Colorado Prep Redzone Prospect Tour All-First Team

The Prep Redzone Prospect Tour is officially in the books! After many stops throughout the country, Prep Redzone made a visit in Centennial, Colorado last Saturday to dissect some of the more premier athletes this colorful state has to offer including a few out-of-state players sprinkled in. After carefully analyzing the event’s drills, measurements, combine scores, and overall performances the past few days, it is time to award the the standout playmakers that made jaws drop and eyebrows raised on Saturday. Introducing the lucky playmakers who represent the Colorado Prep Redzone Prospect Tour All-First Team!   QB [player_tooltip player_id="143623" first="Blake" last="Palladino"] 6’3" 195 Dakota Ridge Class of 2024 Best Drill: Shuttle Drill Palladino was not only one of the standout quarterbacks last Saturday, but the Dakota Ridge product was as impressive as anyone who attended the showcase. An effortless throwing motion that provides him with a quick, over the top release, Palladino is on track for a phenomenal junior season as the Eagles signal caller. At the Prospect Tour, the athletic quarterback excelled at the shuttle drill, accumulating the second-best time at 4.29 seconds. https://twitter.com/griffin_conant4/status/1515500139523227658 https://twitter.com/ducks7v7/status/1496856296729071620   RB [player_tooltip player_id="276508" first="James" last="Basinger"] 5"10" Columbine Class of 2025 Best Drill: Positional Drills Basinger was a name that had the attending audience buzzing at the Centennial Dome on Saturday. The most explosive running back present at the event, Basinger’s lateral quickness with the ball in his hands is second to none. With his ability to stick his foot in the ground and move up the field vertically, the Rebels’ sophomore sensation should draw attention from many when the fall season starts up in a few months. https://twitter.com/griffin_conant4/status/1515471740113092612 https://twitter.com/BasingerJames25/status/1505698727977267202   RB [player_tooltip player_id="218214" first="Brycen" last="Mhlanga"] 5’10" 205 Littleton Class of 2023 Best Drill: Positional Drills The second running back to be included among the All-First Team, Mhlanga demonstrated tremendous balance during the positional drills, as the Littleton Lion used his soft hands and swift feet to put himself in great position to make a play against defenders. Littleton will have some ballers in 2022, as Mhlanga definitely has the skill set to be one of Colorado’s best backs heading into his senior season. https://twitter.com/BrycenMhlanga/status/1515766536920780804 https://twitter.com/BrycenMhlanga/status/1503225455171809285   WR [player_tooltip player_id="324809" first="Brian" last="Dykstra"] 5’11" 160 Northglenn Class of 2023 Best Drill: Broad Jump Leading the way among the wide receiving group was [player_tooltip player_id="324809" first="Brian" last="Dykstra"] of Northglenn, a shifty wideout with great ball skills and an uncanny ability to pinpoint the ball while the ball is thrown his way. The thing that stood out in Dykstra’s game on Saturday was his raw athleticism, as the soon-to-be senior best moment of the day was in the broad jump testing. The 5’11" pass catcher used his explosive and powerful lower half to spring himself into one of the better scores among attending wide receivers. https://twitter.com/coachwes_23/status/1516114883275755520 https://twitter.com/BrianDykstra2/status/1515891289069338626   WR [player_tooltip player_id="150171" first="Reece" last="Pratz"] 5’10" 170 Northridge Class of 2023 Best Drill: 40-Yard dash A similar build to his wide receiver counterpart in Dykstra, the speedy Pratz sure does have some wheels on him. While he’s not the most towering player you’ll meet at his position, the Northridge slot receiver is will blow by you before you even have time to blink. In the 40-yard dash, Pratz recorded the second-best time out of any attendee at 4.54 seconds. With that kind of speed at the high school level, Pratz will be tough to cover in 2022, especially if he continues to work on his route running technique. https://twitter.com/coachwes_23/status/1515452811483430913   TE [player_tooltip player_id="190262" first="Zachariah" last="Smith"] 6’7" 250 ThunderRidge Best Drill: Positional Drills Overall, Smith looked the part in all of the drills on Saturday, but it was his time within the WR/TE group that stood out. At his massive frame at 6’7", Smith already has a major advantage in his matchups, and the sheer size of his hands gives him the chance to haul in any throw headed his way. With Smith still learning the tight end position, more fine tuning in his route running and a sense of fluency in his game will do him wonders moving forward. https://twitter.com/Zachari68893966/status/1515513936124076032 https://twitter.com/coachwes_23/status/1515474328070074371   OL [player_tooltip player_id="220428" first="Carson" last="Caplan"] 6’2" 275 Pine Creek Class of 2024 Best Drill: Positional Drills One of my favorite offensive line stand outs of the event and well deservingly representing the image of this article, Caplan is as gritty as they come. A ferocious blocker who doesn’t back down from a challenge, Caplan is already one of the best lineman at Pine Creek as an incoming junior. Caplan has extremely quick feet that allows him to remain in front of pass rushers. Not to mention, the Eagles mauler should only continue to grow in size, making his fierceness that much more imposing when the season begins. https://twitter.com/caplan_carson/status/1515712691175936000 https://twitter.com/caplan_carson/status/1513223711452643332   OL Lincoln Fa’apouli 6’5" 295 Fountain-Fort