Coverage Needed: Part III
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The Class of 2024 is a deep group. There are a ton of athletes that deserve time in the spotlight, so I have started this series to give as many athletes time in the spotlight that they have rightfully deserved.…
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Continue ReadingThe Class of 2024 is a deep group. There are a ton of athletes that deserve time in the spotlight, so I have started this series to give as many athletes time in the spotlight that they have rightfully deserved. Part III is made up of athletes that we are going to see earn offers from the D1 to the D3 levels. If you are not familiar with these athletes then make sure you give them a follow on twitter, check out their highlights, and read about what traits I take away from their highlights.
I believe the Sun Prairie East LT is in the running for the next 2024 to receive his first D1 offer here in WI. The 6’8″ 265 lbs lineman is still growing into his frame and developing strength, so we aren’t close to seeing his full potential. What we have seen is an athlete with body control and solid flexibility to be able to slide laterally, run in the open field, or get up to LBs. Alton is also an OL who utilizes his length to his advantage. He consistently keeps his hands tight inside, and seems to always get first contact with his opponent. As his strength is further developed we will get to watch his performance and impact rocket upwards.
Highlights
The 6’2″ 195 lbs OLB/S is an intriguing chess piece for future DCs. Will is at his best playing out in space. You will see him out near the slot a lot of times presnap. Out there he is able to play to his strengths. Will is an athlete who thrives with his athleticism. Change of direction, acceleration, and closing speed all give him the advantage over his opponent. Being out in space also allows Graffin to use his instincts to diagnose plays quickly. Then he can put himself in proper position to make plays. The Franklin LBs are going to be fun to watch, and need-to-know prospects.
An athlete who has worked himself into an impressive prospect. He is 6’3″ and has gone from 230 lbs a year ago to 250 lbs now. Despite the growth, Day is extremely light on his feet. Ryland definitely fits into the dancing bear category. Pulling across the formation is easy for Ryland, and Luxemburg-Casco love to put him in those situations. When he isn’t pulling, Ryland does a lot of zone blocking where he still gets to run laterally while engaged with his opponent. He also has the strength to get a good push and keep his defender moving. Ryland is also powerful when engaged. He can put defenders on their back and finish his blocks with aggression. Prepare for Ryland to explode this year. I think he has a high ceiling as a guard with his traits.
Gabe is another prospect on this list that we could see make a big jump over this year. He has grown to 6’5″ 190 lbs, and the arm talent appears to be forming into next level quality. The ball jumps out of his hand with zip, and it carries that velocity to the catch. Because of it, Gabe is able to hit windows to the short, intermediate, and deep levels of the field. Gabe is also a good decision maker. He put up 1,200+ yards, and 18 TDs with only 2 INTs on the year. A great bonus is that Passini is also a dual threat athlete who can hurt defense that give him room or play with their backs to him. Look for a break out summer and fall for Gabe.
Highlights
The 6’4″ 185 lbs WR has shown he can win in multiple ways. Ethan does his work from the slot, and has made himself a mismatch for a lot of defenses. Mitchell is a long target, and his ball tracking/ hands give him a big radius to target. Ethan has shown that he has the body control to win in the short passing game with effective, quick route running. Ethan also fits the big man role of stretching the field or being a go to in the redzone where he goes over DBs. Lastly, Ethan has strong hands to maintain the catch through the hit, even when the ball can’t be brought into his body.
The 6’1″ 235 lbs DL is undersized for the position, but has been able to consistently be disruptive in the backfield and line of scrimmage thanks to his agility and quickness. Carl is able to win a lot of reps because he gets his hands involved and in the right place so often. He is able to keep himself clean, find the ball, and then disengage and close for the stop. Pevey also uses the low man wins idea to win. Just because you are undersized doesn’t mean you are the low man. Pevey uses leverage well when he has to go with power, and that leverage is what gets him the win.
Highlights
The frame that Adam is building upon will definitely get him the attention of the next level. He is 6’5″ 215 lbs, and has a 6’8″ wingspan. Adam also has experience in many alignments. Inline, H-back, and out wide. In the passing game, Adam is a reliable target. He catches the ball away from his body with soft hands. He has shown he can find the soft spots in coverage. He is a long strider in the open field, and that allows him to cover ground faster than he appears. In the run game, Adam is a very willing blocker. He does a good job of positioning himself so he has the leverage, and is between the defender and the ball. As he works on his strength Heberer could really improve his impact as a run blocker, and that would make him even more valuable to the next level.
Highlights
The 5’9″ 160 lbs WR is an electric weapon out wide. When opponents choose to let him have a free release he makes them pay. Ward has the speed to run away from DBs, and he will eat up cushions. Once he closes on DBs, Ward’s quickness is able to make DBs bite and then he can break away from them for big separation for his QB to target. Mekai has the body control to be able to hit his breaks at top speed, and if he loses any speed through the break he accelerates quickly back to top speed. It is hard to run with him man to man, and if you don’t try to get hands on him he will be a nightmare for teams.