Hudl Discoveries #5 - Capital Area Red

We're back at it with Hudl Discoveries! We're headstrong into the Lansing area, and today, we'll be looking at the Red League. This league contains several teams that I don't cover very much, so I'm looking forward to seeing film of players completely unknown to me.   '25 LB | [player_tooltip player_id='1290515' first='Celeb' last='Vaughn'] | Mason | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13605935/Caleb-Vaughn">Hudl</a>   Mason is coming off a State Championship appearance, though they lose a gigantic senior class. Caleb is a player I've seen and heard about in passing, but I've never sat down to watch his film. Celeb is a solid linebacker who looks like a future Division 3 or NAIA linebacker. Intellectually, it looks like he knows the game, and he consistently has his eyes on the backfield. He's also very physical and willing to work through blocks. Once the ball is handed off, he has decent pursuit and good tackling technique. His eyes are good, but he's a bit too patient. He isn't incredibly quick to react and isn't extremely athletic, either. If he can improve his reaction time and speed, he'll have his best season next Fall.    '26 WR | [player_tooltip player_id='1225692' first='Thomas' last='Pratt'] | Williamston | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17870676/Thomas-K-Pratt">Hudl</a>   Thomas is one of those tall receivers that you trust to catch a jump ball. At 6'3" with seemingly long arms, Thomas is able to use his body to climb the ladder and catch the ball above the DBs reach. That said, he's an ideal receiver if you want an explosive play on 3rd or 4th and long. His speed looks good- his 10-yard split at the 0:47 in the film below is very promising. Other than those two things, he's very unproven with the rest of the route tree, and there are almost no RAC highlights. I really like what I see, but his film is very one-dimensional.    '26 OLB | [player_tooltip player_id='1225694' first='Joe' last='Smith'] | Williamston | Hudl   Joe is primarily an off-ball outside linebacker, but I also like his few running back highlights. Quickly, I think he's a promising running back with good burst and great physicality. I would love to see his offensive role increase next season. As a linebacker, he plays with that same physicality. He's a patient linebacker who does a great job at playing within his role in the defense. He sets a good edge, makes his tackles, and isn't overly dominant, but he definitely isn't a bad player. As a linebacker, he's an NAIA guy for me. As a running back, I'd love to see that explored more.    '26 ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='1225697' first='Miles' last='Keener'] | Williamston | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17983188/Miles-Keener">Hudl</a>   Miles plays a huge role on this team, both offensively and defensively. As a receiver, he looks quick and shows massive potential as a middle-of-the-field threat. He has a few moments of excellent ball tracking, and he does a good job immediately looking upfield for some RAC yardage. He's just as good on defense as he's a physical and smart linebacker. His reaction time is quite good, and he's not afraid to go through people in order to make a play. I love the foundation I see in this film. If Miles is able to get consistently stronger and more athletic, he could be a huge problem for the next two seasons.    '26 LB | [player_tooltip player_id='1225702' first='Dawson' last='Dabler'] | Haslett | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18146428/Dawson-Dabler">Hudl</a>   Talk about physical- Dawson is it. He's a very aggressive and physical linebacker with great pursuit and mostly good tackling. His aggressive pursuit sometimes comes back to bite him, but for the most part, I love that he takes an angle that minimizes yards gained. That said, he has good sideline-to-sideline skills and could improve with better speed and athleticism. I love Dawson's potential, and if he can just get his frame and athleticism right, he'll be a dominant linebacker with high college upside.    '27 ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='1233447' first='Baylor' last='Schanski'] | Haslett | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18612815/Baylor-Schanski">Hudl</a>   I rarely cover JV players, but this Freshman's tape was too good to pass up. Turn on the tape and look at the open-field ability. The way that Baylor is able to weave his way through the defense is extremely rare for someone his age. I am extremely impressed by his lateral movement and vision. He has great speed for his age, and I expect him to put in the work to get even better. He's going into my 2027 rankings spreadsheet, and he has a great chance to be ranked come the next update.    '25 SB | [player_tooltip player_id='591067' first='Will' last='Shrader'] | Fowlerville | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16040657/Will-Shrader">Hudl</a>   Will didn't have off-the-page stats, but his film shows a lot of great stuff. He looks quick off the line of scrimmage, runs good routes, and is a big YAC threat. Once he catches the ball, he immediately looks to turn up field. He's impressive in that regard, and I hope to see him sometime this offseason to evaluate his hands, speed, and more.

We're back at it with Hudl Discoveries! We're headstrong into the Lansing area, and today, we'll be looking at the Red League. This league contains several teams that I don't cover very much, so I'm looking forward to seeing film of players completely unknown to me.