Carson Class of 2024 Best Drill: L-Drill Holy moly how good is Fa’apouli? Another lineman that takes advantage of the opposition thanks to his huge frame, the most underrated part of Fa’apouli’s could be his lateral quickness when lined up in the trenches. On Saturday, the big fella showcased his get up in the L-Drill, which is a three-cone drill that tests an individual’s speed, body control, and the ability to change directions. For a young man to move as well as he did in that drill at 300 pounds is a testament to his athletic ability, and it should serve him well his junior campaign. https://twitter.com/griffin_conant4/status/1515452618415386628   DL [player_tooltip player_id="209842" first="Ethan" last="Bird"] 6’3" 190 Littleton Best Drill: 40-Yard Dash Switching gears to the defensive side of the ball, and it is only fitting that one of the MVP’s of the day is the top defensive lineman on the All-First Team. Bird can wreak havoc on any type or offense by disrupting the run game and pushing the offensive line back, thus collapsing the pocket and eliminating time for the quarterback to the throw the football. Not to mention, but Bird can run with the best of him, as it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Littleton defensive lineman chase down ball carriers yards down the field with his impeccable speed this fall. In the 40-Yard Dash, Bird completed the drill with a time of 4.78 seconds, the fastest mark among defensive lineman at the Prospect Tour. https://twitter.com/_Ethan_Bird13/status/1517256934793129985 https://twitter.com/_Ethan_Bird13/status/1515495805729361926   DL: Payden Anderson 6’5" 200 Queen Creek (AZ) Class of 2023 Best Drill: Positional Drills The first name on this list that actually plays his high school ball outside of the state, Anderson is a dual-threat playmaker on both sides of the ball. Another MVP on the day, Anderson has the capability to play effectively at the tight end position on offense and as a defensive end. While his technique in both will surely improve with more practice and games under his belt, the Arizona baller should make some noise in the Grand Canyon State with his do-it-all play. https://twitter.com/payden2023/status/1515926885900845056   LB Payton Wainwright 5’11" 180 Columbine Class of 2023 Best Drill: Positional Drills After the event’s action was all but said done, the Columbine Rebels anchor on the defensive side of the ball, Wainwright proved why he is such a ballhawking playmaker throughout the day. There was no question that he made his school proud, as the 180 pound linebacker was all over the field on Saturday. With multiple years of starting at the high school level to his name, Wainwright acts as a terrific backer in covering slot receivers and swift tight ends while maintaining his effectiveness in stopping the run. Watch out for #38 when the leaves begin to change colors this season in his senior year! https://twitter.com/Lemmingscouting/status/1515492378311860229   LB [player_tooltip player_id="143646" first="Jake" last="Stonebraker"] 6’1" 210 Douglas County Class of 2024 Best Drill: Positional Drills The second first-team linebacker that impressed on Saturday, Stonebraker is a hard-nosed linebacker that isn’t afraid to get after it when he straps on the pads. With a name that is fitting for a gruesome defender, we are convinced that Stonebraker could actually rip stones in half with an ideal 6’1" 210 pound body that is the ideal size college coaches look for at the next level. Even more magnificent is the fact that the Douglas County linebacker still has two years of play which should only help his chances in becoming an all-around great football player. In the positional drills, Stonebraker blanketed his matchups with incredible footwork and pursuit. Not to mention, not many high school football players have as fast of a first step as this young man. https://twitter.com/jakestonebrake1/status/1509717579677458433   DB Avant Wright 5’11 130 Mesa Ridge Class of 2024 Best Drill: Shuttle Drill One of my favorites at the Prospect Tour, Avant Wright out of Mesa Ridge High School is a name the whole state of Colorado should get to know. At first glance at his shuttle drill results, Wright’s quick-twitch muscles were on full display as he raced across the finish line of the workout with an exuberant amount of speed. With above-average height as a cover corner, Wright should only develop further into his frame by adding a few more pounds as he gets older, thus increasing his physicality and helping him in jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage. Additionally, Wright could have a breakout year if he uses his fleetness to become even more willing to assist in run support. The sky is the limit for Wright, as an exciting 2022 should be in store for the Grizzlies defensive back.   DB [player_tooltip player_id="226028" first="Bryson" last="Dirks"] 5’11" 150 Holyoke Class of 2024 Best Drill: Shuttle Drill Another tantalizing prospect at the cornerback position, receivers going up against Dirks this fall should not expect to come down with much. Out of Holyoke way out in Northeastern Colorado, keep an eye out for Dirks Island in the Great Plains five months from now. Like his fellow cornerback counterpart on this First-Team list, Dirks was a Shuttle Drill standout during the event on Saturday, blazing in with a 4.29 second finish, which was tied with the top quarterback of the camp in [player_tooltip player_id="143623" first="Blake" last="Palladino"] for the second fastest time. Dirks is an intriguing secondary member in the State of Colorado, and should raise some eyebrows this fall. https://twitter.com/Bryson_dirks24/status/1436863919696404480