Small School Spotlight | 2024 Small Town Nebraska Prospects
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Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: OscarGalindo30 in the coupon code area. With one of the top 2024 prospects in the country emerging from good ole Ainsworth, Nebraska, I thought I would highlight other elite players from small towns.…
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With one of the top 2024 prospects in the country emerging from good ole Ainsworth, Nebraska, I thought I would highlight other elite players from small towns. Check out these small-town prospects with major upside!
Carter Nelson Carter Nelson 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE Ainsworth | 2024 State NE | TE/ATH | Ainsworth | 6’5″ 215 lbs
This small-town prospect has erupted onto the national recruiting stage with over 20 offers from Louisville, Michigan State, Colorado, Wyoming, and other high-level programs across the country. Ainsworth’s Carter Nelson Carter Nelson 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE Ainsworth | 2024 State NE is most likely to play tight end in college, but he has proven to be an unstoppable athlete on the football field. Whether he’s throwing, catching, running, or tackling, Carter can flat out BALL! Nelson threw for 663 yards, 15 passing touchdowns, rushed for 761 yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, caught 28 passes for 525 receiving yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns. Carter’s athleticism is very unique, considering his tall 6’5″ 215 lb frame tagged along with his 4.5 40-yard speed and insane hops. He is an unfair matchup every time he lines up, with his ability to elevate higher than opposing defenders, and he has an enormous catch radius. Carter’s size also makes him tough to tackle, usually taking a great effort or gang tackle to bring him down. Outside of football, Carter is also a talented basketball player and a star in track & field. Someone is going to get a monster!
Tyree Smith Jr Tyree Smith Jr 6'0" | 255 lbs | DL Cozad | 2024 State NE . | DL/OL | Cozad | 6’0″ 255 lbs
Cozad’s Tyree Smith Jr Tyree Smith Jr 6'0" | 255 lbs | DL Cozad | 2024 State NE is a player that popped right out in his junior tape and caught me by surprise. Tyree is an emerging two-way star in the trenches for the Haymakers, playing left tackle and defensive tackle/end. On the season, Smith racked up 32 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, and two forced fumbles but made an impact that went deeper than the stat sheet. I think Smith projects best as a defensive end where he can use his lateral quickness and an explosive first step to rush the QB or disrupt the outside run game. He’s a very strong player that can drop his anchor at the line of scrimmage and clog up run lanes. I love Tyree’s aggressiveness and physicality on the offensive side of the ball, he loves to . He does a great job sealing the edge with the ability to slide into the second and third levels to continue blocking. Even though he is a little “undersized” at tackle, Tyree uses his natural leverage and pad level to gain an advantage over his opponent. Very promising player with a crazy motor, check him out!
Izaac Dickey Izaac Dickey 5'10" | 215 lbs | ATH Cross County | 2024 State NE | FB/LB | Cross County | 5’10” 205 lbs
They just don’t make tough, physical fullbacks how they used to, but Cross County FB/LB Izaac Dickey Izaac Dickey 5'10" | 215 lbs | ATH Cross County | 2024 State NE has shown to be a throwback of the position. Izaac participated at the Warren Academy showcase and immediately caught our attention with his size and athleticism. He is a strong, muscular player that uses his strength to run through tackles or to overpower defenders as a blocker. As a runner, Izaac has shown great patience in the backfield before exploding through his gap for a big gain. He’s not an overly flashy player, but he can hit you with a mean dead leg and cut the opposite way. His physicality carries over to the defensive side of the ball, where he is a relentless ‘backer (with some snaps at NG) with incredible pursuit. He can power his way through blockers and absolutely disrupt the opposing team’s running game. Dickey returns for his senior season as the team rushing leader with 846 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns, along with 68 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles he recorded on defense. Regardless if you play him on offense or defense, he has shown to have a nose for the big play with his several touchdowns, TFLs, and forced fumbles. Hungry player with a lot of upside!
Derek Wacker Derek Wacker 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB Yutan | 2024 State NE | LB/ATH | Yutan | 6’1″ 210 lbs
Yutan’s Derek Wacker Derek Wacker 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB Yutan | 2024 State NE is a player we’ve been big on since his sophomore year. Wacker is a player with a high motor and the ability to play several different spots for the Chieftain’s defense. Derek plays up on the line of scrimmage as a hand-down DL, stand-up linebacker, and can play as an off-ball linebacker in the middle of the defense. In only six games played, Derek still racked up 31 tackles, six tackles for loss, and three sacks. He is a monster coming off the snap and is very explosive with his first step. He has a good football IQ that really shows with his gap play and when deciding which technique to rush with on every down. Wacker participated at the Stock Up showcase, where he did a great job in 1v1s and displayed solid lateral movement and fluidity. He held up very well when covering RBs in 1v1s. Solid prospect with nice length, speed, and intense from snap to whistle.
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