GameChangers: The MVPs From The Indiana Prep Redzone Showcase
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This content series is sponsored by GameChanger – The Official Scorekeeping, Stats, Team Management & Technology Partner of Prep Redzone The Prep Redzone Indiana Showcase in Westfield wrapped up yesterday! These are the 7 players who left as the GameChangers and MVPs…
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The Prep Redzone Indiana Showcase in Westfield wrapped up yesterday! These are the 7 players who left as the GameChangers and MVPs from the showcase!
Connor Cruz Connor Cruz 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Covenant Christian | 2026 State IN – Covenant Christian – QB – 6’2″ 185lbs – 2026
It’s been a steady line of development for Cruz throughout his first 2 years on the field, and today was no different. He’s coming off his first year starting, in which he put up 2630 yards on 56% completion and threw for 33 TDs. He’s got a big arm and can make all the throws in the route tree. There are times he can be a bit too aggressive, but it’s finding that middle ground of when to be aggressive vs passive that Cruz is working through. I thought not only did he look good in all drills, but he had 1 of the best throws of the night. It was roughly a 50-yard rainbow that dropped right into the outstretched hands of his WR with the DB right on his hip. It was the perfect throw and set the tone for the rest of the 1 on 1s. His frame is nice and although the headshot photo may not show it, has a nice lower half. He’s filling out his frame, and you can tell he’s not only working with the right position coaches but hitting the weight room. I’d love to see Cruz play with a bit more anticipation down the road, but that’s being nitpicky when you’re at a camp. Cruz is certainly on his way to developing into a really good quarterback, but so far, he’s checking boxes off in stride.
Twitter: @Connor_Cruz_9
Gregory Hutcheson – Brownstown Central – RB – 6’1″ 190 – 2025
Certain guys just come into a camp and surprise you. Hutcheson immediately got eyes on him when he ran his 40. The 40 at our events are timed by collegiate coaches from all over, and Hutcheson clocked in at 4.70, from the eye test, it was certainly one of the quicker runs. That’s where he got the first set of eyes on him, and he never stopped impressing. For a guy who is 6’1″ and 190 lbs, he’s way quicker and more agile, especially in short areas than you’d expect. He’s got fantastic balance and can run through contact without an issue. He continued to look good through drills and then during 1 on 1s. Not only did he prove he could catch the ball out of the backfield, but he was also able to create separation and make over-the-shoulder grabs. He’s just a sound athlete who does everything well. To win MVP, you gotta win the callouts. Hutechson’s best 1 on 1 reps were during the showdown. He made the LB get lost and essentially spin in a circle to find him. Hutcheson’s subtle movements got the coverage to bite and he went out the backdoor while accelerating. It was clean and he got a nice ball for 6. For a back in a triple-threat option offense, it was great to see him get a chance to show the versatility he has because he’s got quite a bit of potential.
Twitter: @Gregory_Hutch40
Jackson Harvey Jackson Harvey 6'2" | 175 lbs | WR Cathedral | 2026 State IN – Cathedral – WR – 6’2″ 170lbs – 2026
Harvey was the poor guy who had to run an extra 40-yard dash because the coaches weren’t 100% confident it was right. Well, all 3 times Harvey ran right around a 4.69-4.74. He’s got a nice build and looked good at all the other drills so naturally when you have a kid show up and run that fast, you keep an eye on him. It turns out, as you’d hope, he’s pretty talented. He can run quite a few routes from the tree without an issue, but did a great job with the deep balls. He went up and over a defender for a slightly underthrown ball. Also, he caught a beautiful ball from his fingertips in the corner of the endzone for a long TD during 1-on-1s. It was a perfect throw but just as great of a catch to have the full extension and hold on with the fingertips. Harvey got some work this past season at the Varsity level for Cathedral, so moving forward he’s looking to establish a bigger role. With performances like the one tonight and the onfield development, Harvey’s potential is wide open. I like him outside and the length he’s got with the speed. It all works and he could establish himself as a possession receiver who is great in the red zone.
