PrepRedzoneIA Showcase MVPs: DB, LB, QB, WR, RBs

As mentioned in my first featured wrap-up from Saturday’s PrepRedzoneIA Showcase at the TBK Sports Complex in Bettendorf, we had a nice variety of corn-fed big boys in the trenches, cannon-armed quarterbacks, and speedsters & burners at the skill positions to scout and evaluate last weekend, and as a PrepRedzone crew, we came away impressed. After breaking down my 10 MVPs from the OL and DL position groups earlier today, we can now move onto the QBs, LBs, DBs, and WR/RBs, and amongst the chosen standouts we have some serious skill, talent, and speed. Representing three different states in the Midwest, these selectees caught my eye for a variety of reasons throughout the day of testing, individual coaching, and 1 on 1 portion of the afternoon, and all of them have some serious potential to play football at the next level. To find out which athletes were honored with MVP status at the skill positions, all you have to do is scroll down! Thanks for reading and a very special thank you to the parents of the showcase participants, we really appreciate it! QBs Colin Buch (Benton Community) 2022. 6’, 185 lbs. Strong mechanics, quick release, and an ability to hit a variety of different throws with accuracy and precision were a few of my favorite things about Buch from last Saturday. [player_tooltip player_id="98642" first="Jack" last="Gilligan"] (Dubuque) 2022. 6’1.5, 180 lbs. Ran a 4.7 short shuttle and a 9’ broad and possessed a big arm and could throw a rope deep downfield on fades, posts, and any deeper route a WR and him worked out during 1 on 1s. He had a big windup as well, but was able to get the ball out of his hand with velocity and had some solid accuracy as well. I would love to see him play padded up in a game sometime. [player_tooltip player_id="24030" first="Jamison" last="Patton"] (Des Moines Roosevelt) 2023. A nicely built sophomore QB prospect who was athletic with good footwork and an ability to make throws from a variety of angles and puts a ton of zip on the ball with a really quick release. He brings a lot of nice traits to the table and has a naturally strong arm that can hit every route on the tree. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1388583882212233218?s=20[/embed] [player_tooltip player_id="31415" first="Tak" last="Tateoka"] (Waukesha South, WI) 2023. 6’2.25, 183 lbs. Our number #1 ranked QB in Wisconsin for the 2023 class, Tateoka has definitely put on weight since the last time I saw him, and continued to impress me with his natural accuracy and ability to hit WRs in stride and in the bread basket. He’s got a little hitch in his windup, but it’s something that can be easily fixed, and his arm strength, mobility, and touch on his deep balls all caught my eye when watching him throw. He still gets the rock out quick and has a high release point, and he’s going to continue to improve, grow, and grind, and with some solid coaching behind him I think he’s got a D1 ceiling and is among a loaded ’23 QB class in the Badger State. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1388583541324255237?s=20[/embed] DBs [player_tooltip player_id="140139" first="Darius" last="Sirleaf"] (Des Moines East) 2023. CB. 5’9, 160 lbs. One of the MVPs of the entire Showcase came out of the Des Moines East program and their sophomore sensation [player_tooltip player_id="140139" first="Darius" last="Sirleaf"], who ran a 4.56 followed by a 4.44 on the 40, a 9’1 broad jump, and a 7.56 on the L-drill. His impressive numbers translated nicely to 1 on 1s, where he was able to stick to WRs all afternoon long and use his natural athleticism to get himself out of tough situations covering routes. He was very impressive when at the point of contact where the ball got into the catch area and was able to go all out and leap and knock passes out of the air. He also did a good job of locating and adjusting to the football when it was in the air and flashed some good traits at the LOS as well with a lot of room to grow and improve. All in all, he has some serious talent and a bright future ahead of him, and I’m excited to see where his recruitment takes him. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1388593113309106182?s=20[/embed] [player_tooltip player_id="118720" first="Alex" last="Abens"] (Dallas Center-Grimes) 2022. 