Indiana Player Spotlight

We’ve been going through each class and highlighting guys who have bright futures. Today, we’re jumping around different classes and highlighting some players who just deserve recognition and what their futures may hold. [player_tooltip player_id="107291" first="Desmond" last="Duffy"] - Carmel - WR - 5’8" 185 lbs - 2023 Duffy is an explosive athlete still mastering the position. He typically operates out of the slot and forces defenses to key in on him. Carmel does everything in its power to get the ball in his hands in space and see what he can do. The answer is usually something even better than expected. He’s quick. He’s shifty. He’s agile. Most importantly, he’s got blazing top speed and gets there in a flash. For his listed height and weight, he’s fairly thick and has a lower center of gravity. He’s able to have guys bounce off of him and keep his speed. He’s got a spin move that he loves to use and it works. He’ll spin out of situations and before the defender realizes it, Duffy is 10-yards downfield. He has very little wasted movement off the line. He gets going immediately and takes full strides without playing the hop step game. His feet are so quick at the line that if he really masters route running, he could be one of those guys who creates separation like his life depends on it. He’s also got good ball skills and isn’t going to drop passes. He watches the ball all the way in with both hands. He’ll also fight through his guy and come back to the ball if he has to. He returns kicks for Carmel as well and it’s a nightmare for opposing teams. He’s a threat to weave the entire defense and take it back to the house. After the catch, he’s like an RB. He’s going to fight for extra yards, try making his guy miss, and set up blocks downfield. Duffy is a D1 player and overall for his age, is fairly sound. I would like to see him become more of a blocking threat and that’s just so we’re able to round him off and make sure he’s a complete package WR. There’s a lot to like with Duffy and what he can become. He’s already a great prospect who checks a ton of boxes. If he gets into the right college program, he could become one of the most explosive WRs in the country. Fred Brown - Hammond Morton - LB/SS - 5’11" 188 lbs - 2025 Right now, Brown is a very raw prospect who can do a lot of things naturally and just needs to be coached up throughout his high school career. Brown is a really good athlete who is just flying around and making plays. He’s tough, he’s physical, and likes to plays with an edge. Anytime he’s going to make a tackle in the hole, it almost looks personal. He wants to make sure the ball carrier remembers who he is. There are times when he flies around a bit too fast and out of control and misses the tackle. If he’s able to learn how to come to balance and consistently attack the outside hip, Brown is going to become a nightmare. He’s got great speed and even better closing speed. Once he sees something and commits to it, he’s going 100% and won’t back down. He trusts what he sees and is right more often than not. He’s able to drop back in coverage and run with most guys in man coverage but his mechanics are raw. He’ll cross feet and not sink his hips when he’s dropping back in zone coverage. I will also say he looks bigger than his listed height and weight. He could easily line up on the defensive line if he wanted to and maybe some schools will see him as a DE, but I think he’s too explosive. If you’re able to coach him up and have him be your field general, he’ll be able to cover sideline to sideline. If Brown is able to hit the weight room and continue developing, by the time he graduates he’s going to have a ton of offers. How far he goes is up to him and how hard he works. He has the talent and raw ability to be an absolute stud at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="119534" first="Makel" last="Bailey"] - Brebeuf Jesuit Prep - RB - 5’11" 180 lbs - 2023 Bailey is one of the more interesting players we’ve come across. He’s an explosive player but is still learning the position he plays. At RB, his footwork is very choppy and I’d love to see him spend a good summer with ladders and helping his feet get quicker. I will also say he originally struggled to read some blocks and when to hit the hole, but he’s gotten better with age. Reading blocks comes with reps and you can see the development from his Sophomore year to his Junior year alone. He’s fairly decent at creating yardage by himself. He’s able to make guys miss and he’s got better vision at the second level. Once he breaks through the first layer of the defense, that’s when he’s at his best. His vision kicks in and he’s able to find lanes and get even more yardage. His second-level vision is why I’m not too worried about his primary block reading. He’s able to see lanes and get to them, he just needs reps. He’s able to make guys miss and is very shifty. When he’s in an open space, that’s when Bailey is at his best. He’s going to make his first defender miss and it’s usually up to the second guy to make the play. He’s also shown he’s able to come out of the backfield and be a threat in the passing game with generic RB routes like arrows, curls, and swing routes. I would also like to see Bailey be able to bulk up and get his body ready for the college game. If he’s able to do these things and develop, Bailey is going to be able to pick the best school for him. [player_tooltip player_id="272857" first="Noah" last="Knigga"] - Lawrenceburg - OLB/SB - 6’2" 185 lbs - 2025 There’s a lot to like with Knigga and what he can bring to a team. Right now, his body is fairly raw. He’s only a freshman so he has plenty of time to bulk up, but he has a nice frame. He’s a true 6’2" and 185 lbs. He looks like someone who could easily put on 20 pounds of muscle and then become a physical freak. Knigga won’t miss very many tackles and once he gets ahold of the ball carrier, they’re going to end up on the ground. For his size, he’s got great speed. He’s able to take really long strides and cover a ton of ground in an instant. He’s not going to outrun very often and definitely, won’t give up. He’s a very high motor player and never counts himself out of any play. He’s able to lay out a big hit and make his presence known as well. In coverage, he’s able to run with pretty much every RB and TE. He can run with some WRs but if it’s a longer distance, he’ll start to fall behind. In zone coverage, he sits back and likes to watch the QB’s eyes and become aggressive. He’ll try jumping the route and go for the pick if he can. I have yet to see it burn him but that could become a bad habit if you get too aggressive. When he’s on the line and rushes the QB, he’s able to split some gaps. He can fight through his block and get the sack as well. He’s also able to contain the QB and be the spy when they ask him to. He trusts what he sees and has aggressive instincts. If Knigga is able to develop and continues to get better, by the time he graduates he could easily be one of the best LB prospects in the state.