PRZ Iowa | New to the Scene | Part 9

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 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. [player_tooltip player_id="234007" first="Jaden" last="Damiano"], RB, Iowa Falls-Alden, C/O 2024, 6’0 165, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11375271/61787d429a90e00b68cdfc3e">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/JadenDamiano">Twitter</a> Damiano had a breakout Sophomore campaign last fall; expect him to build on that and become more of a household name over the course of his Junior year. He blew up for 853 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 67 carries. A year in the weight room should help him build the durability needed to handle a larger share of touches and they will be available with the Cadet’s ball carrier that had the second most runs on the team a season ago graduating. It is a perfect recipe for a big leap forward as far as statistics go and Damiano has plenty of ability to make this hypothesis a reality. He is such a deadly combination of patience and breakaway speed, which is very well suited to the offensive scheme he plays in that features pullers and lead blockers. Play calls tend to get his offense numbers to the side of the ball they are running to, which often creates more gaps than a defense has bodies. It is plain to see how well Damiano allows plays to develop, blocks to get in place, and lanes to be manufactured before he turns on the jets and hits it. Get Damiano on your radar. Colton Leslie, OL, Nevada, C/O 2023, 6’3 325, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13239324/61ba74e06e8ba70874eb982e">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/coltonleslie04">Twitter</a> Nevada made their money on the ground last year and that should be expected to continue seamlessly with a couple of very skilled ball carriers and blockers like Colton Lesilie in the fold for 2022. What immediately stands out when watching Leslie’s film is how explosive and nimble he is for his size. It is obvious that the Left Tackle’s combination of size and quickness is overwhelming for Defensive Linemen who are usually much smaller than him and would need nearly perfect technique to make up for a big gap in measurables. Leslie makes it easy for ball carriers behind him to be decisive with the big push he gets and wide lanes he creates. On one play on his highlights Leslie can be seen destroying a Defensive End on an off-tackle run creating a hole about five yards wide that his ball carrier cut back to. He got so much movement that his block sealed off several players in pursuit and his teammate marched into the end zone untouched. Leslie’s film is very much worth taking a look at. He is a pancake machine who will do big things as a Senior. Ashton Honore, LB, Iowa City West, C/O 2024, 6’0 200, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15152143/61ca4ad6041e4b0588b5ac57">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AshtonHonore">Twitter</a> For a Sophomore Linebacker to earn all-district honors in a group of teams that features some of the most tough, hard-nosed defensive units in Iowa is impressive. That is what Honore did last year and after watching his film there is no doubt he has the ability to be one of the state’s top defenders over the next two years. Honore finished with 35.5 tackles and, with his talent, should find himself in positions through scheme and game planning to be able to see that total rise substantially. Honore plays a tightly aligned Outside Linebacker position for the Trojans. He not only has plenty of natural talent, but clearly plays with a lot of discipline that allows him to shut it down to his side of the field. Honore does an especially good job of squeezing blocks away from him to set a firm edge, play at the heel of his opponent to keep everything in front of him, and disengage from blocks in a well-timed manner to get to the ball. One play that illustrates this well was against Prairie when they came straight at him with load option. He got under a puller and still managed to make a tackle. Yohana Mnyemu, LB, Des Moines North, C/O 2023, 5’10 190, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15774748/6173aba90c53b2082408c1c8">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Yohan_here">Twitter</a> There is some serious talent being developed, especially on defense, in Polar Bears country right now and another name that jumps right off the screen when watching film is that of Linebacker Yohana Mnyemu. He finished second on the team in tackles a season ago with 38.5 and improvement should be expected with how many experienced veteran players coming back in 2022. Mnyemu looks right at home at Middle Linebacker at the high school level. He may be a little undersized, but is capable of playing there at the next level and appears to have the athletic versatility to play elsewhere if necessary. He has shown he has the coverage ability to play in more space. On one clip in his highlights he read pass, got plenty of depth to get under a slant coming his way, and interfered with the Quarterback’s line of sight resulting in an interception that he took for a nice return. Mnyemu has also proven he can stay near the line of scrimmage, defeat blocks, and get to the ball even though he doesn’t fit the typical mold or measurables of the position he plays. Isaiah Moody, TE, Waukee Northwest, C/O 2023, 6’2 220, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14693389/62479ffd5b3e340ef47e0eee">hudl</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/isaiahB223">Twitter</a> It is always a big asset and added bonus to have players outside of your Offensive Line that can block well and Isaiah Moody can block really well. The Tight End put some impressive blocking ability on film in his Junior campaign and efforts like what he put together can be a platform for improvement and really catapult the Waukee Northwest offense forward in its program's second year. Moody does a few things at a noticeably high level that can help the Wolves’ keep opposing defenses on their toes with some diversity in the run game. One of those things is arc blocking. Moody does a terrific job of getting to the outside shoulder of an edge defender, allowing other blockers to quickly overtake his initial target, and then climbing to find work on outside runs. Another part of Moody’s blocking game that stands out is the way he combos in the box. He has the ability to chip and then climb or overtake and enable the Tackle he is working with to climb. Moody can also straight up base block; he is very capable at getting hands on, hinging, steering, and driving.