PRZ Iowa | New to the Scene | Part 6
August 26th feels like it is forever away and then some. It may not seem like it, but the season will be here before you know it. There are plenty of household names that everyone has on their board and…
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Continue ReadingAugust 26th feels like it is forever away and then some. It may not seem like it, but the season will be here before you know it. There are plenty of household names that everyone has on their board and will be keeping a close eye on, but there is also plenty of lesser known or undiscovered talent that could make 2022 their year. These athletes have already done some very impressive things on the field, have shown flashes of serious ability, or dominated the underclassman scene that make them legitimate breakout candidates and names on the rise. Get to know these guys now before the season is here as they are sure to make plenty of noise and become known across the state.
Dante Cataldo, QB, Dowling Catholic, C/O 2024, 6’0 165, hudl, Twitter
Cataldo might be waiting on deck for another year, but he took advantage of opportunities that came his way over the course of his Sophomore campaign. Dowling is set up at Quarterback for at least the next couple seasons and there is some real depth in the Maroons Quarterbacks room. In the little action he saw Cataldo completed 87.5% of his passes for 287 yards and 5 touchdowns; he looked efficient and could develop into a special player when the time comes to take center stage. Cataldo made some excellent plays in mop up duty against the likes of Council Bluffs Lincoln, Johnston, and Ames. On one play he did an excellent job of calmly stepping out of the pocket against an inside rush, setting his feet, and firing a strike to a deep post about 30 yards downfield. To have the patience and poise to keep eyes downfield while avoiding defenders and delivering such a well thrown ball is impressive. He made a similar play against Johnston; they forced him out of the pocket, got him on the run, and he still delivered a great ball downfield on a fade.
Cam Cribari, DB, Valley, C/O 2025, 5’11 160, hudl, Twitter
It is always impressive to see young players who are disciplined, understands how their job contributes to the integrity of the scheme, and visibly put forth a tremendous amount of effort. That is absolutely the case when it comes to Freshman Defensive Back Cam Cribari who is an up and coming player in Valley’s program. There are a couple of things that Cribari does consistently on film that suggest he is ready to compete for playing time and make an impact on the Varsity field in the next two years. The first is that he doesn’t get caught in no man’s land when plays break down and scramble drill goes into effect. On several clips Cribari stays attached to receivers in his zone, forcing the Quarterback to hold on to the ball for too long, and eventually make a bad decision that he can capitalize on. Cribari also does a great job of keeping plays in front of him and not giving up anything big. An offense can try to nickel and dime him with short routes, but he stays in ideal position and stops opponents from picking up any yards after the catch.
Mekyael Hall Mekyael Hall 6'1" | 180 lbs | ATH Dubuque Senior | 2025 IA , RB, Dubuque Senior, C/O 2025, 6’0 180, hudl, Twitter
Hall, a three sport athlete and another young player to make waves on the Freshman football scene, is a someone to keep an eye on for the Rams over the next couple of seasons, especially with the Senior heavy group they took the field with last year. Hall displayed a skill set at Running Back that showed maturity in what he brings to the field that makes him a breakout candidate. As a ball carrier, Hall often showed the kind of vision, burst, and contact balance that is needed to be successful at the Varsity level. On one play, a Power Lead out of Pistol, Hall followed his blockers with patience, faked inside to get defenders flowing over the top, and then bounced it out and up the sideline as soon as those in pursuit were out of position. It was a subtle move, but showed some real prowess in the open field. Another play that really stands out was a Counter that looked like it was going nowhere. There were several defenders in position to make a play, but Hall used stiff arms and quick feet to stretch the play and eventually found a lane to cut into.
Chase Keller, OL, Sioux City North, C/O 2023, 6’3 285, hudl, Twitter
Keller is an aggressive presence as an interior Offensive Lineman and pairs his physical tool box with the exact temperament you want out of your blockers. Keller is especially skilled at run blocking and would be a good fit into a number of offensive schemes at the next level. His lateral movement is noticeably impressive when blocking for Zone runs as is his ability to pin/pull, in either role, when his team takes a smash mouth approach to calling plays. One snap that illustrates how well he moves side to side was a Jet Sweep behind Wide Zone blocking. Keller was lined up at Center, uncovered, and got all the way to a 3 technique; he got hands on, hinged, and dug that Defensive Lineman out to create a rushing lane. On another play from Center he hit a great down block that allowed the Guard next to him to wrap around with ease creating a ton of space in the A gap. On another, this time lined up at Guard, he was the one pulling and absolutely flattened a Defensive Tackle who didn’t even get too far upfield; Keller’s angle and footwork was just that good.
Terrance Topete, LB/RB, Sioux City West, C/O 2023, 5’9 185, hudl, Twitter
Topete is going to be filling a big role for the Wolverines next year; he was the team’s leading tackler a season ago and figures to take over a large share of carries. Topete is a two-way player to keep an eye on and has plenty of athletic ability that lends well to his job descriptions on both sides of the ball. Topete, though his action with the ball in his hands last year was limited, showed that he is a physical, downhill runner. Topete does not shy away from or avoid contact, he appears to lower the shoulder and accelerate into it. That toughness and fearlessness out of the backfield is a nightmare for defenders and they can expect to have to deal with him a lot more this fall. Topete delivers as much contact as he receives when his number is called and getting him to the ground does not look fun or easy. As an Outside Linebacker Topete does great work shutting it down in the Alley and might be undersized, but there is a lot of evidence on film that suggests a transition to Strong Safety, in the right scheme, would be a logical and seamless move.