RISE Midwest Showcase: Breaking down the Defensive MVPs
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The RISE Midwest Showcase had a bounty of defensive talent on display. Better yet, a ton of these top performers are relatively under-the-radar prospects! From D1 projected defensive linemen to young freshmen paving a legacy, here are the six defensive…
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Continue ReadingThe RISE Midwest Showcase had a bounty of defensive talent on display. Better yet, a ton of these top performers are relatively under-the-radar prospects! From D1 projected defensive linemen to young freshmen paving a legacy, here are the six defensive MVPs with an honorable mention!
Linebacker MVPs
Tucker was a very impressive prospect as he was locked in, calm, and quite athletic. He ran the individual drills with ease and grace, as he didn’t waste a step and moved to his spots quickly. He was able to keep balance in two-hand tackling drills, and he played better coverage than most LBs. There seem to be a few great underrated prospects over at Mattawan, and I’m interested in seeing what they look like next fall. This is the first I’ve heard of Wrubel, so with continued success; he’ll be highly touted soon.
Stewart had a great day at Legacy and earned himself the runner-up award. Having watched his film, I know he’s an aggressive and hard-hitting linebacker that likes to attack instead of sit back. So, it was no surprise that Steward was a force in run defense as he wasn’t faked out nearly at all. In the passing game, he posted a big INT on an underthrown ball. He’s built well, and his film shows some fantastic qualities, so I hope to see his recruitment ramp up.
Defensive Back MVPs
Houston was the best coverman during the showcase and posted a few big PBUs. I love his ability to not only mirror his receiver but smartly make a play on the ball without initiating too much contact. Against the lower-end receivers, Houston dominated. Against some of the better receivers, Houston made a few big plays which is what earned him the MVP award. In general, Harper Woods had some extremely impressive performances, and Houston is the 2nd Pioneer to earn MVP.
Another extremely under-the-radar prospect was Calvin Dobson. He’s a shorter DB that used his athleticism to his advantage in flawlessly covering opposing receivers. I did see Dobson make some minor mistakes in man but was able to quickly regather himself and catch up using his speed. The young freshman surely made a name for himself during this showcase, and I’m looking forward to seeing him grow over the next few years.
Defensive Line MVPs
#1 | Bryant Weatherspoon Bryant Weatherspoon 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Harper Woods | 2025 State MI | 2025 | Harper Woods (MI) | Hudl
Power, a bit of athleticism, and a great first step paved the way for Weatherspoon’s MVP award. There were plenty of reps where Weatherspoon ran over the opposing O-Lineman, and there were countless times where he got to the QB in less than 2 seconds. The offensive linemen in this showcase were great, but Weatherspoon proved to be an immense challenge for any and all linemen. I genuinely look forward to his future and I expect Weatherspoon to be a future D1 athlete.
#2 | Jordin Farrow Jordin Farrow 6'2" | 260 lbs | DL River Rouge | 2025 State MI | 2025 | River Rouge (MI) | Hudl | Twitter
Farrow is all power on the D-Line. An incredible run-stuffer and good pass rusher last season, he’s proven this offseason that he deserves to be considered one of the best. Farrow comes out of his stance with immense power and has great use of hands to quickly bull rush to the QB. There were times where Farrow may have been slowed down, but for the most part he could not be completely contained.
An extremely unknown prospect, Vory Peacock performed well as a sophomore with a lot of eyes on him. Speed was the name of his game as he was consistently able to bend around opposing tackles and get to the QB. Of course he had some low points as well, but when reminded to use his speed to his advantage, he would consistently win. Vory had some big wins against a few of the top O-Linemen!