Legacy College Showcase: New Names Shine on Offense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yesterday I attended the Legacy Midwest College Showcase, and I discovered a LOT of new names! Usually, when I attend these sessions, I know about half of the prospects, but this time was different. A ton of different prospects from all throughout Michigan came to compete, and over a dozen new faces impressed a ton. In this article, I'll be discussing the top six new offensive players I watched. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>QB | [player_tooltip player_id='606754' first='Joe' last='McCarthy'] | 2024 | Petoskey | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14921071/Joseph-McCarthy/about">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mr. McCarthy, holy crap!!! Seriously, [player_tooltip player_id='606754' first='Joe' last='McCarthy'] was one of the most surprising athletes at yesterday's showcase. The quick release and consistent accuracy from the Beanie Bandit were impressive to watch. He was slinging it left and right on all parts of the field and was consistent throughout the whole showcase. I need to look more into Joe and seriously consider him for the 2024 rankings now! I know Petoskey has some legit guys over there, and I'm excited to see what the team can accomplish next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>QB | [player_tooltip player_id='814543' first='Preston' last='Otter'] | 2024 | Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15060603/Preston-Otter/about">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Otter was another seriously surprising athlete. I hadn't even heard of Preston before yesterday, and now he's really on my radar. This is a 6'3 quarterback from the Saginaw area that is coming off a great Junior season and just put his name on many college radars after yesterday (even securing offers from LTU and Albion). Preston has ideal size for a QB, can run from the pocket reliably, and did well with individual drills yesterday. His film shows a good ability to read a defense while keeping his eyes downfield when evading pressure. Great throw on the run and of course, quite good from the pocket. Huge new prospect and a college prospect for sure. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>QB | [player_tooltip player_id='572246' first='Grayson' last='Fellows'] | 2027 | Grand Rapids Union | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17066346/Grayson-Fellows/about">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was my first time seeing Grayson compete, and I am overall impressed by what I saw. I asked around about Grayson, and it seems that he's turned into quite the rising star with a lot of buzz around him. Knowing a little bit about hard Grayson has worked, along with him being the son of decorated coach Don Fellows, it's easy to predict that Grayson will be a great High School Quarterback. Yesterday, Grayson had his moments of great throws but also a few missteps. It was up and down for Grayson, but for his age, he's WAY ahead of the curve. As long as he remains poised, relaxed, works hard, and just enjoys the ride, Grayson will be a highly-ranked 2027 recruit! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>OL | [player_tooltip player_id='814544' first='Van' last='Norman'] | 2024 | Lansing Sexton | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16778519/Van-Norman/about">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I watched a bulk of the lineman competition session, and Norman impressed me a whole lot. The first few reps I watched of Norman, he got beat straight-up. He wasn't balanced, hesitated, and lost a few reps. Then, he took some coaching. He approached the OL coach and seemed to have received specific things to do differently, and for the next several reps, he won. Norman wasn't the most gifted athlete in the building (though his size is not bad), but his ability to take coaching and immediately get back out there and win says a lot! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>WR | [player_tooltip player_id='814545' first='Azarius' last='Hayes'] | 2024 | Salem | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15395469/Azarius-Hayes/about">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Florida transfer has come into Michigan and is beginning to turn heads. The new guy on the block is amazing after the catch and sports great elusiveness and good speed. His film showcases great open-field ability as a running back and receiver on offense and a surprisingly good and aggressive tackler on defense. A sure-fire new addition to the rankings next month and someone I'm very intrigued to watch this fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='814604' first='Drake' last='VanDriessche'] | 2025 | Romeo | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16247412/Drake-VanDriessche/about">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Drake was one of the most impressive athletes in the whole showcase. It helps that he looks the part, as he's built incredibly well. I really liked the way Drake was moving through the initial portion of the showcase, and his performance throughout caught the attention of a few Division 2 schools. He plays for Romeo in the always-elite MAC Red, so I'm awfully eager to see what his Junior season holds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->