Stock Up Winter Showcase: Standout Linebackers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We had quite a few linebackers perform very well during the Winter Showcase! It was a solid group ranking from the class of 2024 to 2026, and we had standouts all over the place. This article will focus on the three LBs that stood out most to me! Look out for a few articles on testing numbers once those are sent out! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB | [player_tooltip player_id='551269' first='Carter' last='Hladki'] | 5'10" 175 | 2026 | Birmingham Groves</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hladki was one of the most impressive freshmen featured at the showcase! From the jump, Carter turned heads, and I was surprised when I saw he's just a freshman. During the testing portion, Carter did well, and I'm looking forward to seeing his numbers. The position drills and competition section is where he truly shined! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whenever I looked over at the LBs, Hladki was locked in and performing better than most of his group. I started to look in on Hladki closer, and seriously, I didn't see him have a bad rep in the positional drills. During the competition portion, he was similarly impressive. His hips were set right, his feet always moving, and his eyes were where they needed to be. He did lose a few reps against a few seniors, but that's expected from any freshman. When he did lose, he verbally said what he did wrong and looked to correct it next time. Hladki did not shy away from competition, and I have a feeling he'll be one of the best linebackers in the OAA pretty soon! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB | [player_tooltip player_id='249455' first='Jack' last='Bennett'] | 6'1" 185 | 2024 | Port Huron Northern </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jack performed well at the showcase! He's a well-built linebacker that showed promise in the testing portion and had some great reps with the competition. Good feet, good hips, and he attacked well. From watching his film, I know he can hit extremely hard and rush the passer. With the showcase, he also proved to stop the run and defend the pass. As a EDGE/OLB type, there is a high ceiling for Jack. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do this offseason and, of course, next season in the MAC Blue. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB | [player_tooltip player_id='248788' first='Ryan' last='Relyea'] | 6'2 190" | 2024 | Romeo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Relyea may have been the most impressive linebacker at the showcase! Whenever I asked who was performing best out of the LB group, Relyea's name was brought up. I remember Relyea performing well at showcases in the past, and he earned all-region honors playing in the difficult MAC Red. Individual LB drills are where Relyea truly shined, as he likely had the best fundamentals of any LB. During the competition portion, he never overthought things and always stayed square. I'm looking forward to seeing his testing numbers once I receive them! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->