Gardendale vs. Florence: Prospect Watch!

As Florence (5-4) and Gardendale (7-2) prepare for their Week 10 matchup, we went ahead and highlighted some of the star players in this game! &nbsp; <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">GARDENDALE </span></strong></span></em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125528" first="Kelby" last="Collins"]- </strong>|DE| |6’5 278| Collins is a threat every offense has to gameplan around, and will definitely be a focus of the Florence offense this week. Collins has great size, power, and speed as he finds himself always in the opponent’s backfield making plays. Collins is both great in pass rush and run support, as he wins battle after battle in the trenches. As a nationally regarded 2023 prospect, Collins has stacked up offers from nearly everyone, with LSU, Auburn, Georgia, and many more wanting to add him to their recruiting classes. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="126058" first="LaTravious" last="Sanders"]- </strong>|RB| |5’10 185| [player_tooltip player_id="126058" first="LaTravious" last="Sanders"] is a guy that we have watched steadily progress into becoming one of the best running backs in the state. Sanders has a great sense of vision that has allowed him to easily find ways to carve through opposing defenses. Combining that with his speed, strength, and elusiveness has helped Sanders contribute greatly to his team’s offense. Sanders has received lots of attention, as he has offers from USF, Arkansas State, Marshall, and more &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125525" first="Dallas" last="Young"]- </strong>|CB| |6’0 180| Young presents a massive issue for opposing passing attacks, as he rarely allows any completions due to his great abilities in coverage. Young has great athleticism, size, and instincts, all of which are incredibly useful skills to have as a cornerback. Young uses those traits to make play after play in the secondary, making tackles, breaking up passes, and forcing turnovers for Gardendale. Young is another popular member of the state’s 2023 class that has been able to garner significant attention as he has received offers from Georgia, Florida State, Ole Miss, and more. &nbsp; <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">FLORENCE</span></strong></span></em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125521" first="Jahlil" last="Hurley"]- </strong>|ATH| |6’2 170| Another incredibly talented 2023 prospect, [player_tooltip player_id="125521" first="Jahlil" last="Hurley"] contributes to his team in every way possible. Defensively, Hurley lines up at his natural position at cornerback. As a corner, Hurley uses his size to his advantage, physically dominating wide receivers at the line of scrimmage, and not allowing any completions his way. Offensively, whether he is lined up at wildcat quarterback or wide receiver, Hurley uses his superior athleticism to take plays the distance for his team. Currently, Hurley lists offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and plenty more. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="127519" first="Jakobie" last="Hurley"]- </strong>|WR| |6’5 190| [player_tooltip player_id="127519" first="Jakobie" last="Hurley"] has been a vital part of Florence’s offense this season. Hurley uses his great size to his advantage, consistently physically beating opposing defensive backs. With his height and catch radius, Hurley catches right over the top of defenders all the time. Hurley applies the same sort of physicality to his blocking as well, as many huge plays can be attributed to him setting clean blocks for his teammates. Last week, Jakobie had a great game against Grissom where he caught two touchdowns, and it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him make similar plays this week either. &nbsp; <strong>Jaylen Simpson- </strong>|RB| |5’11 180| Jaylen Simpson is another key member of the talented Florence offense. Simpson has tons of twitch, elusiveness, speed, and a great set of hands that have allowed him to be impactful in both the run and passing game. Simpson has great instincts that have led him to make huge plays for his team throughout his junior season, he seems to always know where defenders are coming from. Due to that, Simpson has found himself in the endzone many times this year, and for Gardendale to win this game they are going to have to find a way to limit his red zone opportunities, as he will almost always take advantage of them. &nbsp; Expect this to be a great game filled with huge plays from these prospects!