Winter 2025 Stock Risers – Pt.1
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Every season, there are players who outperform expectations. Much of the time, players really take off during their Junior season. Over the past several months, we’ve witnessed players who’ve taken their game to the next level and have earned a…
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Continue ReadingEvery season, there are players who outperform expectations. Much of the time, players really take off during their Junior season. Over the past several months, we’ve witnessed players who’ve taken their game to the next level and have earned a boost to their ranking. This article will feature five of the most prominent stock risers of the Winter 2025 update!
I was dead wrong about Bryson Williams Bryson Williams 6’2″ | 195 lbs | ATH Orchard Lake St. Mary’s | 2025 State MI . Last year, I thought he showed some promise, but I didn’t think he could be the dynamic playmaker on both sides of the ball that he is today. It’s hard to believe that Bryson was ranked #183 in the last update- and he’s jumped all the way to #43. After the season that he had alongside offers from Michigan State, Kent State, and others, there’s no question that he’s a top 50 player in this class.
Specifically, Bryson has demonstrated rare athleticism this season and he plays with a tenacity that you simply cannot teach. To play significant snaps in all three phases in the Catholic League is extremely impressive. As a return specialist, he was really able to show off his explosiveness alongside his vision in the open field. Offensively, he was able to out-athlete DBs and make plays. Defensively, even though it’s not something he has a massive amount of experience in, he was able to make some tackles and take back an interception to the house.
During the last update, I noted that Spencer was an extremely raw prospect, but he had the opportunity to be a major stock riser after the 2023 season. What do you know- Spencer has shown significant improvement in his game, and it’s garnered him offers from Toledo and Western Michigan. I still consider Spencer to be relatively raw, but his size is impossible to ignore, and he is a part of a Stoney Creek program that is excellent at developing the trenches. With further development, Spencer’s ceiling is as high as any in this class.
Going into the 2023 season, I had managed expectations for Brody. Frankly, Brody was hyped up unlike any Quarterback I’ve seen in the Grand Rapids area. We ranked Brody #125 in the last iteration of the rankings with the expectation that he’ll probably earn his way up the ladder at some point. After this season, watching his highlights, and his game against Rockford, I can confidently rank Brody at the #64 spot. This is a quarterback who understands the offensive system he’s in, knows how to read a defense, and straight-up knows how to play his position. Brody doesn’t have measurements or arm talent that’s going to blow you away. He’s a QB who goes through his progressions, throws confidently, and, very importantly, gets the ball out quickly.rnWith another productive offseason, I don’t see Brody being anything worse than a high-end GLIAC prospect.
Highlights
The more I watched Adrain Rankin, the more he rose through the rankings.rnWith the majority of off-ball linebackers, I’m usually able to find one or two pretty major weaknesses. The most common weaknesses are a lack of athleticism, lack of pass coverage experience, and indecisiveness. Although Adrian is not perfect, I don’t see any major weaknesses in his game. Especially as the season went on, he was flying to the football no matter where it was. A big moment for me was when I watched him play against Mona Shores in last year’s playoffs. Adrian made multiple TFLs where his reaction time was stellar, and his athleticism allowed him to make a tackle before the offense knew what hit them. When stopping the run, he takes great angles to the football and he wastes no time letting himself into the opposing teams backfield. When blitzing, his timing is on-point. I’m not too sure how he fares as a pass defender, but I imagine he could more than hold his own covering most RBs on short routes.