Impressive live – and coming back for more – Part II

Continuing with my deeper dive into some of the returning players I saw live last season; I highlight six more guys who stood out when I had a chance to check out their games in person. Defensive players dominate part two of this three-part series of Impressive live and returning for more. <strong>Cade Hutchison DB Eden Prairie</strong> By the end of the 2022 football season, I would not be surprised if Hutchinson is considered one of the top tackling defensive backs in the state. The guy is a straight-up hitter. He often lines up as more of an outside linebacker and is not afraid of taking on blocks to make the play in the running game. When playing a more traditional defensive back, Hutchinson comes up strong to support the run but shows good range in coverage. Hutchinson didn’t have to make many plays during the game I watched, but he made the biggest play. With his team-leading 3-0, Rosemount was in the middle of their best drive of the game. As the back was going into the end zone, Hutchinson met him at the goal line – forcing a fumble that his teammates jumped on in the end zone. <strong>Adam Mertens LB Eden Prairie</strong> Mertens has great speed coming off the edge as a pass-rushing outside linebacker. He also uses his hands well when forced to engage with blockers. His hands aren’t only effective when getting off blocks. He can make a pick if the ball is in his area too. He is a solid tackler and moves laterally very well when scraping down the line of scrimmage. Early in the game, I attended, Mertens made a huge open-field tackle on a third-down – keeping the offense short of the first down. He beat his blocker and tracked down the quarterback for a sack late in the game. <strong>Wyatt Bell OL Rogers</strong> Bell is an explosive, violent blocker. He is quick off the ball and has a great upper body punch. The offensive guard’s biggest strength might be his athletic ability. He gets out quickly, pulling on traps and sweeps. On the move, when he squares up a defender, they move backward. If he works on lowering his pad level – he will have plenty of chances to play on Saturdays. One play that stood out for Bell against Elk River was when he came across the formation to throw a crushing trap block. Bell and his right tackle wore out the left side of the Elk’s defensive line. Whenever the Royals needed tough yards, that duo was called upon. [player_tooltip player_id="313241" first="Anthony" last="Powell"] <strong>RB Rogers</strong> Powell can make moves in the open field, but he would rather run defenders over or bounce off helpless tacklers. He has a physical, between the tackles style built to punish defenses. He is not a one-trick pony, however. The junior is involved in the passing game and has good hands. A two-way player, Powell has good sideline-to-sideline speed and is a physical tackler like his running style. During the Elks’ game, Powell kept his pad level low and showed quick feet that allowed him to make tiny cuts at the line of scrimmage to find room. The junior ran behind the right side and then bounced the run outside for eight yards. Then, he used his strength to drive his way to a first down on a third and short. His footwork was displayed with a patient run in the second half using multiple short cuts. He later used solid footwork as he bounced a run to the outside for a first down. <strong>Jack Johnson LB Blaine</strong> Johnson has a knack for understanding when to attack the ball carrier and when to be patient and wait for an opening. When he decides to attack, he gets to the ball quickly and is a big hitter but doesn’t rely on that – he wraps up the ball carrier. While he is more effective against the run, he gets good depth on his pass drops. Johnson was all over the field for the Bengals’ defense when I was in attendance. He made a tackle on the inside for a short gain. Then he read a swing pass and made an open-field tackle – preventing a first down. He stuffed two more inside runs for short gains. On third and short, he made a big tackle forcing a punt. <strong>Aiden Luhmann LB Minneapolis South</strong> Luhman is a true thumper at middle linebacker. When he hits a ball carrier, that guy knows he has been hit. He has great tackling form and is a proto-typical between the tackles inside linebacker. He doesn’t look like he would be much of a coverage linebacker, but Luhmann has good closing speed, which makes him solid in coverage. Against Washburn, he made at least a pair of plays behind the line of scrimmage. He beat a blocker and made a tackle for loss. Then, he pressured and put a hit on the quarterback for a sack.