Way Up North Standouts: Part III
In this article:
We continue our dive into the northern half of Wisconsin as we look to shine the spotlight on hidden gems. This installment features six athletes. Some new and some that are featured in the current rankings. One new element that…
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Continue ReadingWe continue our dive into the northern half of Wisconsin as we look to shine the spotlight on hidden gems. This installment features six athletes. Some new and some that are featured in the current rankings. One new element that isn’t in Part I and II is I have included a couple members of the Class of 2025 that needed to be brought into the spotlight here and now as I believe both are well on their way to becoming top prospects of the region. We start with the juniors, and first up is an RB from New Richmond, a team that has been producing multiple impressive ball carriers as of late.
Miles Burke
Miles Burke
The 5’9″ 160 lbs RB fits the mold of a scat back. He wins with acceleration and speed. Either inside or outside, Burke is best when he gets to use his vision to find the alleys and then fly through them before defenders have enough time to fill. His lateral agility is clutch between the tackles where he is able to juke out of the reach of defenders in a snap. Once Miles gets out in the open field he has the long speed to take it the distance. Burke is an athlete to follow this year as he works to handle an even bigger workload during his final season.
The 6’2″ 185 lbs QB out of Bonduel brings a dual threat to the field. His legs and 4.85 speed will threaten defenses and keep them honest. That athleticism also allows him to buy a lot of time in the backfield. He can step up and slide around the pocket or get outside the pocket and give his guys time to get open downfield. Noah also has enough arm strength to attack down the field. He has proven that he can get the ball 30+ yards down the field accurately. That arm strength also allows him to deliver the ball while his feet aren’t set, while he is falling away, or while he is taking a hit. I’m looking forward to seeing how he has developed heading into his senior season.
The 6’2″ 200 lbs TE plays the H-back type role for New Richmond. You will see him line up all over the field. George is a natural hands catcher. He easily plucks the ball out of the air. He also has the body control to be able to cut, juke, and run smooth routes. George is a mismatch over the middle and up the seam of the field in the passing game, and he is an effective blocker in the run game. He will finish blocks when he can, and does a good job of putting himself in proper position and leverage to make his block count.
Highlights
Sometimes when looking for the next group of talented athletes they will very obviously jump out from the crowd with their superior talent. That is the case with Bloomer sophomore Zeke Strand Zeke Strand 6’4″ | 205 lbs | ATH Bloomer | 2025 State WI . The 6’3″ 190 lbs DB/RB/TE jumps off the tape. He is a rangy safety with good awareness. Those combine with his soft hands to generate turnovers on the back end of the defense. Strand will also play downhill and deliver hard, momentum stopping hits. On offense, Zeke is put in position to use those soft hands and in positions to be able to use his speed to be a mismatch with LBs. Keep an eye on this kid. He is well on his way to being an impressive two way prospect.
Our final athlete in this article comes to us from St. Croix Falls. The 6’2″ 260 lbs OL looks well on his way to becoming a solid next level OL prospect. He is a man mover in the run game. When Logan clamps his hands onto his defender you can expect to see a big push to follow. Bockman already possesses that strength to be able to reset the line of scrimmage multiple yards down the field. He also has that bully demeanor where he is looking to put every defender that he blocks into the dirt. His athleticism makes him very useful in terms of getting to the second level as well. A lot of his traits lean towards him being a good guard prospect for the next level. I’ll be keeping an eye on his development over the next two seasons.