Prospect Spotlight: Charlie Plum – Cretin-Derham Hall (2022)

It was a struggle during the 2020 football season for the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. The program won just one game, but with fifteen of twenty-two starters – including junior [player_tooltip player_id="116454" first="Charlie" last="Plum"] – returning, the Raiders are set up for a resurgent season. Along with the team’s likely improvement will be the improvement of Plum and the improvement of his college football opportunities. "Eight of eleven of our starters on offense were juniors, and seven out of eleven on defense were juniors," Plum explained. "Our offense was scoring twenty or thirty points a game, but our defense had injuries, and we weren’t very big. We didn’t have any depth on defense either. This upcoming season we are ready for a big season." In 2020, the offense mainly moved the ball through the air, and the defense defended the pass well. "We were passing the ball and making plays in the passing game when the offense was playing well," Plum said. "Our defensive backs – especially our safeties - played well on defense." Plum’s role on the offense changed during the season. In the junior’s mind, it was a change for the better. "I think I did pretty good," said the junior tight end. "I put up some good film and made some good plays. Once my coach started splitting me out instead of being in the box all the time, I felt like I could make more plays. In a receiver stance, I was able to get out of my breaks faster." His senior year will be only Plum’s fourth year playing football. "My route running and hands are my strengths. I maybe had two drops this year. I didn’t start playing football until my freshman year. (At first), I was more of a blocking tight end. Over the summer before my sophomore year, I realized I could catch, and I got faster and bigger." As a junior, Plum switched positions on the defensive side of the ball. "I played defensive end. As a sophomore, I was an outside linebacker, but because we didn’t have enough defensive linemen, the d-line coach asked me to come with them one day. I got off the ball quickly and was able to get my hands on the linemen quickly, so they moved me to defensive end. I didn’t have the best year on defense. I am talking with my coach about moving back to outside linebacker next year. I feel like I am more effective there." Plum’s offseason will be focused on the offensive side of the ball. "I am focused on my footwork and getting out of my breaks faster," the 6’4" 210 junior said. "This summer, I am hoping to become a force in the open field – being tough to tackle." Although he gets in football workouts when he can, Plum is a three-sport athlete. "Basketball was my main sport until my freshman year. This year, I was getting a lot of minutes at the beginning of the year. I was getting minutes, but I wasn’t playing a big role. I am a good slasher and rebounder." "This is my first year doing track," Plum continued. "With wanting to play football in college, I didn’t play baseball this year. I have been doing the 100, the triple jump, the long jump, and the high jump in track. Just this past meet, I dropped the long jump and threw discus for the first time. On my first throw, I won the meet." Once summer break hits, Plum will be in the weight room and will be camping. "I will be lifting five days a week. I don’t want to bulk up a bunch because I still want to keep my speed, but I want to be more explosive and solid all-around. Once or twice a week, we will be working on the field. I have been invited to camps and am doing a camp pretty much every three or four days in June." In addition to being invited and planning on attending nine different football camps, Plum has also been on visits. "I have visited Augsburg; they gave me a roster spot," Plum told prepredzonemn.com. "I visited Minnesota-Duluth. I was invited to visit Bemidji State, but I wasn’t able to make it. I have been getting coaches checking in with me – mostly Division II schools." "A lot of the coaches say they like my versatility – being able to split out but also be a powerful blocker," Plum continued. "They said they like my speed and my long frame." The CDH coaches and his Raiders’ teammates are going to like that versatility too. No doubt Plum’s improvement – and the improvement of the rest of the young squad - will mean an improvement in the win column too.