RISE Midwest Showcase: Analysis of five anticipated players
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Going into the Legacy RISE showcase, I had a shortlist of players whom I was highly anticipating. For the most part, these are players who have been on my radar for a while, but I simply hadn’t had the opportunity…
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Continue ReadingGoing into the Legacy RISE showcase, I had a shortlist of players whom I was highly anticipating. For the most part, these are players who have been on my radar for a while, but I simply hadn’t had the opportunity to see them in person. So, this article will cover five of those anticipated athletes and touch on how they all performed!
QB | Andrew Knight Andrew Knight 6'0" | 150 lbs | QB Sterling Heights Stevenson | 2026 State MI | 2026 | SH Stevenson
For a few weeks, I’ve seen Knight’s name on various blogs, recruiting sites, etc, depicting an incredible athlete with sky-high potential. Needless to say, all the praise made me keep a close eye on him throughout. Honestly, I saw a good quarterback with all good attributes. Way ahead of the curve for 2026 QBs, but overall didn’t blow me out of the water. Having watched his film, I know that he’s an efficient player who doesn’t turn the ball over. Knight knows how to command an offense and that is invaluable. As long as there’s consistent improvement throughout his High School career, he’ll end up where so many are projecting; as a P5 quarterback.
QB | McKale McDowell McKale McDowell 5'10" | 165 lbs | QB River Rouge | 2025 State MI | 2025 | River Rouge
McKale has been on my must-see list since his incredible performance against Cedar Springs. Overall, McKale impressed me with the few reps I got to see. His footwork and overall fundamentals in the pocket were solid, and like Knight, McKale is obviously way ahead of the curve when it comes to a 2025 passer. Good touch, good overall accuracy, but nothing that was jaw-dropping. It was overall interesting to see McKale in some lower-pressure passing situations. I look forward to seeing McKale in an environment where he can showcase more of his playmaking ability and his ability to run the ball.
ATH | Jake Chapman Jake Chapman 6'6" | 205 lbs | TE Unity Christian | 2025 MI | 2025 | Unity Christian
Chapman was an interesting one. The 6’6 prospect jumped off the tape mainly with his defensive prowess, as he had good block shedding and a massive tackle radius paired with great IQ. Though he came into this camp as a WR, and the result was a mixed bag. The main issue was Chapman looked uncomfortable and inexperienced with a lot of receiver-esque movements. I saw him catch a few balls but also drop a few. Overall, this doesn’t change my opinion of him too much since I doubt he’ll play receiver for the run-heavy UC offense. I’m looking forward to seeing Chapman in a role that is more in his element.
OL | Khalief Canty Khalief Canty 6'5" | 305 lbs | OL Cass Tech | 2026 State MI | 2026 | Cass Tech
Canty was the athlete I had the highest expectations for, and he exceeded those expectations by winning O-Line MVP. There isn’t much to say other than he’s everything I expected and more. It’s not obvious why he’s receiving so many P5 offers at such a young age, and I hope to see a great HS career from him that ends in attending a great university to play football.
OL | Camden Pawlick Camden Pawlick 6'3" | 240 lbs | OL Saline | 2025 State MI | 2025 | Saline
I hadn’t seen Camden perform in person in quite a while. First off, he looks different. He looks bigger, stronger, and even more athletic. You can tell he’s been putting in work. During 1on1 reps, Camden mostly performed well, with some glaring losses as well. I would chalk him up as an above-average lineman for the showcase (which was a STACKED OL group), but overall still room to improve. Specifically, staying square and making sure he doesn’t bite on any moves is key. Strength is also something that just about any High School O-Lineman can improve on. Pawlick deserves his ranking but will have to work hard and show improvement to rank up.