Level Up 7on7 Tryouts: More Standouts, Part I

<strong>We break into </strong><strong>more standouts from the Level Up 7on7 tryouts we watched two weekends ago in Iowa. This list of six prospects play all over the field and a wide variety of positions. This list breaks down a bunch of under the radar prospects from the State of Iowa who don’t have a lot of film on their resume, to showing a glimpse of the future in the Class of 2024 and 2025. Take a look at who caught my eye!</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="254611" first="Holden" last="Hansen"] | QB | Southeast Polk | 2025</strong> One thing I can always read when watching these younger prospects, is grading their athleticism. When I got to watch future Southeast Polk QB [player_tooltip player_id="254611" first="Holden" last="Hansen"] I saw an excellent grasp of this kid’s potential when it came to how athletic he looked to be in drills. Holden showed a heck of a lot of mobility out of the pocket in his freshmen tape and made quick reads to find his wide receivers with the best throw available. His ball placement is another high-level skill set he possesses as I love how precise he is getting the ball to his wide-outs in spots that allow them to catch it on the run. For his age, when Holden stays in the pocket he shows a lot of poise for his age too. That poise sticks out most when he’s throwing with some medium pressure as he keeps his pocket presence even with a defender in his face. Holden for sure has a very bright future as a future QB1 at Southeast Polk. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GJQuX">Fr Tape</a> <strong>Sam Weaton | LB/QB | Fairfield | 2024</strong> I did not get to watch Sam all that much, but I thought he did a great job unlocking his hips to make some key plays in 1on1s. Sam also showed a solid reach in one of the clips I watched on Twitter from the tryout with adding good speed to that mix of skillsets. The tape is still very minimal on this young man, but having an upcoming senior brother that checks in at 6’6 makes me feel Sam has a big growth spurt coming,   and his big brother is hearing consistently from Division I and II schools, so I like this kid’s pedigree for his future with Level Up 7on7 and the Fairfield Trojans. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14915394/Sam-Weaton">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>Steve McCoy | ATH | Johnston | 2023</strong> One of the key skillsets I saw from Johnston athlete Steve McCoy was how quickly he could make adjustments in 1on1s on the fly. He showed quick instincts to react to the ball in a quick fashion. Steve is another prospect with very light film however, what he does show is a big motor off the edge that has good speed on his get off which I’m sure will get faster this offseason and into his senior season. Looking forward to seeing his upcoming film at running back for Johnston. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2EMVV6">Game Tape vs. Ankeny</a> <strong>Alex Thomason | DB | Newton | 2023</strong> Alex caught my radar as a prospect that could rotate his hips as a great speed when going in the other direction. He shows good balance in his footwork and does not get too choppy when digging into the turf. Alex on film does a solid job covering the zone of the outside rushing lanes for the Cardinals. He hits with a solid contact level and hits in a solid spot with that contact being made. He shows great bounce in his hips and reads his zone of the field to position himself to make consistent plays outside for short yardage. I would love to see him develop more speed this offseason as that could really play nicely in his wheelhouse as a kickoff returner. Although undersized, I genuinely like the skillsets this kid plays with and he has good potential to play at the next level. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/13337625/617da685bd746c0bb45a6efe">Jr Tape</a> <strong>Griffin Grant | WR/DB | Johnston | 2023</strong> Griffin impressed me with his motor to get to the football. On one particular play, he accelerated in the middle of his route once he could track where the ball was and made a impressive catch late in 1on1 drills. There is not a lot of tape on this young man, but you cannot doubt the size Griffin plays with at 6’2 180 pounds. Hoping to catch some film on this young man this offseason and his upcoming senior season. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12715023/Griffin-Grant">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>Cooper Spurgeon | North Polk | 2022</strong> Cooper had great explosion with his burst coming into his route in 1on1s. He shot out into his routes like a cannon and showed consistent speed throughout his reps. Looking over his tape, there is a lot to like about Cooper when he makes his cut to switch directions as his fluidity in his hips show out well and allow him to get separation from the secondary. That burst I saw also comes out on tape in the slot, as he shows consistent get out quick speed off the snap and carries it for the duration of his routes. Another great skillset this young man has is the abilty to finish his routes. If he sees his quarterback under duress, he continues to make football moves to find an opening while in that process and then once his quarterback has time to throw, he is a WR prospect that can find a gap in the secondary and make a solid play. This young man is a redzone threat for North Polk especially inside the 10 yard line. Cooper also shows good stoppage on his routes and can send the defender off with separation when he hits the brakes. A 2022 prospect that is a late bloomer, but looks to be a solid small-school prospect. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GXiHJ">Sr Tape</a>