the 2023 class came from the RB position and their unanimous MVP Caleb Marcus Caleb Marcus 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Brownsburg | 2023 State IN , who had by far the best testing portion of the event as he recorded a 4.56 40 and a 10’8 broad jump to highlight his superb athleticism and explosiveness. He was also slippery and smooth during 1 on 1s and showed a natural ability to separate and cut on a dime to get open and could run a variety of routes successfully despite playing the RB position. He also had a tremendous vertical game in both his top-end speed and hops, as he was a deep threat who could get under the deep throws and get back, get his foot in the ground, and explode into the air to high-point the football over defenders. He had some very nice reps throughout the day and showed everything we could have wanted to see and then some last Saturday.
Quarterback
Sean Cruz (Evanston Township, IL) 2022. 5’11, 180 lbs.
Clocked a 4.56 40, a 4.78 short shuttle, and a 10’ broad to really display some eye-popping testing numbers and explosiveness. Don’t get it twisted though, the Evanston product is definitely a QB prospect as opposed to an “ATH” and showed really crisp mechanics as he could get the football out of his hand in a hurry and really utilized his footwork to garner power into his throws. He had natural accuracy and got better and better as the day went on and showed some really exciting touch on his deep balls in particular, as well as an obvious ability to hit shorter and intermediate throws with poise. I’m a big fan and would love to watch him throw live this coming fall.
Colton Gumino (IMG Academy) 2025. 5’8, 145 lbs.
The youngest signup at the Showcase may have one of the highest ceilings, as the 8th grader was technically very sound and had a strong arm that whistled with velocity on shorter throws. The ball looked great coming out of his hand, and with a clean release and that didn’t show any glaring hitches he also threw an excellent deep ball and could put the football where only the WR could make a play on it. I’ll be very curiously following his career in high school and although things are competitive at IMG he looks like he has some obvious arm talent that should show up on the gridiron. Big things coming!
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Albert Kunickis Albert Kunickis 6'3" | 210 lbs | RB Lemont | 2022 State IL (Lemont, IL) 2022. 6’3.5, 205 lbs.
Not sure where to start with the Lemont junior, who is an outright standout in the state of Illinois and possesses a superb frame, natural athleticism, and innate versatility on the gridiron that is really hard to match. With a 4.9 short shuttle and a 10’ broad he was explosive in both testing and 1 on 1s and was a complete matchup nightmare for DBs all afternoon long. He was a really impressive route-runner who could flip his hips and cut on a dime to gain separation and showed a lot of nuance and detail in his game, as well as the soft hands and speed to get over the top and stack slower defenders. Even against speedier guys he could utilize his strong frame and route-running ability to get open, and finished every rep with hustle and competitiveness and won basically every matchup he had on the day. The athleticism is absolutely there for the junior and I would hope a college coaching staff could really mold and take advantage of so much raw ability in a prospect. He’s one I am very much rooting for and I see a very successful college career coming for the Lemont prospect no matter where he lands.
Anthony Hood (Whitney Young, IL) 2024. 6’, 165 lbs.
The freshman is explosive, athletic, and raw, but is definitely a P5 prospect who is a fluid and natural football player no matter what position he plays at. Because of the shortage of DBs, Hood stepped in to cover some wideouts and showed some innate explosiveness out his breaks and the athleticism to stay with WRs despite some intermediate mistakes in eye disciple for a kid who doesn’t play DB full time. He was especially efficient during 50/50 balls up in the air, where he showed exceptional effort to break up the football and some great body control to make a play on the football no matter where he was. Big things coming from the CPS product!
Damarion Arrington (Mount Carmel, IL) 2023. 6’, 169 lbs.
A long, rangy wideout with a ton of athleticism and room to grow in his sophomore frame, Arrington could run a variety of routes with effectiveness and displayed some excellent body control which helped him set a wide catch radius and make some impressive catches throughout the afternoon on short, intermediate, or deeper throws. With long arms, quick feet, and some impressive high-pointing ability there wasn’t a ball he couldn’t make a play on in Crown Point. Ran a 4.78 40, a 4.8 short shuttle, and a 9’1 broad jump during testing.
Quincy Hall Jr Quincy Hall Jr 6'0" | 160 lbs | WR Mascoutah | 2023 State IL . (Mascoutah, IL) 2023. 5’10.5, 152 lbs.
Hall was my favorite route-runner of the entire Showcase and was really dangerous at this release as well as throughout the route, where he was impressively deceptive when breaking off his routes and was especially dangerous when he had multiple chances to drop his hips and re-routes DBs. With long arms, explosive feet, and soft hands he was a balanced WR product who was elusive and shifty when running routes and after the catch and is only going to get better as an upperclassman. He clocked a 4.72 40 and a 9’3 broad jump as well.
Marrell Tyler II (Grays Creek, IN) 2022. 6’2, 162. lbs.
Fast. Very fast. He was one of the best deep threats among the WR groups and was efficient and consistent at stacking DBs and was tremendous at tracking and getting under the football to make a play on the ball. He won virtually every rep he had on the afternoon and was incredibly quick at the LOS, and showed some great releases that never wasted a step and really took advantage of DBs reaching, opening their hips, or trying to mirror his movements in order to gain separation. With long arms and great speed, he presented a large catch radius and has a bright future ahead of him.
Josh Lim (Marmion Academy, IL) 2023.
Really stood out to me for his ability to cut off his routes, Lim was a detailed route-runner and won a ton of reps due to his ability to gain separation.
Jimmy Trilla (Hinsdale Central, IL) 2023.
Especially shifty at his release, Trilla was great at breaking away from defenders due to his quick feet and power out of his breaks and was a good route-runner who had some impressive reps throughout the afternoon and was a tough matchup for DBs on the day.