Six Stock-Risers from the Class of 2024

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The watchlist for the class of 2024 has just been released, making this the perfect time to highlight current freshmen who have the potential of making names for themselves in the football world.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Most of these players have barely begun to display their true potential and now they are preparing to enter what could easily be their breakout seasons. Regardless of their current popularity, each one of these players is worth adding to the prospect radar.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">This article highlights six of the up and coming freshmen players who are on the newly released 2024 watchlist. </span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="143630" first="Gabe" last="Sawchuk"] | Valor Christian | 5’10”, 165lbs | RB</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In his freshman year, Sawchuk showed that he is well on his way to becoming one of the best three-down backs in his class. He is a patient runner with great vision and power in his legs. Once a hole opens up, he puts his foot in the ground and accelerates to the second level. If the hole is not there, he puts his foot in the ground and creates one. Sawchuk is a tough runner to bring down and he is capable of picking up a handful of yards after the initial contact. Much like his older brother, expect Sawchuk to be a top prospect in the state.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/5519061/5fced2ff90f903089840086e’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/5519061/5fced2ff90f903089840086e" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="145655" first="Russell" last="Patton"] | Far Northeast | 5’11”, 180lbs | RB/LB</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Patton had a very impressive debut high school season that ended with him being a part of the spring state championship team. He is a powerful runner who is capable of lowering his shoulder and driving his feet to pick up the extra yards. Patton is also a disruptive linebacker who comes downhill to fill gaps and create contact. Whether on offense or defense, Patton is a player worthy of the spotlight.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15806761/60a2c59f8cd47a0e14ba8a7b’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15806761/60a2c59f8cd47a0e14ba8a7b" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="146052" first="Exodus" last="Johnson"] | Arapahoe | 6’4”, 265lbs | DL</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Johnson is a disruptive interior defensive tackle with excellent strength. He is the type of player who will garner double-team attention and still pose a serious threat to the offensive backfield. So far, Johnson’s playing style lives up to the number 99 that he wears on his jersey, making him a key player to watch this coming season.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14685094/5faed722b022c70218438b61’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14685094/5faed722b022c70218438b61" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="143627" first="Dushawn" last="Smith"] | Aurora Central | 6’0”, 160lbs | DB/WR</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Smith is on his way to being a top defensive back in his class. He has a heightened sense of awareness and really good instincts that are needed to excel at the position. He uses his size and athleticism to play the ball in the air and disrupt passing attempts. Smith is a physical player who is unafraid of coming downhill and lowering his shoulder to initiate contact with the ball carrier, which only adds to his value.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15076025/6088c36f2348d71058f05561’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15076025/6088c36f2348d71058f05561" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="143644" first="Mason" last="Cowgill"] | Erie | 6’4”, 200lbs | TE/DE</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Cowgill is going to be a serious problem for defensive passing schemes. This big-bodied tight end can release from a three-point stance just as fast as he can when split out wide. He covers ground quickly with his large strides, while his wide wingspan gives him an extended catch radius that makes him seem as if he is always open. With the amount of offensive weapons that Erie has, Cowgill adds another dangerous aspect to a fully loaded arsenal.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/5614771/5fb7d69b3deb6f09fcedc9c1’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/5614771/5fb7d69b3deb6f09fcedc9c1" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="146078" first="Lawson" last="Douglas"] | Regis Jesuit | 6’1”, 170lbs | DB</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Douglas has a very bright future ahead of him as a defensive back. He has great size for a corner and has been improving his craft immensely during the offseason. He possesses the length and the skillset to disrupt passes by playing the ball in the air, while using contact to finish the play. Douglas is an under-the-radar type of player with a pretty high ceiling.</span>