5 Overlooked Senior Leaders Still On The Board

<p>We've got 5 seniors who are leaders for their programs but have been vastly overlooked. All 5 are talented and could end up making a big impact somewhere on Saturdays.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1097199' first='Lane' last='Zander'] - Kankakee Valley - WR - 5'10" 165lbs</h2>   <p>Zander had a breakout season and showed quite a bit of upside, to say the least. His speed sets him above most guys and you can tell he's got a long track background. It was at least noticeable on his kickoffs this year. He was returning kicks all year and began to force defenses to kick away from him. After he returned his 4th kickoff for a TD, that's when teams began to fear him. The problem for those teams was that Zander was then a top receiver and stretched the field on offense. He's got a knack for getting behind the defense and is just as reliable as anyone to bring it down. He's got no issue looking a ball in over his shoulder downfield, either. On the year in addition to his kick return TDs, Zander had 679 receiving yards and 10 TDs. It was 1 season, but the dude can fly and showed he's capable of being a game-changing player in more than 1 area.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@LaneZander10</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='541840' first='Graham' last='Freund'] - Bloomington North - DB - 5'11" 175lbs</h2>   <p>Freund is a 3-year starter who is just about as steady as they come in the backend. Throughout the entirety of his career, he had been very consistent for Bloomington North and did a fantastic job in coverage. When your DBs have a bunch of tackles it typically is a sign of big plays being given up, but not in this case. Freund does a fantastic job keeping the WR in his hip pocket and then driving on the ball when he gets his chance. In quick drops, Freund is known to watch the QB's feet and drive when they stop. Freund had a career-high 4 interceptions this year by doing just that. When you add in his 40 tackles, 1 sack, and 5 passes deflected this year, you can see Freund had a really solid year, that's who he's been all 3 years. For example, last year he had 11 passes deflected and 41 tackles. Year in and year out, you knew what you were getting with Freund in the backend and now he looks for a home at the next level.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@GrahamFreund</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='541747' first='Jeffrey' last='Meschede'] - Crown Point - OL - 5'11" 260lbs</h2>   <p>Meschede has been one of the anchors up front for Crown Point since he stepped on the field. Crown Point is coming off of an awesome state-run, and having an elite offense is why. Helping lead the way up front and create holes in the running game was Meschede. He's not the tallest OL, but the positive is it allows him to get underneath the pads of the defender more often than not, which helps him win the rep time and time again. Meschede won't overset in pass protection, either. Get him going downhill and he'll clear the way. On top of being one of the most reliable players on the field, Meschede is a leader off of it. He was awarded the 6A Mental Attitude Award, for always doing just that and leading the way. Meschede is a sound football player and whoever lands him, will be happy with their investment.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@MeschedeJeffrey</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='753491' first='Noah' last='Lien'] -TriWest - WR - 5'9" 170lbs</h2>   <p>Lien ends his career on a high note and as one of my favorite deep threats in the 2024 class as a whole. It's not because he's the biggest, the fastest, or has the most offers, but it's because of how scrappy he was at camps. Anytime I saw him at a camp, he was outworking everyone else, continually pushing for reps, and even moving to DB at a camp when there were 4300 receivers and 6 DBs. He's a guy who truly appreciates football and being on the field and what all that means. He was also voted a team captain by the guys around him. Things I noticed at camps are the same things he must be doing in the locker room to earn that trust at receiver. Over the past 2 seasons, Lien caught exactly 100 passes for 1213 yards and 11 TDs. He's even hard to tackle. Yes, because he's slippery, but also because he's got really decent body strength and can fight through tackles. Whenever they needed a play, Lien was their go-to guy downfield and they're going to desperately miss him as he moves on to play on Saturdays.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@Noah_Lien</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='541942' first='Tysen' last='Deck'] - Central Noble - WR - 6'1" 170lbs</h2>   <p>Deck is one of the better-overlooked receivers in the entire state, solely because he's a small school recruit. If Deck went to a bigger school, there's no doubt he'd have way more interest and eyes his way. The 6'1" frame is nice and he's got fantastic speed and great ball skills. Some guys force their schools to adapt to their talents, and Deck was one of those guys. While CN tried to adjust to get Deck more involved, it was like keeping a bird in its cage. Deck is meant to be free and downfield, having a QB let it rip, and tear up defenses in the second and third levels. Despite the offensive struggles, Deck still managed to put up 46 receptions, 814 yards, and 9 TDs. I think my favorite part about all of this is that defenses doubled Deck quite a bit. They knew what we know, which is that he's the one who could beat them. The talent is there and so is the work ethic. Deck is going to end up as a steal for whoever lands him, solely because they were willing to stroll on over to Noble County, Indiana.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@TysenDeck_35</strong></p>

We've got 5 seniors who are leaders for their programs but have been vastly overlooked. All 5 are talented and could end up making a big impact somewhere on Saturdays.