Hudl Discoveries #15 - Charter School Gold Pt.2

Back with coverage of the Charter School Conference, we'll be taking a look at five of the best new offensive prospects. Up top, we have a few super intriguing young '27/'26 prospects who could develop into elite players. We also have a few established players who are looking to take their game to the next level leading up to their senior season.   '27 ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='1158946' first='Kayden' last='Upshaw'] | Detroit Edison | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/19461014/Kayden-Upshaw?_gl=1*5ftzic*_ga*MzQyNDEyMDcuMTY5MzMzNjg0Ng..*_ga_29LPHS2HWC*MTcxMDEyOTYyMy4yMTAuMS4xNzEwMTI5Njk5LjAuMC4w">Hudl</a>   5'8" 140lbs   Kayden excels as a speed in space player. As a running back, he does his best work when he's able to bounce it outside and hug the sideline on his way to a big gain. As a receiver, he sports good downfield speed, and he does a good job of keeping his balance through the catch. I'd love to see better route running and vision in the future, because if he can really focus on those "little things" his game will improve tremendously. I'm excited to see how Kayden develops in the coming years!    '26 T/DT | Max Baker | Detroit Edison | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/19851252/Max-Baker?_gl=1*24pvuc*_ga*MzQyNDEyMDcuMTY5MzMzNjg0Ng..*_ga_29LPHS2HWC*MTcxMDEyOTYyMy4yMTAuMS4xNzEwMTI5OTU2LjAuMC4w">Hudl</a>   6'4" 215lbs   Max is a tenacious blocker and run-stopper. The start of his highlight tape shows a great game against Almont, a team that came a play away from a state title. Offensively, Max is a raw prospect, but still has that tenacity you love to see from an offensive lineman. Although I don't love his technique on run or pass plays, he has the power just to shove people over. With better technique, he could be a great offensive line prospect down the road. I also like his D-Line tape. The power he's shown at OT also shows on defense, as he's able to work his way through blocks and stop the run. Max is still a young prospect, and I'd love to see his game take a step up next season.    '25 WR/DB | [player_tooltip player_id='1290620' first='Donovan' last='Lyons'] | Detroit Edison | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16630742/Donovan-Lyons?_gl=1*1kc4099*_ga*MzQyNDEyMDcuMTY5MzMzNjg0Ng..*_ga_29LPHS2HWC*MTcxMDEyOTYyMy4yMTAuMS4xNzEwMTMwMTUwLjAuMC4w">Hudl</a>   5'9" 160   Donovan is a very productive two-way player. Overall, he sports great athleticism, and he's repped enough to make some smart decisions. Offensively, I like his vision, athleticism, route-running, and he even has some good contact balance. He's best when utilized in space, but can also climb the ladder and make difficult catches. I actually like his defensive tape more than offensive. Every college needs new DBs, and Donovan could be a very in-demand player in a year's time. He's pretty hit or miss as a defensive back, as he does make mistakes but has great recovery. If he can get a ton more DB reps and perhaps a few offseason camps, he could be a great DB prospect soon.    '25 RB | [player_tooltip player_id='1241639' first='Deajon' last='Parker'] | Chandler Park Academy | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/20033536/Deajon-Parker">Hudl</a>   5'8" 140   Deajon is a solid running back with good patience, vision, and open-field ability. The highlight at 1:02 showcases all of his skills wonderfully. Juking a man behind the line of scrimmage, another juke 5-yards downfield, and ends up turning a 2-yard loss into an explosive play. Another word that comes to mind when watching Deajon is slippery. His size and patience really allows him to weave through the defense, and he makes the game look slower than it actually is. I think that speed is the one glaring area that Deajon is missing. His speed isn't bad, but being faster and more explosive would skyrocket his recruitment.    '25 WR | [player_tooltip player_id='1217567' first='Demarion' last='Johnson'] | MI Collegiate | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16915856/Demarion-Johnson?_gl=1*twud3u*_ga*MzQyNDEyMDcuMTY5MzMzNjg0Ng..*_ga_29LPHS2HWC*MTcxMDEyOTYyMy4yMTAuMS4xNzEwMTM0MjI1LjAuMC4w">Hudl</a>   Last but certainly not least is [player_tooltip player_id='1217567' first='Demarion' last='Johnson'] from Warren Michigan Collegiate. This is the most polished receiver that I've covered in the Charter School Conference. Namely, his route running and vision are near-excellent. A ton of receivers I watch are fast, explosive, etc, but few take the time to run good routes. Demarion is twitchy and knows how to create separation with his routes. The highlight at 1:15 is simply insane- with a good route followed by an incredible 1-handed catch. The highlight at 0:23 shows good open-field ability, though most of his highlights are downfield bombs. Demarion could easily be a high-tier Division 2 receiver prospect.

Back with coverage of the Charter School Conference, we'll be taking a look at five of the best new offensive prospects. Up top, we have a few super intriguing young '27/'26 prospects who could develop into elite players. We also have a few established players who are looking to take their game to the next level leading up to their senior season.