5 Criminally Underrated 2023 Recruits

We’re diving into the 2023 class and looking at 5 recruits who can easily develop into studs at the next level while being criminally underrated. All 5 of these guys are important pieces to their school’s programs and should be getting much more love than they currently are. [player_tooltip player_id="361037" first="Tylen" last="Cunningham"] - Lawrence Central - LB/SS - 5’11" 210lbs Cunningham is a ton of fun to watch. We’ve got an incredibly versatile defender who can play in the box and back deep and be the last line of defense. While he primarily plays LB, he’s bounced around the defense and played just about every position at this point. Ideally, though, he’s in the middle directing traffic and making tackles. Cunningham has an elite second gear and when he hits the gas, he’s got some of the best closing speed you’ll see. He’s got great closing speed and likes to hit. He’s a physical LB who doesn’t shy away from contact. He’ll shoot gaps and end up in the backfield making the play. He’s got the speed to come off the end as well. With his size, speed, and ability to explode off the ball I could even see him coming down to the line. But, I imagine Cunningham likes the free-roam ability because he’s able to make play after play. He’s incredibly instinctive and gets his arms up if he doesn’t get home. If the ball hits his hands, he’s good enough of an athlete to lay out and bring it in. He’s able to play in coverage and play man or zone. While not perfect, he’s not bad and shows promise. Physically, he’s decently built but will likely explode at the next level. Cunningham truly is able to do everything you ask him to and then some. He’s recently begun to get some traction, but it hasn’t been enough. Cunningham feels like the type of player that once a school sees, they won’t forget. His future is incredibly bright and I’m stoked to see what happens this fall and where he ends up! [player_tooltip player_id="379796" first="Corey" last="Harris"] - Brownsburg - DB - 6’2" 180lbs Harris is a versatile DB who hops around for Brownsburg depending on matchups and what they need. He’s got fantastic length and long arms that allow him to bat down balls at a higher rate than normal. He’s got great reaction speed and comes downhill immediately when he sees something developing. He’s got no issue sticking his nose in the box to make the tackle when he needs to. He’s even shown the ability to play Slot CB and make plays there. The same traits you see on tape are what you get in person as well. He looked fantastic at the IndyWeOutHere Camp as well. There were a ton of great players there, but Harris was one of the more consistent defenders. My favorite part about Harris is his demeanor never changes. He expects to make the play and then moves on. There’s no over-the-top celebrating, getting too high or too low, or showing when he’s frustrated. He’s got a poker face that’s hard to break and then he’ll light you up with a smile after the play. I love the way Harris carries himself on the field and his play backs it. He’s the type of DB who can come in, develop, and play any spot you need him to. His frame is fantastic and lengthy. Harris is a DB who could come in and blow up in a college lifting program while keeping his length and explosiveness. On the field, he’s humble, makes play after play, and is only getting better. Harris is going to make some team incredibly happy at the end of the day and I’m ready to see where he ends up. [player_tooltip player_id="107224" first="Ty" last="Mead"] - Avon - IOL - 6’1" 270lbs Mead is a nimble, versatile, and fantastic athlete who plays in the middle of the line. For a guy his size, he’s fantastic on his feet and out of his stance fairly quickly. He’s got violent hands and likes to blow his guys back. Mead plays angry and you can see it. His mentality is the defender is to move or be moved. The problem for defenders is that he doesn’t give them much warning before the eviction takes place. He’s also great on the run and clearing the path when used as a lead blocker. There’s a reason he plays on the inside and it’s primarily because of his mobility and ability to make things happen when he’s on the run. He’s got a decent top-end speed and can get downfield and lead the convoy as well. Physically, he’s a bit light but developing. He’s got a great center of gravity which allows him to keep leverage more often than not. His arms are long and allow him to handle his own. Mead feels like the kind of recruit who is going to develop nicely into a starter at the next level. The edge he carries with him on the field, his developing physical size, and then his natural abilities combined with his athleticism make him a fantastic recruit. Mead is the kind of guy you bring in, develop, and reap the rewards when he begins mauling people. His future is bright and it feels like he’s truly just getting started. [player_tooltip player_id="379797" first="Jayjouir" last="Roberts"] - Cardinal Ritter - 5’7" 140lbs - ATH Roberts is a freak athlete who can absolutely fly. He was arguably the most impressive WR at the IndyWeOutHere Camp. Not only did he leave as the fastest man alive, but he also left his mark on the camp’s history. Roberts created the highlight of all highlights for a camp hype video. Not only did he go up and over the top of a much bigger LB ’Mossing’ him in the endzone, he then got up, and hit a backflip where he levitated seemingly forever. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a camp and place roar like it did. His tape shows the same exciting promise. A dynamic athlete who is great in space, at making guys miss, and can get the corner and hit the gas. He’s good in the slot and really helps in the screen game because of how quickly he can put his foot in the ground and change direction and get full speed. He’s also a KR/PR with a ton of upside. He’s got the speed to house it every time he touches it. While he is a bit light, he’s not skinny. He’s got plenty of muscle to his frame and you can tell he lifts and puts the work in behind the scenes. While his tape doesn’t have many deep shots, at the camp at least he showed he’s got good contested ball skills. The highlight described above wasn’t the only play I can recall him going up and over someone to make a grab. I’m pretty excited to see how far he’s come from last season because from the looks of it, it appears he’s come pretty far and is ready for a huge year. Tegan Irk - DeKalb - QB - 6’1" 180lbs Irk is a dual-threat QB who makes a ton of plays with his creativity. DeKalb likes to use his legs, a lot. More often than not, Irk is the best athlete on the field and good things happen when he touches the ball. They run the read-option quite a bit because of Irk’s ability to make the right decision and then pick up a ton of yardage. He’s able to make guys miss and get the edge like an RB and hit the gas. He’s always faster than defenses expect until they are looking at the back of his jersey as they light up 6 for DeKalb. In the passing game, he likes to make quick decisions or drop the ball over the top. He’s got a nice deep ball and can drop it right over the top when he’s given time. His mechanics are raw and he doesn’t have the biggest arm you’ve seen, but it’s more than capable and he can hit at least 50-yards in the air from what I’ve seen. He’s able to throw with anticipation or throw his guys open when he needs to. He does have his moments of inconsistency or where he missed a throw, but every young developing QB does. The passing game development will continue to come but the intangibles are there already. Irk’s ability to run and his athleticism gives him a much higher ceiling than a lot of young QBs. His on-field awareness and ability to feel pressure are natural and fantastic. He knows when to take off and when to keep his eyes downfield. He’s got every tool you could want in a young QB along with the lengthy frame. Irk is someone I can see easily coming into the season and taking another big step while only getting better in the passing game. This fall should be a ton of fun to see Irk and how far he’s come because he’s been in the lab grinding.