Class of 2023 Rankings: Top Newcomers
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The Class of 2023 Rankings Update has brought us over 200 new athletes to know as they enter their senior offseason and begin to gather recruiting attention. Today, I want to take those new names and dive into the tape…
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Continue ReadingThe Class of 2023 Rankings Update has brought us over 200 new athletes to know as they enter their senior offseason and begin to gather recruiting attention. Today, I want to take those new names and dive into the tape of the top newcomer at each position. We will look at the highest debuting player at QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, DB, and ATH. These nine studs are going to be must know names for college coaches and recruiters. Let’s take a look at what these dudes have to offer!
Boone Kirst Boone Kirst 6'4" | 185 lbs | QB Ashwaubenon | 2023 State WI , QB- Ashwaubenon (Boone’s Junior Year)
The 6’4″ 185 lbs signal caller was a big surprise for me as I worked my way through the rankings update. The Top 30 overall player is a long, lean QB with a big time arm. Boone makes it look easy and natural as he is able to aggressively attack defenses at every level of the field. That strong arm allows him more opportunities to be aggressive because he can go at tight windows that most QBs at this level wouldn’t. Where he separates himself from the purely strong arm QBs is his accuracy. The 61% comp. pct. is just a small illustration of his command over the football as he fires it downfield. Boone doesn’t just throw a catchable ball. He puts the ball where only his receiver can get it. His understanding of leverage is a major key to his success as a passer. Kirst is also smooth throughout all of his movements, whether scrambling or going through his drop. His smooth, quick footwork is the first step in him getting the ball out quickly as his feet stay connected to his eyes. The prototypical throwing motion is another key to his quick snap release. I’m pumped to see his offseason development. He also has grabbed the attention of the next level as he has been on the South Dakota campus already for a Junior Day visit. Many more to come!
Micah Kracht Micah Kracht 6'3" | 210 lbs | ATH Markesan | 2023 State WI , RB- Markesan (Micah’s Junior Year)
The 6’3″ 195 lbs RB is an exciting prospect that has become a favorite of mine very quickly. It looks like he has quite a few fans as he has heard from Kansas, Dartmouth, and Wisconsin over the past year. There is no question as to why the Top 5 RB has so much interest. He has an elite frame already with room to continue making himself an even more dangerous RB. He may even make himself more than an RB prospect depending on his development. However, let’s focus on his RB play. The small school standout is a nightmare for defenses. Markesan loves to get him out on the edge where he can use his sub 4.5 speed to stretch the defense horizontally before using his vision to cut up field through running lanes, and off blocks that he perfectly set up. The big man does so well to transition his speed into power at the point of contact as well. He runs his feet through contact, and plays behind his pads making it so that he is usually the one delivering the hit instead of absorbing it. The blend of speed and power is special, and the frame is so exciting. The potential for his talent and position versatility makes him a high debuting talent, and I expect him to be a riser during our next update!
Tripp Walsh Tripp Walsh 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE Arrowhead | 2023 State WI , WR- Arrowhead (Tripp’s Junior Year)
The 6’5″ 200 lbs WR is not just the highest debuting WR, he is WR1 for us here in WI! The big man checks off so many boxes that you look for at this level. It has me excited for his development as he prepares for his final season. The future is so bright for the perimeter playmaker. The first thing that jumps off the tape is the big man’s body control. He lines up in the slot quite a bit, and from there he has shown that he can run sharp, clean routes in tight spaces that create a ton of separation for his QB. Tripp is so smooth through his breaks,a nd is able to carry his speed throughout. The big man also has natural, soft hands that easily pluck the ball out of the air. Walsh makes it look easy, and he provides a massive catch radius as he is able to catch the ball away from his body. Between the size, body control, and soft hands Tripp is extremely difficult to cover. Expect a big year for the stud pass catcher. Especially with two of the top three leading receivers from 2021 graduating this June.
Nollenn Tabaska Nollenn Tabaska 6'7" | 230 lbs | TE Brookfield East | 2023 State WI , TE- Brookfield East (Nollenn’s Junior Year)
I first found out about the 6’7″ 230 lbs TE, and TE1 in our rankings, from our Midwest Director of Scouting Oliver West. Ever since he tweeted about Nollenn this past fall I have been very excited about the playmaker. Tabaska is so much of what you look for at this level. Elite size, athleticism, and versatility make him one of the early FBS scholarship recipients here in WI. Tabaska’s film shows that versatility so well. He is a willing and able blocker in the run game. Nollenn can lineup in the traditional TE position, and drive defensive linemen off the ball with strength. he can also use his athleticism and body control to get to the second level to wall off LBs opening up big running lanes. As a receiver, Tabaska has the speed to be a big problem after the catch. He can pick up yards after the catch if given space, and yards after contact when he needs to. Tabaska is able to stretch the field, especially up the seam, with speed and and at the catch point he has the hand eye coordination to make catches in traffic. The most exciting part is that Nollenn seems to just be scratching the surface as a route runner, so the sky is the limit for him!
