Under the Radar 2024’s that Have Flashed in 2023
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2024 DB Daivontay Young Daivontay Young 5'11" | 180 lbs | DB Dunbar | 2024 State OH (Dunbar) 5’11 180- Young (Pictured above) is an explosive athlete. He sees a lot of time on offense as a running back. It’s…
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Continue Reading2024 DB Daivontay Young Daivontay Young 5'11" | 180 lbs | DB Dunbar | 2024 State OH (Dunbar) 5’11 180- Young (Pictured above) is an explosive athlete. He sees a lot of time on offense as a running back. It’s no wonder because he has the speed to turn any run into 6 points. That being said I like him most on defense. He plays linebacker for the Wolverines, but I project him to the strong safety position at the college level. You’re not going to find a lot of players who are as explosive and fast as Young. He does a good job of making his pre-snap reads and when the ball is snapped his read and react is on point. When he tunnels on his runs, he’s downhill and he’s a sure tackler. Because of the large amount of ground, he can cover and the good angles he takes in pursuit I think he’s a really strong fit for safety. In his film you don’t see a lot of him in coverage, but with his athleticism and lose hips I have no worry that he can cover both in zone and man to man. Young is a D1 talent that’s really flying under the radar. Hopefully with a strong senior season he can building some recruiting momentum.
2024 OT Craig Holly II Craig Holly II 6'5" | 240 lbs | OL Sycamore | 2024 State OH (Sycamore) 6’5 240- Holly is a player that I actually came across when watching his opponent’s team against his Sycamore Aviators. Holly has plus length and athleticism. He has camp film of him running routes as a tight end and he doesn’t look out of place. That being said if he can put on some weight and continue to add strength, I really think he could turn into a really good college offensive lineman. Holly gets off the ball well and has really quick feet. In his pass pro, he has a smooth kick set. When he gets his depth, he has a nice punch that can stifle a pass rusher. In the run game he moves well and loves to finish. The biggest thing right now is for Craig to continue to develop physically. I’m interested to see what Holly can put on film the rest of the season. The Greater Miami Conference that Sycamore plays in has some teams that can get after the quarterback. I’ll be interested to see how Holly uses his plus athleticism to compete against those pass rushes.
2024 WR Riley Neer Riley Neer 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Bellefontaine | 2024 State OH (Bellefontaine) 6’1 175- Neer is an interesting receiver who can affect the game in multiple ways. At 6’1 he has good height and length for a receiver. First, he has the speed to win deep. On more than one occasion this season he’s been able to beat cornerbacks on fly routes by just running by them. He has a good feel for route running. He does a good job of breaking off his routes and making himself available for his quarterback. He’s used in the Chieftains offense both on bubble screens and on reverses. He’s been as productive as you could ask for, putting up both a 100 yard and 200-yard games in the first two weeks of the season. After he gets the ball in his hands, he has the speed and the suddenness to make guys miss and pick up yards after the catch. Neer is a good blend of a player who’s consistent and dependable in the underneath, but also has big play ability. That’s a combo that you don’t always see. Neer should have a big senior season. I see him as a high D2 or D1 FCS player.
2024 OL Jacob Saurbeck Jacob Saurbeck 6'8" | 280 lbs | OL Clay | 2024 State OH (Clay) 6’8 280- Saurbeck is a really impressive looking offensive lineman. At 6’8 and 280 pounds he has great length and carries his weight very well. When Jacob pass sets he has good feet and can get depth quickly. He has a nice punch that will knock pass rushers off balance from time to time. I like his ability to mirror in defenders. In the run game Saurbeck uses his athleticism to attack his blocking assignments. He does a good job of scraping and getting to the next level to get blocks at the second level. The biggest area for potential growth in my opinion is just refining his hand placement. Sometimes for taller offensive linemen the tendency is to want to strike out or down at the defender’s breastplate rather than with an upward thrust. If he can continue to get stronger and tighten up his technique, he has the athleticism to play at the next level. I like Jacob somewhere in the high D2 to D1 FCS college levels.
2024 LB Preston Harrison Preston Harrison 6'2" | 195 lbs | LB Olentangy | 2024 State OH (Olentangy) 6’2 195- Harrison has had a nice start to his senior season. He’s contributed to Olentangy’s 2-0 start on both sides of the ball. On offense he’s used as more a short yardage power back. He’s a weapon in the redzone and near the goal line as a power back to run between the tackles and get hard yards. Defensively he plays linebacker for the Braves. The defensive side of the ball is where I project him to at the next level. His length and speed to rush off the edge and pursue the ball make him a really strong fit at the outside backer. In coverage he has a good feel for playing in space in zone coverages. He intercepted a throw versus Medina where he lays back and makes an aggressive break straight forward to step in front of the receiver at the last second and take the ball for a nice return. He has the speed and explosiveness to come up and attack the ball carrier in the run game. Olentangy plays in the best football conference in Central Ohio, so he’ll have plenty of chance to put out good film against solid opponents. I’ll be interested to see where he can take his game.