Early Look at the 2025 Class
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The 2025 class is an extremely intriguing group when you look from a zoomed out lens. It’s very heavy at the top, but it also has a lot of talent sprinkled throughout.This article, I’m going to highlight a solid group…
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Continue ReadingThe 2025 class is an extremely intriguing group when you look from a zoomed out lens. It’s very heavy at the top, but it also has a lot of talent sprinkled throughout.This article, I’m going to highlight a solid group of 10 players in this class that may be interesting to check out in the offseason, and will be good ones to keep an eye out for next season, as they aren’t quite household names yet across the recruiting landscape.
Zechariah Jones, WR, Grand Ledge- Just coming off an MVP at the Prep Redzone Showcase, I think his trajectory is really only going up. He’s a really good route runner, and I like the way he moves and can get in and out of breaks. On film, it looks like he is a kid who can just lineup anywhere and he can cause a mismatch. I noticed a few different times against zone coverage, he was able to sit in the open space instead of continuing to run right into a defender. Clear football IQ on this kid, and the athleticism to match. Excited to see what he can do to keep shaping his game.
Nash Abramowicz, DL, L’Anse Creuse- I think Nash has some really solid characteristics for a defensive end. He isn’t huge, but he has a strong base and usually has a quick first step. I think his swim move is his strongest tool in the pass rush game. He has a non stop motor and never stops pursuing, even when it looks like he’s out of the play. He also has a really good habit of getting his arms up and swatting passes. I hope to see him crush some more weights and continue to add some tools to the toolbelt, but overall I really like the way Nash is starting out this offseason.
John Baker John Baker 6'4" | 200 lbs | ATH Cass Tech | 2025 MI IV, DL/TE, Cass Tech- Per the standard at Cass Tech, this is another uniquely gifted athlete along the trenches. Defensively is where I see him shining the most, as he tends to get off the ball quicker than most, has a good burst and stays patient. He doesn’t get up field too far, but once he reads the play he gets there quickly. His long arms keep blockers out of his chest and his strong arms hold them at bay with ease. He’s getting a lot of D1 looks and I think he could climb a lot more boards within the next 365 days.
Tyler Gabrielli, OL, South Lyon- I’ve really started to come around on Tyler and his ability as a well rounded tackle. His pass sets are clean, and I know he is working a ton this offseason to develop that even more. In the run game he does a good job of getting to the second level, and when he knocks one guy over, he’s right on to the next off colored jersey he can find. He’s an aggressive and physical blocker who is really coming into his own physically. The more he continues to work in the weight room, he’s only going to continue to raise his stock.
Zane Panchula Zane Panchula 6'5" | 290 lbs | DL Rockford | 2025 State MI , DL, Rockford- Zane is a unit up front, and has some movement to go with it. He fires off really fast, and the couple times I have seen him live he seems to really fight all night and doesn’t take a play off. A lot of times he ends up drawing double teams, but even that doesn’t tend to slow down production too much. He still fights through doubles and all sorts of different combo blocks to combat him to make plays. I think next season could be the takeoff year for Zane.
Reid Grimmer Reid Grimmer 6'4" | 175 lbs | QB Spring Lake | 2025 State MI , QB, Spring Lake- Reid has been a guy I have been watching intently over the last year. I have been extremely impressed by what he has been doing already. He has a great arm, but 2 things really jump out at me. First, his ability to stay in the pocket. A lot of times in high school, QBs get happy feet and escape the pocket too early but Reid just stands in and distributes. Second, when he does get out and move, he’s very athletic! He reminds me of the Aaron Rodgers style of preferring to stay in the pocket, but gets out and moves effectively when need be. Keep this kid on your radar for next season, he could be in for a big senior year!
Connor O’Rourke, WR/DB, Mattawan- I am going to continue to sing the praises of Connor until I can’t anymore. I think he is a really athletic WR with good hands and great physicality, and he’s also a pretty underrated DB as well. I think one of my favorite traits I have noticed a few different times is his ability to adjust his route to the ball and keep good position to make the catch and keep the DB boxed out. It’s something he has really taken to a new level in his game this year, and I love to see it.
Liam Vaughan Liam Vaughan 6'2" | 280 lbs | OL Walled Lake Western | 2025 State MI , OL, Walled Lake Western- Liam is a dude I have been high on for quite awhile, and what I was looking for from him this season was a jump, and it seems he took that jump and then some. Liam has continued to get even better with his technique, which was already his strength, and now he is really learning to physically impose his will on defenders. His film was a blast to watch as he was just physically dominant on both sides of the ball. If I am a college coach I am ready to get this kid in my building, and I hope some schools are taking note of Liam’s ability.
PJ DeYoung PJ DeYoung 5'7" | 200 lbs | RB Paw Paw | 2025 MI , RB, Paw Paw- I have started to pay more and more attention to PJ recently. His numbers are really good as he had over 1,000 yards and 26 TDs. On film, he shows a great bit of patience, and then a quick burst through the hole and into the 2nd level. I think one thing that I really like is his vision, as he has a special ability to find cutback lanes and exploit them. I think if he continues to work on the breakaway speed and continues to get it done in the weight room, his senior year could be huge.
Timmy Crowly, QB, Jackson Lumen Christi- Playing in a run heavy system isn’t typically a system that produces QB highlights of them being a gunslinger. Timmy does have the ability to throw and actually be very effective, but what he does on the ground cannot be ignored. He is an extremely smart runner with good vision and a great ability to follow blockers until the last second. When he does throw, he makes good decisions and hits his guys in stride. I know there are some smaller colleges that run systems that he could flourish in. Hopefully he gets that opportunity.