Tate Talk: Eliminated Players That Deserve an Extra Look
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There are a plethora of players throughout the Colorado High School playoffs that deserve an extra look. Since there are so many, unfortunately many fantastic prospects often get overlooked. It’s easy to get caught up following the winning teams, but…
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Continue ReadingThere are a plethora of players throughout the Colorado High School playoffs that deserve an extra look. Since there are so many, unfortunately many fantastic prospects often get overlooked. It’s easy to get caught up following the winning teams, but forget about the ones left behind. I went through a handful of games and teams that got eliminated, to make a list of prospects that should get some more spotlight on them. Now, let’s get into the analysis of these players.
Frasier got the heavy share of the carries at Arapahoe throughout the season. He ran the ball 149 times, gained 822 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Frasier has a good athletic ability due to good speed, change of direction and solid acceleration. His balance stands out the most to me. Multiple times when he’d start to stumble, he would regain his balance and composure to keep running. Phenomenal body control. Frasier gets himself active in the blocking game as well. He is a MAULER in blocking. Whether it’s a pull following a QB run, or blocking downfield, Frasier excels at it. At 5’11” 175 pounds, for him to block/control and steer defenders the way he does is very impressive.
Highlights
A dual threat star for Thomas Jefferson, Haralambopoulos threw for 63/122 1351 yards 14 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He rushed 195 times for 1582 yards and 16 touchdowns. Haralambopoulos was the Spartans’ leading passer and rusher even with Jake Tapia Jake Tapia 6’2″ | 220 lbs | ATH Thomas Jefferson | 2024 State CO putting up 1227 yards on the ground. He’s electric outside of the pocket and in the run game. Making defenders miss with very good change of direction and speed. He’s physical as well, not shying away from contact. Thrives in it. His numbers speak for themselves. He’s a solid passer as well. Demonstrating good short and medium accuracy with solid deep ball. Good throw on the run as well. Dimitri is a must know prospect for colleges to entertain having on their roster.
Highlights
Cael Helwick
Cael Helwick
Helwick’s a beast on the defense for the Brighton Bulldogs. Over the course of the season, Helwick had 92 total tackles (47 solo and 45 assists) 9.2 tackles per game and 1 TFL. The next best tackler on the team had 49 total tackles. That should tell you how much of a playmaker he is. Helwick’s the glue that keeps the defense together. He’s all over the field constantly. He’ll use good mental processing to read the QB’s eyes to determine where to go. Good downhill and side to side speed. Good vision to run through gaps and create pressure on the QB. Even though Brighton got eliminated, Helwick’s season long performance provides Brighton with a big playmaker on their defense for the following season.
Tapia is a dual position star. His stats are phenomenal on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. I was very shocked to see his huge production on both sides of the ball. Kid’s a stud. As a running back, he had 15o carries for 1227 yards and 15 touchdowns. As a MLB, he had 106 total tackles (56 solo and 50 assisted), 5 sacks, 15 TFL, 3 INT, 10 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles. He has a very good athletic ability and strength. Very good speed and change of direction for both positions. Also very physical and loves to create contact. As a running back, he uses his very good athletic ability and good quickness to achieve a burst off the line. Demonstrates good mental processing to find the holes and run through them. He uses his physicality to shed tackles, and has a killer stiff arm. As a MLB, he’s everywhere. One of this plays that stood out to me, was when he acted like he was rushing the QB, but goes back into coverage. Tips the ball and picks it off himself. That play really encompasses Tapia as a player. He’s able to identify gaps easily, which being a RB also helps. Tapia will watch the QB’s eyes and follow them like a predator to his prey. When tackling, he’ll wrap them up and stop them in their tracks. He’ll consistently hit the ball trying to cause fumbles. Which he has by ripping the ball from a wide receiver’s hands. He needs to be on everyone’s radar as he’s a fantastic two way player.
Highlights
Blake George
Blake George
George grew a lot since last season. In the 2022 season, he threw for 4 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for 603 yards and a QBR of 46.0 This past season, he threw for 13 touchdowns 4 interceptions, for 1389 yards and 102.5 QBR. On the ground he accounted for 113 carries 432 yards and 10 touchdowns. He looked like a completely different player and started to put it all together. His good speed and physicality work in tandem when he escaped the pocket or on QB designed runs. Good accuracy at all levels, but the deep ball accuracy really stands out to me. He demonstrates good mental processing by progressing in his reads and finding the open receiver. He’s only a junior and I’m really excited to see what he puts together in his senior year as a bulldog.