2023 Prospect Deep Dive - Cadin Olsen, J'Ven Williams

In today’s piece, we will be doing something I don’t do too often, a prospect deep dive through an intense scouting lense. These are always tough to do properly, as I do not have much to go off of besides Hudl highlights, stats & production, as well as what I have uncovered in person attending games and off-season events. Writing proper scouting reports requires thorough work and analysis, gladly, I’ve learned to do so from NFL scouts and executives. Here, will be breaking down two 2023 stock risers from our latest rankings update, Armstrong’s Big-Arm QB , & rising star out of Wyomissing. We will dive into what aspects of each prospect’s game helped them raise their stocks this Fall!

Cadin Olsen Cadin Olsen 6'5" | 225 lbs | QB Armstrong | 2023 State PA | 6’5, 215 | QB | Armstrong | 2023

Elite 11 invitee
2020 WPIAL Passing Leader
189/290, 65.2% comp. per, 3331 total yards, 41 passing TDs / 4 rushing TDs - 2021 stats
Career Totals: 5531 total yards, 69 TDs
2021 Pitt Post-Gazette Fab-22 team selection

Snapshot from Tweet. (@CadinOlsen) https://twitter.com/CadinOlsen/status/1469419122077626368?s=20 , junior QB, two-year starter for Armstrong High School, 6’5, 215, 4.3 GPA. Prototypical build with desirable height, satisfactory weight. Room to fill pads. Total build good enough to sustain hits at current and next level. Durability is a non-issue thus far from what I was able to dig up. Operates in a heavy-spread, gun, open offense that wants to open then field up to show off this kid’s ability to distribute. Armstrong offense trusts Olsen to make a myriad of reads/throws even as a sophomore. This fact leads you to believe that Olsen is able to handle a heavy workload mentally, as well as the ability to process information quickly. What an offense asks of their QB can often make an impression of what the kid could handle at the next level. One of the cleaner mechanics you can find in Pennsylvania. Every high school quarterback in the nation has room for improvement as does Olsen. As a whole, his throwing motion/mechanics are above par. Love his initial triangle. Elbows tight and level, not too much sway away from his body when ball is in carriage. There is a slight loop when bringing the ball up, this is a giant nit-pick. As his pre-throw mechanics can be seen as a plus, Olsen could really improve his release time. Again, it’s still great, as is his entire skillset, but working on getting that ball out quicker and not overextending away from his body could propel this kid’s game to where I think it should be, and that’s potentially Group of Five college ball. One of my favorite aspects of Olsen’s game is his ability to make throws without a clean pocket, launching point, as well as making throws while under pressure. If you struggle to keep your eyes downfield, your mechanics dip or your downfield vision goes out the door when pressured, you’re going to struggle at the next level, no matter what that level may be. Olsen’s Hudl shows he can complete balls downfield with pressure from the edge or through the A-gaps. His Hudl shows he’s capable of generating torque even from awkward angles, which is a huge plus knowing he doesn’t need time and both feet set and pretty to make wow throws. I’ve seen the kid whistle seam balls off his back foot because of pressure. His arm is live and full of natural talent. His Hudl shows he can make every throw in the route tree. I saw him hit swings, slants, and hitches on time and accurately in the short passing game. I trust him to throw out-breaking routes on time and in rhythm. He’s proficient hitting the middle of the field, can tear up zone defenses when targetting dig and seam routes early or late in his progression. About his decision-making. Now I don’t see the bad throws/reads. I don’t know how many interceptions he’s thrown, or questionable balls for that matter. It’s also tough to know if Armstrong truly has him going through a progression. What I will say is I can feel and see his head/eyes bounce post-snap as he works the field. It seems as though they trust him to make standard reads through a progression that works one side of the field which is great to see at this level. Again, hard to diagnose. Love this kid’s confidence on the field. Don’t have to speak with him to know it, I can tell by some of the throws he tries to complete. Tight-window throws that can only be completed by a Quarterback who’s well-seasoned and one that has put in the offseason work. He’s done that. His downfield vision is a plus, often hitting guys in stride 30/40 yards downfield. Wouldn’t classify the kid as a dual-threat whatsoever, but he’s going to 100% take advantage of mismatches in the open field. Armstrong’s offense wants to open things up, which often leaves Olsen 1-on-1 with much smaller defenders when a play breaks down. He’s got some very fun runs on his Hudl which tells you two things. He isn’t afraid to take hits, he wants to deliver them, and that he’s more than willing to get hard-earned first downs if the job can’t be done with his arm. His recruitment won’t change on whether or not he can become a threat to run the ball. checks off MANY boxes in a t-shirt and shorts. His measurables are where you’d like them to be. Still has ample time to get his 215 weight up to 220/225. His mental processing is there and he’ll be the first to tell you he has a lot more to learn. Love where his pre/post-snap mechanics are, especially with a senior season coming up. His footwork is solid, arm talent is through the roof, as is his production at Armstrong. His game is backed up by on-field success, off-field success as well as in the classroom. His best stat might be that 4.3 GPA. Floor: FCS Ceiling: Group of Five.

Adidas All-American
4-Star Recruit / #3 overall player in his class per PRZPA
multiple Power Five offers

, junior offensive lineman with position/tackle versatility (RT & LT), meets all standards at 6’5, 310 pounds when projecting to the Power Five level. Functional use when speaking on hand and arm length. Only hear good things when talking about this kid’s character. His injury history from what I can uncover is non-existent or minimal. His mental ability & processing is there as he can dominate in the run and passing games as well as make assignment adjustments on the go. This is one of the easier reports to write up and easier tapes to break down because of the multiple areas Williams excels at. Absolutely love this young man’s initial quickness off the ball. Again please factor in the kid’s size. It’s rare to see a 300-lb linemen move off the ball with this kind of quickness all the while maintaining constant leverage and balance. His explosion is elite. Awesome leg drive and shock ability. He can roll his hips all while bringing his feet with him to toss defenders around when run blocking. The run-blocking ability is there on the move too, not just when working into the second level. He can cut-off linebackers and safeties coming down to help. His explosion and initial quickness are incredible. Great use of hands, it’s another area of J’Ven’s game that puts him above the rest in his class. His overall strength is on par with anyone’s in the state, combine that with his great hand placement and ability to steer opponents, and you have yourself a prominent weapon along your offensive line. He’s got quick feet for such a mammoth of a man. He excels 1-on-1 in pass protection because of his quick feet, balanced base, and overall flexibility. 100% knee-bender and so fluid in the open field. He’s obviously well-coached, as you can see a number of techniques down-pat that you don’t normally see out of junior offensive lineman. Awesome hand-punch-replace ability all while remaining frontal of the defender. Williams is as athletic a lineman as they come. Love his ability to uncoil out of his stance and at the point of attack while maintaining good pad-level. His hips are fluid in pass-pro as he can sink said hips to absorb any initial pushback. Take everything I said about this kid’s athleticism, power, and explosiveness and translate it to the defensive side of the football. He of course projects as an offensive lineman at the next level, but when you have such a dominant and powerful force inside, you’d be crazy to not play him on the defensive line as well. It goes to show just how tough and just how much attitude Williams plays with. He’s going to punish you snap to finish on both ends of the football. Would love to see this kid in the weight room and what his combine numbers would look like. I can go on and on about this kid’s completeness as a Power Five prospect, but you get the point. Floor - Power Five Ceiling - Power Five https://twitter.com/williams_jven/status/1470380018815672320?s=20