PRZIA 2027 Rankings Debut | “Freshman 15” #15-11
In this article:
Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: OscarGalindo30 in the coupon code area. Prep Redzone Iowa rolled out its Class of 2027 rankings and watchlist earlier this week. In our initial rankings release, we identified 15 prospects who we believe…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGet 30% off your first billing cycle with code: OscarGalindo30 in the coupon code area.
Prep Redzone Iowa rolled out its Class of 2027 rankings and watchlist earlier this week. In our initial rankings release, we identified 15 prospects who we believe have the skillset to be high-level recruits by the time it’s all said and done. These players come from all across the state and play throughout all levels of competition. To introduce the “Freshman 15,” I will break down the prospects in a series of articles starting with #15-11. Get acquainted with these names now before everyone else does!
PRZ Rob (@RobHoweHN on Twitter) welcomes the Class of 2027 and breaks down the “Why?” behind the rankings HERE. So you can see a bit of what goes on behind the scenes when making the rankings.
Check the full “Freshman 15” & Watchlist HERE
Cameron has had our attention since his standout performance at the Stock Up showcase. The Urbandale prospect put on a show at the showcase as a follow-up to a great freshman season. Cameron played left guard on the J-Hawks offensive line, where he showed great mobility and agility. Bowie moves very well, both laterally on pulling blocks and when he needs to get downhill to clear out second-level defenders. He does a great job with his hand placement and displays the strength to overwhelm defenders before driving them into the ground. A strong base allows him to stonewall defenders at the line. Starting on the offensive line as a freshman is no easy task, but Cameron definitely took that challenge head-on and will only continue to improve in the next three seasons.
Being a freshman didn’t stop Rome from working his way into the varsity rotation last season. Rome made the most of his time on the field, displaying an aggressive, downhill playing style from the linebacker position. When watching Rome, I noticed the good job he does with reading his keys and his ability to step up and plug up gaps. He quickly shoots his gaps and plays with the physicality to force his way into backfields. Freeman has a well-built prospect at 6’0″ and 190 pounds and can use his size to hit like a truck. I look forward to seeing more of Rome in the upcoming years!
Highlights
Another Urbandale frosh star makes the initial rankings drop. Brayden Cowger Brayden Cowger 6’0″ | 250 lbs | DL Urbandale | 2027 State IA flashed a pretty explosive skillset playing on the J-Hawks defensive line. What caught my attention the most was his quickness off the ball. It seemed like he was already a step ahead of his blocker in every clip I saw and was very fast to shoot his hands and make first contact. Brayden does an excellent job keeping his pads and center of gravity low to win the leverage battle over his opponent. He can then use his strength and powerful leg drive to bull-rush his way into the backfield. Cowger pursues the ball well and flashes a pretty good motor. Keep an eye on Cowger and a promising 2027 group for the J-Hawks!
Highlights
One of two Sioux City East Black Raiders to make the Freshman 15. Defensive back Chris Ford caught our attention back at the Stock Up showcase in December, where, despite being one of the younger guys there, he competed with a lot of toughness and showed a skillset advanced for his age. What stood out the most to me was his willingness to match the physicality of any receiver he lined up against. Chris found ways to get inside the receiver’s frame with his hands to disrupt their route timing and showed the ability to press receivers at the line. He’s smooth with his backpedal and has the agility to change directions on a drop. Ford started on varsity for the Black Raiders and had a productive season with 46 total tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception. Also, DO NOT kick Chris’ way because he can burn you with his 29-yard per return average and KO return TD under his belt. Great athlete with a lot of upside!
Highlights
One of the elite do-it-all players in his class, freshman Nolan Kriegel Nolan Kriegel 6’3″ | 165 lbs | ATH Iowa Valley | 2027 State IA , was electric for the Iowa Valley Tigers. In his frosh year, Nolan showed he can get the job done with his arm or legs, posting 1,053 passing yards, 1,283 rushing yards, and 35 total touchdowns (13 pass, 20 rush, 2 receiving). Nolan has the prototypical size you like to see in QBs, standing at 6’3″, and will have time to continue filling out his frame. His height allows him to stand tall in the pocket as he quickly analyzes the field and progresses through his reads. Kriegel shows he has the strength to push the deep ball and place it right in the bucket. I like the toughness Nolan displays as a runner, willing to take on contact as he keeps on fighting for more yards. Despite that, Nolan isn’t just a north-south runner, as he flashed some elusiveness and good vision to weave through traffic. Don’t let him see daylight because he has the burst to leave defenses behind. One of the top 8-man players out there… get him on your radars ASAP!!
Make sure to follow @PRZ_OscarG for more coverage of Nebraska and Iowa HS recruiting news.