Current Freshmen That Will Breakout in 2023
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It takes a special type of student athlete to carve out a role early in their high school careers. There are five of those types of athletes that jumped out to me from my first initial look at the Class…
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Continue ReadingIt takes a special type of student athlete to carve out a role early in their high school careers. There are five of those types of athletes that jumped out to me from my first initial look at the Class of 2026. These five have the talent to play early and often in their high school careers. They also seem to be in situations that will give them that opportunity to get early playing time. With that early playing time comes growing pains, but I believe these five athletes will be able to battle through the bumps in the road that come with early varsity action. Today, I am going to dive into the talent of each of these five athletes, and then look at their potential to get on the field early.
The 6’3″ 285 lbs freshman OL looks like he will be in position to battle for the top OL of the Class of 2026. Todd was able to see varsity action as a freshman. That is going to be so valuable as he goes into the offseason knowing what to expect next fall, and what he needs to develop. The big man impressed with his raw strength. His upper body was able to control and steer defenders off the ball. That strength also was able to get linemen off balance so that he could drive them into the ground. The big man also moves well for his age and size. He proved he can move laterally down the line while sticking his block or reaching a defender. There is plenty of room for development this offseason. One area I’m excited to see developed is his lower body technique and strength. Learning to play with a wide base will make him stronger, and even more stout.. Look for a big jump this fall from Marx.
We don’t need to dive too deep into his opportunity at playing time because Todd already has earned varsity action. I expect him to earn a weekly starting position quickly, if not instantly.
Josh Ziebell
Josh Ziebell
The 6’1″ 155 lbs freshman is putting himself in position to be next up at the helm for Waukesha West. He is a dual threat QB, perfectly fitting into what West has had at QB recently. Josh appears to have the athleticism to maintain that dual threat at the varsity level. His speed and burst stand out from the crowd at the lower levels of competition. You getrnthat “man among boys” feeling as he pulls away from defenders in the open field with ease. The young passer also has shown the arm talent to earn varsity playing time. He can make passes from the pocket or on the run. Josh has proven he can place the ball with spot on accuracy. Lastly, Ziebell is a playmaker. He has many highlights of him making the unusual play look easy. The tools are there to mold and develop.
The potential playing time is there fort he young playmaker to grab. Former starter Brady Foster Brady Foster 6’2″ | 190 lbs | ATH Waukesha West | 2023 State WI is headed to Winona State leaving West looking for their next QB. Ziebell offers a similar skill set. Just one that isn’t as refined, yet. Foster too was a dual threat that hurt defenses with his arms and especially his legs. If Josh wins the job don’t be surprised to see him make a name for himself early.
AJ Seymour
AJ Seymour
Brookfield Central made a deep playoff run with some next level athletes at the QB position. With those athletes moving on to the next level, it looks like AJ will have a chance to earn more varsity action. The 6’3″ 200 lbs freshman has the size to hold up to the physicality of the QB job at BC. He also has the talent. AJ is a longer strider when he gets out in the open field. That leads to deceptive top end speed. That speed has been enough to get through tight running lanes, as well as, break off big runs when he gets out in the open field. AJ also looks to be a good decision maker in the read option. On top of the athleticism, AJ has shown the signs of being a reliable passer.
As I mentioned above, BC did watch their former QB/ATH Drew Edmond Drew Edmond 6’1″ | 200 lbs | RB Brookfield Central | 2023 State WI commit to La Crosse. The job is open for the taking. I expect AJ to put himself in position to win the job, or at least earn a consistent role on Friday nights.
The 6′ 175 lbs freshman is another athletes on this list who stood out among his peers at the non-varsity levels of high school football. Jack is further developed in his strength, balance, and speed compared to others in his class. He has the vision to see the field, find blocks, and set up defenders. The power and contact balance stand out most. Jack runs through contact very well. He doesn’t get knocked off balance, runs his feet trough contact, and absorbs contact. He has the tools to be a Friday night standout.
It looks like varsity action will be the toughest to find for Jack of the five athletes in this article. Mount Horeb is returning a talented team, and an experienced backfield. Three of the top four leading rushers return in 2023. So Jack is going to find to find his role and master it. Ways he can stand out, Jack is the biggest of the returning RBs. So his physical play style could earn him short yardage reps and redzone snaps. Jack also plays some OLB, and could find his way on the field that way too.
Another OL that is going to be in the running for OL1 of the Class of 2026 is Grady Farley Grady Farley 6’5″ | 275 lbs | OL Brookfield East | 2026 State WI of Brookfield East. He already possesses the length coaches covet at the OL Position. Grady is 6’3″ and has a wingspan of 6’9″. Despite being only 230 lbs, Farley is a devastating run blocker. he has the range to pull across the formation and buries his kick out defender. Farley also has that angry, tenacious mentality to finish his blocs with violence. I’m excited to see how his frame fills out and how well his body control develops with the size.
Grady is going to have plenty of competition for varsity playing time this season. There are upperclassmen for him to compete with and learn from, including Logan Frey Logan Frey 6’4″ | 290 lbs | OL Brookfield East | 2024 State WI . The starting five on Friday nights should be a talented group for Brookfield East.