5 Gritty Recruits Who Make The World Go Round

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Luke Hansen - Roncalli - RB - 5'11" 205lbs - 2023</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hansen is a grown man playing a young man's game and Friday was as fun as it gets from a Running Back perspective. New Palestine came in undefeated, hard hitting, and expecting to roll Roncalli and Hansen did not let that happen. Hansen was the oil for the engine on Friday and they went as he went. When he steamrolled defenders, the place loved it and he fed off the energy. Hansen got better and stronger as the game went on. He was running over guys all night long. He's a tough, straight line runner who has fantastic speed and isn't afraid to initiate contact. Move or be moved is the mentality Hansen has and it's infectious. He rushed for 195-yards and a TD on the night. Hansen is a power back who has the upside to develop into a 3-down back. He's physical, tough, and has the athleticism to succeed at the next level. He's got decent feet and fairly good vision. He understands his skillset and what he does well. This past Friday was another elite level showing from one of Indy's best RBs and they move on because of his ability to move the chain and tote the rock.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='185539' first='Luke' last='Swartz'] - Roncalli - DT - 6'2" 275lbs - 2023</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Swartz is a crafty guy for his size who has the ability to get low and small, for his size, and make plays. He's a high motor, high energy, relentless type of player who is going to grind it out until the last snap. He's got a great center of gravity and has some of the best balance I've seen for a guy his size. He's actually more nimble than you'd expect and has a fairly nifty shoulder swim move as well. Swartz is a big body who eats up a lot of space in between the tackles but isn't a dead weight. He had 2 huge 4th and 1 stops this past Friday where he helped anchor the line that held to stop New Pal. He's going to move that line backwards and affect the play. He's good at splitting gaps and making tackles in the backfield. He's run down ball carriers 20-yards down the field and made the tackle as well. He's not going to get pushed around or give low effort and that's what stands out. His ability to create and his desire to play hard make him fun to watch. He's good against the run and can plug gaps as well. As he develops, I imagine he's going to become more and more forceful and make more plays in the backfield. Swartz is a fun recruit and worth a good look for anyone who needs help in the interior of their line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Iain Crowe - Roncalli - OT - 6'4" 260lbs - 2023</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crowe has been fairly solid for Roncalli up front but when you look at their offensive line you likely gloss right over him because of the other 3 guys next to him loaded with D1 offers but Crowe can handle his own and deserves his own looks. He's got a long frame and is able to set his feet most of the time while having a strong punch. For Roncalli, he's been steady on the outside and isn't someone who makes a ton of mistakes. There are times he can dip his head in pass protection but if that's cleaned up Crowe could be a fairly clean recruit. He's been well coached, around other great linemen, and is still improving in his own right. He's good on the move as well and can handle the toughest one on ones on the outside most of the time. He's played quite a bit of ball and still has room to grow in terms of what he can do on the field. He's an intriguing prospect with a great frame and all the right cards in his hand to make him worth a good look. Crowe had another good game on Friday and there was really only 1 rep where Thacker, a D1 recruit for New Pal, gave him any sort of trouble. Crowe is going to come in and make some offensive line better and where that is, is yet to be determined.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Kolsom Clemons - Union City - OL - 6'5" 270lbs - 2024</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clemons is a fun recruit with a ton of size and upside. He's an incredibly lengthy, thick, long armed recruit who currently sets the edge for Union City. The best way to describe Clemons playstyle is he's a people mover. Move or be moved, but you won't be in that place any longer. He's off the ball fairly quick for his size and is able to set his feet and pass protect. While not perfect, fairly good for someone as young as he is. He's good in zone running blocking as well. Moving an area works just as easy as moving a single person for him. There are times he can be a bit top heavy and get caught leaning but if he cleans that he's going to be a major issue for college programs moving forward. He's got the natural strength you'd expect from someone like him as well so once he hits that college lifting program he could easily blow up. With his length and size I imagine he stays on the outside. Having someone like him set your edge helps you sleep at night as a QB. Clemons has a ton of upside to his game and what he can be. If he keeps developing on the track he's on right now he's going to have no issue finding a home at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Braxton Strong - Peru - TE/DE - 6'4" 230lbs - 2024</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Strong is a ton of fun to watch because he could easily be next when you're talking about elite TEs from Indiana. He's got the elite frame you look for and the athleticism that follows. He's got fairly decent speed and is able to break the big one. He's good at the end of the line blocking as a true TE and lining up in the slot/TE spot and running routes. With his size, he's got an advantage over just about anyone he comes across. He's already "Mossed" a few people in his career and that number will likely continue to climb next year too. He's a decent down field threat and has gotten better every year. The development on the field from year to year and confidence is the most noticeable thing. Strong is flying around on both sides of the ball making play after play. However, when it's all said and done I imagine he'll have a line out the door to get him in at TE. He's a real TE with the blocking ability, receiving abilities, and size that all schools look for. Big things are in store for Strong down the road and I'm pretty excited to see where he ends up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->