6’1, 182 lbs. I’m a big fan of the DCG program so I was excited to see Abens compete amongst the short-staffed DB group, and his length and size definitely were noteworthy when watching the DBs in positional drills. In 1 on 1s, he used that length to his advantage and was competitive at both the LOS and throughout the route, and used his hands efficiently while not to the point where a flag would get called. He probably projects as more of a safety in college but he definitely had some strong man coverage skills that would be really useful in a college DB room. Eddie Lortscher (Southeast Polk) 2023. 5’10.5, 144 lbs. Another young buck at the CB position came out of big school powerhouse SEP and their sophomore CB Lortscher. He looked like an underclassman, in that he is still growing and maturing into his body, but he’s already got good height for the position and I was really impressed with his technique from the WRs release at the LOS to the top of the route and through the point of the catch. He consistently got his hands on WRs at the LOS to disrupt their timing and did a good job of staying hip to hip while maintaining eye contact with the WR, getting his head around when he saw those eyes get wide but only when he was in good enough of a position to potentially get the tackle if it was in pads. His body control was also noteworthy, as he was able to plant, power out of his break, twist, and jump to make plays on the ball as well as PBUs and whack wideouts hands. If he can continue to add weight and grow into his body he’s going to be a really sticky CB on the outside of the illustrious SEP defense in the near future. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1388593522211708931?s=20[/embed] [player_tooltip player_id="140134" first="Jamar" last="Thompson"] (Indian Trail, WI) 2022. 5’10, 180 lbs. Really turned it on and impressed during the 1 on 1 portion of the event, as he was able to use his athleticism to contest a ton of balls that were good throws or that he seemed to be out of position for. He had good body control and was strong at the LOS when pressing, and also had a good vertical and was able to time a lot of his jumps out to compete for the ball at its highest point. [player_tooltip player_id="104998" first="Gus" last="Kelly"] (Oconomowoc, WI) 2024. I was impressed at the freshman’s grit throughout the event, as he matched up against some bigger and more experienced wideouts but never backed down and competed every rep and made some nice PBUs throughout the afternoon. All of this competition and experience he is gaining is going to pay off very soon. WRs [player_tooltip player_id="104112" first="Anthony" last="Isley"] (Mediapolis) 2023. 5’11.75, 167 lbs. Tested well with a 4.7 flat 40, a 9’3 broad and used that explosiveness well during 1 on 1s and proved himself a deep threat that DBs had trouble staying on top of throughout the afternoon. [player_tooltip player_id="31391" first="Brandon" last="Wraalstad"] (Oconomowoc, WI) 2023. 6’3, 218 lbs. Came in at a legit 6’3, 218 for a sophomore and put up a 4.75 short shuttle, 9’1 broad, and one of the best L-drill times of the afternoon in a 7.32. I was working height/weight for the check-ins at the vent, and Wraalstad immediately caught my eye with his exceptional length and frame as only a sophomore, and he put those measurables to good use and was able to show his short-area quickness, strength, and large catch radius to compete very well during 1 on 1s and make some impressive catches throughout the afternoon. He’s got a high ceiling and is a dynamic prospect at his age and size. [player_tooltip player_id="140259" first="Caeden" last="Janssen"] (Cedar Falls) 2022. 6’3, 170 lbs. Another long and noteworthy WR prospect out of Cedar Falls, Janssen ran a 4.88 40 and a 7.63 L-drill and was very strong and balanced when the ball got to his hands. He could generate some power out of his cuts, had a good vertical game, and some soft hands, and made multiple impressive catches throughout the day. He’s a good combination of speed and strength and was a tough matchup for the DBs at the event. [player_tooltip player_id="104753" first="Cole" last="Lipper"] (Mediapolis) 2023. 6’1.5, 203 lbs. Ran a 4.72 shuttle, an 8’10 broad, and a 7.69 L-drill and was well built for a sophomore and was a good athlete who could potentially play a lot of positions well at the high school level. He’s a sophomore to continue to keep his eye on going forward. Joe Flannery (Ames) 2022. 6’, 171 lbs. Had impressive and noteworthy body control and was able to smoothly react and adjust to balls thrown outside the traditional catch radius for a kid of his size. He had soft hands and some good size as well. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1388590737764278274?s=20[/embed] Jordan White (Davenport West) 2022. 