Friday Film Room: Which Prospects Are Ready to Take Off in 2023?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Plenty of training camps across Illinois begin Monday, as players will strap up their pads and begin preparation for the 2023 season. Today, I'm looking at which prospects are ready to take a big leap forward this fall. The prospects featured are in the 2024 &amp; 2025 classes and have impressed me on film. However, I think they're ready to take that proverbial next step and become dominant at the varsity level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always, If you have someone you think I need to see, please DM them to me on Twitter at @hsfbscout!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>OL: Aiden Taylor, 6'3" 285, East St. Louis, 2024</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A productive guard prospect that is quick to the point of attack, has sleek footwork in pass protection, and keeps his eyes up ready to transition to the second level on double teams. He plays with an edge for four quarters, he looks to give help in pass protection if nothing shows his way, and he knows how to reset his hands on the breastplate if his initial punch misses. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>ATH: [player_tooltip player_id='1292210' first='Josh' last='Crandall'], 6'4" 220, Oregon, 2025</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crandall could wind up playing on either side of the ball at the next level and has major potential at both tight end and defensive end. On offense, he's got a massive catch radius, he's a physical run blocker that is tough to evade once he latches on and shows strong hands in traffic. On defense, he's got a great first step, he can get skinny on the inside and can quickly disengage against opposing run blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>ATH: [player_tooltip player_id='819019' first='Michael' last='McCormick'] 6'1" 180, Lake Park</strong></em><strong><em>, 2024</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This young man is like Houdini against free rushers and can create almost on his own. He's quicker than he is fast, he shows elite change of direction and is more than willing to tuck it &amp; run to pick-up yards on the ground if nothing is open. He keeps his eyes downfield when outside the pocket, he's got serious guts, and his team feeds off of his fearless playing style.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>DE: [player_tooltip player_id='1292155' first='Barron' last='Sholl'], 6'4" 220, Rockford Boylan, 2025</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sholl has a projectable frame for a five-technique, he can navigate through chaos on the inside and is flexible enough to dip &amp; rip around the edge. He plays with low pads, has a high onfield football IQ, and can retrace in his rush lane when the quarterback climbs the pocket. To me, he's a no-brainer division one prospect and the offers should be coming soon. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>RB: Luke Foster, 5'10" 190, Loyola, 2025</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Foster shined for Loyola's 2022 state championship team when given the opportunity. This is a hard-nosed back that runs behind his pads and consistently finishes his carries falling forward. He is a decisive north &amp; south runner that bursts through arm tackle attempts and has the speed to run away from the defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->