Twitter: @JacksonH2026
James Williams James Williams 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL Lawrence Central | 2026 State IN – Lawrence Central – OL – 6’3″ 270lbs – 2026
It doesn’t really take long to figure out why Williams could be a pretty stellar piece down the road, but to see where he’s at is very promising. The length he has is incredible. His feet are huge and his hands are easily some of the biggest in the 2026 class entirely. Once he latches onto you, it’s over, and some defensive linemen found that out that hard way yesterday. For his age, his footwork is fairly decent. He’s coachable and in those small 1 on 1 segments, took things away and then brought them to the 1 on 1s. I know a very minute thing, but I really appreciated that during the INDY period, they worked on the foot angle on step-backs. From the start of camp to the 1-on-1s, there was a big difference in his pass protection footwork with 3 steps. That very drill is what kept him properly in line and gave him a good foot to kick back off of if they tried to cross his face. Williams started this year for Lawrence Central and was selected to the All-County team. He now leaves the Winter Showcase as the Offensive Line MVP and continues to put himself on the right path. If Williams stays hungry and keeps his head down, he’s got Power 5 potential.
Twitter: @BamBalling
Jrue Kante Jrue Kante 6'1" | 290 lbs | DL Noblesville | 2025 State IN – Noblesville – DL – 6’1″ 280lbs – 2025
There’s a lot to like about what Kante can bring to the field and where he’s at in his development in general. He’s coming off of easily his best year yet, and now has the Showcase MVP to go along with it. To have an interior lineman who is as quick and subtle as Kante can be while playing the run can be such a blessing for defensive coordinators. I like to spend a good deal of my time watching OL and DL Indy and then 1-on-1s for these very reasons. It’s wild to me that every game of football is won and lost in the trenches, but it’s only the playmakers that get the glory. Kante’s junior season saw him put up 32 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a sack, and a forced fumble. Tonight, he gave just about every offensive lineman fits. He was attentive during the INDY period and was helpful to some other guys who had questions. His 1 on 1s saw him win every rep and he stepped up to the callouts with the same mindset. He does a good job reading and reacting to the OL’s hands which is where his ability to move his hands and arms quickly came through big for him. It’s been an impressive 2023 all-around for Kante, and hopefully, he will build on it in ’24.
Twitter: @Jrue_Kante11
Alex Broshears Alex Broshears 5'10" | 200 lbs | LB Evansville Memorial | 2025 State IN – Evansville Memorial – LB – 5’10” 190lbs – 2025
Broshears is one of the most productive LBs in the country, let alone the state of Indiana. This season alone, he put up 124 solo tackles, which was 15th in the nation and 2nd in his class. He added 17 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, with 1 being a house call. On tape, you get a sense that he’s got good instincts, but it’s even more clear in person. I don’t believe I’ve seen him play in person, but the first thing I noticed at least was how his eyes and feet are always in sync. He’s going where his eyes tell him and there’s no hesitation. He understands what he’s seeing and his footwork is as clean as it can get, so naturally, he’s always by the football. However, he doesn’t usually get a ton of opportunity to do work in coverage since he’s so good near the LOS and tracking the ball. But, he got the chance to showcase he’s not only got the speed for man coverage, but those same instincts also work deep downfield. He was smooth during INDY, locked in during the RB/LB group and easily had the best closing speed/angles, and then didn’t get up a catch during 1-on-1s. You can’t do it any better than Broshears did today or has been doing since he stepped on the field. You can’t teach elite traits or instincts, but after today, I feel pretty confident in saying Broshears can check those boxes.
Twitter: @Alex_Broshears
Slade Fell Slade Fell 6'2" | 200 lbs | DB Northview | 2026 State IN – Northview – DB – 6’1″ 190lbs – 2026
When I first heard that Fell was moving to DB I had my concerns, but he immediately got rid of those with his play on the field this fall. Moving from RB to DB and starting right away he put up a fairly respectable 54 tackles, 41 solos, and 3 interceptions. However, that should be the tip of the iceberg for Fell. I know he was covered very recently, but that was just looking at his tape from the fall. I’d say he’s starting to take another step in the right direction just based on his progression from his tape until now. He took advantage of the limited DB group size and took as much from the INDY sessions as he could. Asking questions, redoing reps but from a different angle, flipping it and doing it the other way, and working with the other guys where he needed to. We get to 1 on 1s and there are always 100 more WRs than DBs, but it’s great for those DBs to get those live reps. Fell didn’t back down and kept taking his reps in rotation. His length and speed keep him in phase of every ball/receiver that comes his way. With his frame filling out and growing a few inches in the past year, he’s continued to add boxes to his sheet and forcibly check them off. At the rate Fell developing on the backend, he could easily be one of the best hybrid/versatile guys in the class by the time their Senior year rolls around.
Twitter: @SladeFell