5’7, 153 lbs. Strong route runner and a good separator during 1 on 1s who showed some soft hands and some good timing when he cut and broke of his routes. [caption id="attachment_140276" align="alignright" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-140276 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/E0VGdcYXIAMH5Uj-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Marieon Anderson[/caption] Marieon Anderson (Rock Island, IL) 6’2, 163 lbs. Ran a 4.75 40, a 4.8 shuttle, and a 9’1 broad along with great length who was my favorite WR to watch on the day. He was able to win throughout the route in a variety of ways, as he was deceptive and didn’t waste steps at the LOS, was excellent at stacking DBs, and could jump and adjust to tougher thrown balls and compete for every catch. He looked really natural running routes and was a technically sound wideout who has some good size to boot. He was fun to watch and should be well and thoroughly recruited when things are all said and done. [player_tooltip player_id="104721" first="Walker" last="Tart"] (Dubuque) 2023. 6’1, 190 lbs. Ran a 4.8 40, a 4.8 short shuttle, and a 7.18 L-drill and was a really well built and filled out sophomore wideout prospect. He played with a lot of power and could out muscle DBs to get better body positioning to make a play on the ball. He also has good speed that allows him to open up his route tree and is an athletic pass-catcher who can win throughout the route. Big things coming from this young man. [player_tooltip player_id="118814" first="Tucker" last="Dickherber"] (Camanche) 2022. 5’8.25, 170 lbs. Ran a 4.65 40 and a 4.6 short shuttle and used that speed and quickness to win some nice 1 on 1 battles throughout the day. LBs [caption id="attachment_140273" align="alignright" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-140273 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/E0U92RnXsAEvqOB-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="105169" first="Josh" last="Hendricks"][/caption][player_tooltip player_id="105169" first="Josh" last="Hendricks"] (Dallas Center-Grimes) 2023. 6’.5, 205 lbs. Well built, thick, and strong, the DCG product ran a 4.88 40, a 4.59 short shuttle, a 9’7 broad, and a 7.22 L-drill for some of the most impressive testing times of the day. He looked great during the individual coaching period, showing a great ability to change direction and get out of his stance with speed and explosiveness, as he also competed well in coverage during 1 on 1s, where things were not tailored for LBs. He is an instinctive and athletic player who moves really well and is a powerful prospect with a bright future ahead of him. He was fun to watch. [player_tooltip player_id="148847" first="Austin" last="Fiori"] (Dallas Center-Grimes) 2022. 6’3, 187 lbs. Had great length and showed off a really nice ability to press as a LB, which aided him in 1 on 1s and helped him compete with both speed or strong WR/RBs. He brings a good versatility to the position and some intriguing size as well. Randy Tice (Brookfield Central, WI) 2022. 5’8, 175 lbs. A really quick and powerfully build LB who most likely excels at the OLB position off the edge and in coverage on inside WRs or TEs. He got out of his stance with a ton of power and attacked downhill and ate up space to opposition really well. Definitely would love to see him in pads at some point. RBs [caption id="attachment_140263" align="alignleft" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-140263 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/E0U52FiWYAMRS-q-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="142530" first="Darnell" last="Butler"] - North Scott[/caption][player_tooltip player_id="142530" first="Darnell" last="Butler"] (North Scott) 2022. 5’7, 161 lbs. One of the overall MVPs of the entire Showcase came out of North Scott and their electric and explosive junior RB/SB [player_tooltip player_id="142530" first="Darnell" last="Butler"]. He ran a blazing 4.56 40 and a 4.71 short shuttle and generated a ton of power out of his cuts, and was extremely good at timing his cuts to maximize his shiftiness and explosive ability. He was dangerous and natural when 1 on 1s came around, and was deceptive and could unlock and break down his hips easily to create separation and keep DBs guessing on where he was going to break to. He also was a natural pass-catcher and made a lot of opponents and DBs look foolish during the competition period of the event, and was an ankle breaker and really fun athlete to watch at the event.