Jackson Stortz, OL- Hartford Union (Jackson’s Junior Year)
The 6’4″ 245 lbs OL doesn’t have the size usually associated with Top 15 overall players, but he has so many traits needed at the highest level and the potential in his frame that we had no choice. He had to debut way up at OL3. Jackson is such an easy mover. He can pull and trap defenders down the line or get to the second level in a blink of an eye. Jackson closes so quickly that it almost doesn’t look possible. It isn’t just the range from his guard spot either. Stortz has devastating power at the point of contact. His hands are extremely quick, and equally as heavy allowing him to have a next level initial punch. The finish in his blocks are so fun to watch too as he buries defenders into the ground. Jackson’s run blocking is his strength because that is what Hartford wants to do down in and down out. Pound the ball and control the game. When you have linemen like Jackson that becomes so easy!
Troy Dietzler Troy Dietzler 6'6" | 290 lbs | OL Ashwaubenon | 2023 State WI , DL- Ashwaubenon (Troy’s Junior Year)
The 6’6″ 260 lbs DT comes in as our highest debuting DL at DL4. He is also our second member of the Ashwaubenon team in this article. The first thing that jumps off the tape is Troy’s sheer size. There is no question he has the size required to compete at a high level of college competition. Troy has the length to create all the separation needed in the trenches. Heavy hands aid him in creating that separation along with the strength to press linemen away from his chest. The key to Dietzler’s game is definitely his strength, and he supplements it with enough lateral agility to be able to win side to side instead of just with bull rushes and power. As he continues to develop his athleticism he will only become more and more dangerous.
Brent Hoppe Brent Hoppe 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Turner | 2023 State WI , LB- Turner (Brent’s Junior Year)
The 6’4″ 220 lbs edge rusher not only debuts as our highest LB, but also our #1 defender overall. I am a huge fan of the outrageously productive and disruptive defender. This dude lives in the offensive backfield thanks to elite traits. His first step is lightning quick, and it gives him a huge advantage as he instantly is able to get the leverage advantage or get to the heels of linemen before they are barely out of their stances. That burst off the line is equally as elite as his closing speed where he gives ball carriers or QBs no chance to make a move as he quickly wraps them up or runs right through them for the TFL or sack. Hoppe is a versatile defender who has played from a two and three point stance, and I believe he can do either at the next level. Where he really stands out is that his lateral agility is just as quick as his burst off the line making it so hard for linemen to land a punch on him. Then add in the strength to bull rush linemen into the backfield with ease and you get a special defender who will play D1 ball on Saturdays, and he will do it on all three downs thanks to his complete game.
Anthony Corona Anthony Corona 6'2" | 210 lbs | DB Wilmot | 2023 State WI , DB- Wilmot (Anthony’s Junior Year)
If you have been subscribed for awhile you know that I have been a big fan of the Wilmot product. I couldn’t wait to see where he debuted, and now we finally know. Anthony comes in at DB2 and #28 overall. The 6’2″ 205 lbs safety has a well balanced game. Against the run he becomes a physical downhill defender who can avoid blocks, shoot through gaps, and bring down RBs quickly with sound tackling technique. Against the pass he can flip that downhill aggression to being a rangy safety who trusts his eyes and puts himself in position to make a play on the ball. At the catch point he has the ball skills to not just break up the pass, but also create turnovers. I am a huge fan of how he wastes no time when he reads plays. His read and react skills are some of the best in the state and make him a big problem for offenses.
Jayden Culbertson Jayden Culbertson 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Platteville | 2023 State WI , ATH- Platteville (Jayden’s Junior Year)
One of the biggest surprises this rankings update is the 6’1″ 215 lbs Platteville stud. The big man is going to have a lot of schools excited for what his potential holds. With his big frame, 4.77 speed, and impressive strength the sky is the limit and so are the potential roles and positions. As an RB, Jayden has the natural vision and instincts to find running lanes, and he has no problem generating yards after contact. As an LB, Jayden uses a quick first step to rush the edge or time blitzes up the middle allowing him to create a lot of havoc in the backfield. The ATH deubts jsut indie our Top 40 and at ATH2 overall. He is going to be must watch this fall, and I hope to catch im at camps this summer so I can see him in person as well!