Next Man Up DB Breakout Contenders For Fall
Next Man Up will be a positional series highlighting underclassmen with intriguing breakout potential in the coming season. These five DBs have the tools and opportunity to get recognized in the 2023 season. Peyton Cunningham HEIGHT 6'1" POS DB CLASS 2025…
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Continue ReadingNext Man Up will be a positional series highlighting underclassmen with intriguing breakout potential in the coming season. These five DBs have the tools and opportunity to get recognized in the 2023 season.
Peyton Cunningham
Peyton Cunningham
Cunningham is fast and takes excellent angles in pursuit. He can cover as much of a zone as you ask him to, as his length and agility complement his speed perfectly. His ball skills are special as he collected several picks last year. He plays WR and defends the position better with a great understanding. He has great footwork as a safety and can cover ground well going both forward and backward. He’s aggressive on the ground and tackles low. He’s already received an offer from Washington State and taken a visit to Washington. The sky is the limit for Cunningham in his final two years at North Creek and beyond.
Kash Lexing
Kash Lexing
Lexing is a raw player built for the boundaries. His lengthy build and aggressive style is best utilized on the perimeter and although he fits naturally as a wideout, his competitive nature looks just as suited for defense. He has excellent ball skills and wants the ball on every play as a WR, which carries over to his ballhawking ability on defense. He has great hands and he’s loose while flipping his hips. He’s a great blocker. He fully utilizes his size and could still be growing. He’ll have two more years at Roosevelt to keep improving at both positions and scouts should monitor his progression at each one.
Isaac Burks
Isaac Burks
Burks is a safety who can fly around and take advantage of leverage in any situation. He gets off blocks well and is a willing tackler with sound form. He’s great at tracking hips and avoids bigger players when a mess converges around the line. His lateral movement is good and he can stay low going backward and forward to cover plenty of ground. He reacts well and takes decent angles. He’s only a sophomore and stands to learn more about formations and plays through game experience, which will help him grow into a leader and trust his instincts further. It will be fascinating to watch his physical and mental development for the next two years at Lake Stevens.
Karmelo Bell
Karmelo Bell
Bell is a gritty corner who loves to hit. He never gives up on plays and gets excited when he has the chance to tackle. He rarely gets juked as he can stay with ballcarriers due to good feet and hips. This worked well in Cover 2 and 3 for Renton last year. He relishes the open field, where he hits hard but has excellent ankle-biting form when need be. His WR play shows decent speed and a good catch in traffic where he goes up to get it. His highlights show a few good coverage reps, but displaying more will see his recruiting stock rise. Getting these reps in at camps against other recruits could see his stock explode. Lastly, scouts will want to see how Bell does in man coverage. If he can press, turn and run with WRs, he could have a bright future at CB.
Xavier Ahrens
Xavier Ahrens
Ahrens sees plays develop and closes ground extremely quick. He moves extremely well for his size, and his WR film shows his plus speed and catching abilities. As a returner, he takes great angles to hit creases and eludes flat-footed defenders with jukes. He can tackle as low as the ankles and lay huge hits on the torso to knock the ball out. He played both ways and returned kicks last year. His versatility on all sides of the ball will undoubtedly build hype among college coaches, and could lead Curtis to a few great seasons in the process.