The Wahl Kentucky Film Room: Session 1
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KENTUCKY– We know by now what a huge presence middle school football is in the Bluegrass State, and over the next several months, we will be untapping plenty of talented middle school prospects the state of Kentucky has to offer.…
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Continue ReadingKENTUCKY– We know by now what a huge presence middle school football is in the Bluegrass State, and over the next several months, we will be untapping plenty of talented middle school prospects the state of Kentucky has to offer. In Session 1, we dive into some of the top linemen, linebackers, and running backs we like going into the next several years from Murray to Louisville and everywhere in between.
Zander Edington
Zander Edington
Zander first popped out to me a couple weeks ago, when I watched a couple of his wrestling clips as his 5’11 245 pound frame popped out to me on the mat with the quick physicality he has in his plethora. Zander shows off great versatility on both sides of the line and he plays much bigger than his measurables show off right now. He plays like a downhill train when he comes out of stance as a pull-blocker as an offensive linemen and unleashes a fiery pop of the defenders pads with a great pad level for his age. Zander also shows off some well-determined instincts on the defensive line, and has that vision to find the ball carrier quickly and use that consistent physicality throughout his tape. He will be a 2027 prospect to track playing at Franklin County next year as I will be intrigued to follow his growth.
At 6’2 270 pounds already as just a 7th grader (yes, you read that correctly) you can already gauge on tape, just how much strength this young man already has in his DNA. He shows off a consistent pad-level and excellent leverage on the defensive line especially. I also like the bend Connor puts out on that side of the line as he shows some growing athleticism and a good trigger on his release off the snap. He has some development to grow on the offensive line as I would love to see his reactive hands and speed of them grow offensively in the coming year, but that physicality still adds up on that side of the ball too. My favorite clip of Connor on the offensive line at around the 35 second mark, shows off some nasty punching ability and can drive the DL into the next-level and then move on to his next victim as a prospect that is not afraid to multi-engage downfield. He’ll be a fun one to track over the next several years out of Northern Pulaski.
Highlights
Ethan might not be the biggest running back as of yet, but the North Oldham RB/ATH prospect shows much longer strides at the running back position than you would expect for his size and has a well-noted burst between the tackles. He can be described as a sneaky north-south runner that is one that you could lose sight of with his agility and his vision hides well between his offensive line. He has some growth with his durability of his lower body, but this is a RB/ATH out of my old stomping grounds of the NE Louisville area I will be watching his growth over the next several years.
Watching Bode’s linebacker tape on the first two clips, you almost feel bad for the ball carrier the amount of pressure he shows off with excellent instincts doesn’t even give them a shot as Bode’s electric trigger to the ball is excellent. It also seems like every 2-3 clip Bode makes contact with the ball carrier he’s able to force the ball out of the ball carrier’s hands which should certify how physical this 5’10 160 pound linebacker really is. This young man has some position flexibility at the linebacker spot, as I thought his tape graded out just as solid from the clips he had at middle linebacker as well and I love the range this young man can cover sideline to sideline. We will have to find out how this young fills out with his measurables, but it looks to me from a play-making standpoint that Bode could be next up in the coming years at LCA.
Highlights
For his age, I am super intrigued with Gage with his vision in pass coverage already, as he already plays with a growing football IQ in my eyes instinctively knowing where to be on the field. He also shows off smooth physicality with his knock-back contact levels on the ball carrier rep after rep I watched. Leaving this young middle linebacker unblocked when pressing into the backfield, certainly will make the offense pay as again, I love Gage’s versatility within his coverages as well. He certainly a SW Kentucky prospect I will keep my eyes on over the next handful of years.