Twitter Tag Tape Review Week 8: Illinois 2022-24 Prospects

Another week of football and another large amount of players who need more attention. The way they do that is by tagging me on Twitter (@MikeFChen) and I have been giving those player as much attention as possible, so here is another edition of Twitter Tag Tape Review. 2024 Thornton Fractional North ATH Dominic Gradford (5’9” and 143lbs) @Only1Dom Solid hands, Gradford mainly lines up in the solid to take advantage of his speed. He does a good job of not avoiding contact, driving his feet though his opponents. As a smaller player, he actually does a good job for blocking against defensive backs. If Gradford does grow and taller, he’s going to have to hit the weight room for teams to give him a shot. There is time for him to do so and at this moment just keep tabs on his progression. 2022 Buffalo Grove defensive end Trystan Anderson (6’4” and 220lbs) @ttandersonn Very good speed, Anderson sets the edge well and does well in contain when playing the run. He keeps a low and athletic base and does often get fooled by misdirection. Anderson does tracking players form the backside as well. As a pass rusher, he is able to beat his man with a bull rush, speed and good hands. The frame is long and there is room for him to add on weight as he gets older. St. Thomas just offered him, joining Drake and Valparaiso, but uncommitted, Anderson still has a choice to make and other offers could entice him. 2023 Riverside-Brookfield  [player_tooltip player_id="252469" first="Ryan" last="Novak"] (6’ and 185lbs) @Ryan_Novak18102 A very good reader of plays, Novak plays the middle of a defense very well. In run support he’s able to wait back and make his reads, getting through traffic to make the play. In the pass game, Novak gets enough depth to keep plays in front of him then is able to take solid angles to make the tackle. Although Novak also plays running back as well, he better suited to play defense at the next level. More weight gain will be needed if he wants to continue to play linebacker, but the skill set is there to make a move to safety if needed. 2023 Nazareth ATH [player_tooltip player_id="20839" first="Kaleb" last="Miller"] (5’8” and 177lbs) @KalebMiller_ A good an patient runner, Miler has the speed to get to the outside and make big plays. The vision is solid and has gotten better than last year, which is good to see. He played a bit of slot last year, but as expected his move to running back due to his size was the correct move. Miller is more of an outside the tackle runner but could be a terror if put in motion and matched up against a linebacker. I’ve seen his hands, which are solid and playing a bit of both could be in his future. 2023 Kankakee WR Maurice Burkes (6’2” and 181lbs)  @DababyReece A special teams demon, Burkes uses his good speed attack the returner as he keeps his lane. He uses his good speed as an offensive player as well, especially on screen plays. Burkes is more of a straight line runner, getting to top speed a few steps after turning upfield. He’s got solid hands as well, his frame should allow him to continue to add solid weight while keeping his speed. I’d like to see more of Burkes as a linebacker, I think his skill set would fair better there. He’s got another year of development so keep an eye out of the focus on defense becomes larger. 2022 Sandburg DE Nathan Gibbons (6’3” and 245lbs) @NathanMGibbons Very quick off the edge, Gibbons uses a variety of moves to attack the backfield. He has a speed rush, a swim move along with a bull rush, all while using his hands very well. Gibbons is patient, doesn’t over pursue and keeps his assignment end when unblocked. He is a solid tackler who really disengages well when an offensive lineman locks onto him. An offer from Upper Iowa and other schools looking at him, Gibbons in an unsigned senior that has a lot of potential. 2023 Huntley DE [player_tooltip player_id="119890" first="Boston" last="Bower"] (6’1” and 245lbs) @boston_bower Having the ability to move along the line is always a plus and Bower can do that. Not only is he able to play the nose, end and 3-tech, he’s making plays from those positions as well. He makes it difficult on offensive lines to prepare for where he’s going to line up, using his good hands to disrupt plays. He’s fast enough to chase down plays on the backside all while having the strength to hand fight at the line. One of the hardest workers in the state, Bower has started to get some D1 interest and it should continue throughout his senior season next year. 2022 Glenbard North [player_tooltip player_id="170607" first="Shea" last="Gaffney"] (6’ and 185lbs) @shea_gaffney Gaffney brings a lot to the table, most of that is due to his ability to play in the back end of a defense, move into the slot and even get on an island and play corner. He’s most likely a safety, but the experience he has shown playing all over the secondary is not a bad. Gaffney reads running plays well, taking good angles with solid tackling form. When he blitzes, he uses those skills to track down the ball carrier and either make the tackle or contain the play. Currently, Gaffney is not getting many looks but he’s certainly got the ability to be a solid player at the next level. 2024 Evergreen Park QB Deijon Feliciano (5’8” and 140lbs) @DeijonF On the smaller side, Feliciano does a great job at running zone read plays, reading the defensive end and making the correct decision. He has average arm strength, but overcomes that with some very good touch especially on his intermediate balls. There might be a position change in his future, Feliciano doesn’t have the body-type to play quarterback at the next level. Keep an eye on his development the next few seasons. 2022 Crete-Monee WR Charles Joseph (5’11” and 175lbs) @ChanceJo25 Above average speed and good patience, Joseph makes big play when it looks like he’s bottled up. He has a low center of gravity, which gives him good balance and small area change of direction. Even though he’s a smaller back, Joseph is not afraid of contact and keeps his legs moving after the initial hit. There is some wiggle to his game as well and he has solid hands as a pass catcher. Western Illinois is after him and there should be other schools knocking on his door as well.