5 Oustanding Freshmen From Last Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking back at last season, several freshmen had <a href="https://www.gobound.com/ia/ihsaa/football/2023-24/leaderlist?competitor=athlete&amp;range=season&amp;block=total&amp;grade=FR&amp;idMetric=h20181120102641c0f914dfaea14285a&amp;idMetricGroup=h20200131032829975bb9dfada0d8e49">tremendous statistics</a> and are headed for bright futures. As we turn the spotlight on five of the top Iowa high school football freshmen, it's time to examine what makes these players so special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What these five players brought to the field last year makes for an exciting start to the next season. Each of them are destined for big careers and will rise in the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/iowa/">rankings for the class of 2027</a>. Let's dive into what makes these players some of the top Iowa high school football freshmen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1161455,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Landon-Blum.jpg?w=810" alt="" class="wp-image-1161455" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: [player_tooltip player_id='1197458' first='Landon' last='Blum'], <a href="https://twitter.com/landon_blum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://twitter.com/landon_blum</a></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1197458' first='Landon' last='Blum']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'5u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"175","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2410","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Woodbine","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Blum led the freshman class in receiving yards with 839 and touchdowns with a whopping 17, as well as receptions, totaling 50 on the year. The first thing you notice in his film is his tremendous size, standing 6-foot-5 and 175 pounds. Blum is excellent in contested catch situations, using his strong hands and size to go up and get the ball at its high point. He doesn't need much separation to make a play on the ball, but he is able to make his own space with his solid route-running technique. He understands how to work the sidelines and use leverage against defensive backs. Blum has really good speed to take the top off a defense and outrun pursuing defenders. He isn't afraid of physicality, using his strength and hands throughout his routes and has shown he can lower his shoulder and run through defenders. Overall, Blum will be a receiver to keep a close eye on as one of the better young receivers in the class of 2027.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65b2cdd801e0b"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Jaxx Dejean","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"200","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"OABCIG","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Dejean had a phenomenal freshman season on both sides of the ball, totaling 500 yards and seven touchdowns on 37 catches as a receiver and 28 total tackles with four interceptions on defense. Despite being just a freshman, Dejean has the ideal frame to take on the ATH title, standing at 6-foot-four and 200 pounds. As a receiver, he has tremendous speed, allowing him to take the top off a defense or create yards after the catch. Dejean was lined up all over the line of scrimmage, creating mismatches for defenders. He has great ball skills, using his strong hands to catch through traffic and toughness to go up and get the ball while using his frame to box out defenders. Dejean's receiving abilities translate to the defensive side of the ball, showing off his instincts to break on passes and make a play on the receiver. He uses his physicality to play through the receiver's hands and puts himself in a good position to create a turnover.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65b2cdd802025"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1197463' first='Nolan' last='Kriegel']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'3u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"165","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Iowa Valley","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Kriegel had an outstanding freshman season, both on the ground and through the air. He led the freshman class in rushing yards with 1,283 on 174 careers and 20 touchdowns. He also threw for 1,053 yards and totaled 13 touchdowns, proving his true dual-threat capabilities. At 6-foot-3, Kriegel is a towering presence in the backfield who can see the field easily and read defenses. As a runner, Kriegel is a long-strider who can eat up turf and outrun defenders with his speed. He has great vision in the open field and can make defenders miss with his shiftiness. As a passer, Kriegel can put touch on the ball, allowing his receivers to make a play on it in the air or run under it for a big play. Kriegel has good footwork in his drop back, getting his feet set and delivering an accurate throw. With another three years of development, he will be a name to watch as one of the better ATHs in the state of Iowa.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65b2cdd801cda"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1197467' first='Treyvon' last='Herron']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"151","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Gladbrook-Reinbeck","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Herron played receiver and defensive back, making a major impact on the defensive side of the ball as a freshman. He totaled 44.5 tackles and secured four interceptions, two of which went to the house. Herron is a supreme athlete with quick-twitch abilities and very solid speed. His ball skills are tremendous, addressing the ball with natural hands and a great vertical for his size. Herron showed off his speed in the return game and was a constant threat to take it to the house. He's a physical player who can come downhill and help in run support, showing good footwork transitioning out of his backpedal. His physicality shows up when he has the ball in his hands, displaying good contact balance and the ability to put his shoulder down and run defenders over. Herron has great instincts, reading the quarterback and breaking on receivers to make a play on the ball. As he continues to develop, Herron is in for a great high school career and will be a player many have their eyes on.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65b2cdd8020ec"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1197472' first='Cael' last='Weisskopf']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"168","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"HLV","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Weisskopf had an outstanding season on defense last year, leading the freshman class in tackles with 76.5. 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