Top outgoing Seniors in the OK-Red

The OK-Red always has fantastic talent and is perhaps the most talented league in the West. Every year, this league graduates many seniors who go on to have great college careers. The OK-Red has never been stronger, as we had two championship contenders, four playoff teams, and a few others who barely missed the playoffs or are programs on the rise. In other words, there isn't a dull spot in this league. If you want to see elite teams in the Grand Rapids area, you look at the OK-Red. Now, I will outline many seniors who played a huge role on their teams and discuss what made them so special!   Standouts   WR | [player_tooltip player_id='232201' first='Alex' last='McLean'] | Rockford   The record-breaking wide receiver ends his legendary career at Rockford, but he won't be going far for college! The GVSU commit has been the most consistent and one of the most well-built athletes I've seen. I can say with a high degree of certainty that McLean reached his high school potential, and he'll be an impossible piece to replace. I could easily see McLean being an irreplaceable slot receiver in Division 2, and I absolutely can't wait to see him compete for GV! Anchor Up!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Alex5McLean/status/1590847879676981248 </div></figure>   QB | [player_tooltip player_id='232200' first='Mac' last='VandenHout'] | Rockford   VandenHout was the biggest surprise of the OK-Red. With the graduation of Zak Ahern, it seemed like Rockford's offense would take a step back. With VandenHout, normally a WR, taking the helm at QB, the situation seemed uncertain. The more I saw him work over the offseason, the more confident I was in his game. Lo and behold, Mac was incredible! When he got in the zone, there was no stopping him. Mac was a fearless leader that commanded the offense incredibly well. Mac has an offer from Northwood, and I'm interested to see if he takes it!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/VandenhoutMac/status/1590142857074995201 </div></figure>   QB | [player_tooltip player_id='407081' first='Mason' last='Mckenzie'] | Caledonia   Every year, Mason took a leap in his game. In 2021, I thought Mason was a well-above-average QB but nothing extraordinary. This season, he became a player of the year contender. His ability to scramble and gain major yardage on designed runs was the X-Factor. Mason is also a proven passer that has improved greatly year after year. Without Mason, Caledonia would not have been at Ford Field, and he will be a massive replacement. Mason has a few Division 1 offers, and wherever he goes, he should play and play well. Something I look for when ranking a player is year-by-year progression, and Mckenzie holds that.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MckenzieQb1/status/1604632458212818946 </div></figure>   QB/ATH | Carson Smith | Grandville   Carson is a DOG and deserved more attention throughout the season. He's built incredibly well and played his heart out week in and week out. Grandville's offense was nearly unstoppable, and Carson was a gigantic reason for that. Of course, with the T-Wing, Carson ran the ball exceptionally well. I'm also impressed by how well he was able to throw the ball in must-pass situations. I'm unsure how the Bulldogs will replace such an asset! Moving forward, Carson Smith is committed to playing baseball at Oakland University! I bet he'll thoroughly enjoy the Metro Detroit area!   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Carson_Smith_18/status/1587587072332005376 </div></figure>   ATH | Mason Dykstra | Hudsonville   I don't think there's a position Mason didn't play! Defensively, most of his highlights are as an OLB, but a very versatile one at that. At some points, Mason plays almost a DB role as he covers receivers on the line. He also has a few highlights as a hand-in-the-dirt D-Lineman and is great in all facets of defense. Block-shedding, coverage, reading the offense, etc. Dykstra shows the most offensive promise as a TE, with reps as an offensive lineman and receiver to go along with it. What a fantastic swiss-army knife player!    OT | Cooper Terpstra | West Ottawa   Terpstra was the best offensive lineman in the Ok-Red this season and will be a sorely missed player. He's everything you could want in an O-Lineman, as he's aggressive, great off the pull, can block at the second level, and plays through the whistle. Cooper is a football guy and will be playing at the next level at GVSU. I'm looking forward to seeing how his game evolves at one of the primer programs in Divison II!

The OK-Red always has fantastic talent and is perhaps the most talented league in the West. Every year, this league graduates many seniors who go on to have great college careers. The OK-Red has never been stronger, as we had two championship contenders, four playoff teams, and a few others who barely missed the playoffs or are programs on the rise. In other words, there isn't a dull spot in this league. If you want to see elite teams in the Grand Rapids area, you look at the OK-Red. Now, I will outline many seniors who played a huge role on their teams and discuss what made them so special!