Sophomores Who Can Explode as Juniors Pt. 2
As high school football players advance from their sophomore to junior year, they often experience significant growth and development in their skills and abilities. This growth can lead to increased recognition from college recruiters and coaches, as well as a…
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Continue ReadingAs high school football players advance from their sophomore to junior year, they often experience significant growth and development in their skills and abilities. This growth can lead to increased recognition from college recruiters and coaches, as well as a heightened level of competitiveness on the field. In this scouting report, we will identify and discuss sophomores who are poised to explode as juniors in high school football.
Brayden Benbow
Brayden Benbow
Energetic, high-motor player with the speed to play sideline to sideline. Reads keys quickly and doesn’t take many false steps in pursuit. Accelerates quickly when playing downhill. Shows impressive suddenness/short-area quickness to slip past blockers. Aggressive approach allows him to make a lot of plays in opposing backfields.
Gets good extension to play off of blocks, and has active hands to shed and work his way to the ball.
Billy Neill
Billy Neill
A high-motor player with the athleticism to work sideline to sideline; can play both the Will and Mike positions. Reads keys quickly and has some explosive traits when playing downhill. Has shown that he’s able to work behind three-man lines. Attacks blocks aggressively with good extension and adequate functional strength. Does a nice job of using his hands to sift through traffic when playing between the tackles.
Excellent athlete with true sideline-to-sideline range and a high motor. Plays the run with square shoulders and good knee bend, showing patience and discipline. Takes his time to diagnose and rarely gets caught out of position as a result; shows good overall awareness of locating the ball carrier. Attacks blocks with good extension and physicality; has some violent power in his hands. Active with his hands to sift through traffic. Length and closing burst give him an impressive tackling radius
Sawyer Sullivan
Sawyer Sullivan
Physical, energetic downhill thumper who accelerates quickly but avoids committing too early. Keeps his shoulders square and plays with discipline when defending the run between the tackles. Shows the ability to get extension and play off of blocks. Lateral quickness to shuffle and find lanes to the ball carrier is above average for his size. Generates some thudding impact as a tackler to help set the tone defensively.
Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson
Tough between the tackles and can fly downhill and plug holes in the run game. Has excellent functional strength and contact balance; when playing downhill, can jolt opposing blockers. Plays with good knee-bend and balance. Has been a very reliable tackler. Can hear the pads clicking on contact, and helps set the tone defensively. Given his size, was asked to handle some relatively extensive coverage responsibilities, including carrying opponents down the seams. Hard to knock off of his spot when blitzing from the A-gap.