Northern WI ’25s to Get Eyes On
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No doubt about it, a large majority of the talent in each Class coming out of WI comes from the big city regions. Areas like Eau Claire/La Crosse in west central WI, Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay/Appleton give us so…
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Continue ReadingNo doubt about it, a large majority of the talent in each Class coming out of WI comes from the big city regions. Areas like Eau Claire/La Crosse in west central WI, Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay/Appleton give us so many college level kids. However, there are plenty of diamonds hidden outside of those regions in Wisconsin. Northern WI is home to several of those hidden gems. Athletes that stand out with their size, power, and/or athleticism on tape. Let’s shine the spotlight on that tape, and these college level athletes right here, right now!
Tyler Phillips
Tyler Phillips
The massive athlete out of Cameron HS could be labeled OL or DL because the tape shows someone who could find a home at either position. Tyler has an excellent, powerful frame at 6’3″ 320 lbs. On offense, Tyler is an overpowering mauler as a run blocker. He fires out of his stance, gets his powerful hands on and then runs his man off the line with his strong lower body. Phillips brings the mean streak to the field too, finishing blocks to the whistle and getting his man on the ground.
On defense, Tyler is a mismatch on the interior. He has a solid first step and he instantly creates power on contact. Tyler is able to collapse the pocket and throw off timing with his disruptive play. It doesn’t matter which side of the ball the big man is on. He is able to separate himself from the crowd with his shear size and the raw power he plays with. Don’t sleep on this dude.
Cooper is an athlete who has started drawing attention from the next level. The 1,000+ yard rusher has made a few junior day visits already and should be someone to watch this summer. He provides Northwestern with an athletic threat on the ground. Cooper is able to stretch the field, find seams to attack, and when he does the explosive back puts his foot in the ground and accelerates through the line of scrimmage. Lawton plays with easy agility, juking and jump cutting gin tight quarters. Once he finds his way to the open grass we see that second gear to pull away for the big plays. Cooper is also an athlete you can target in the passing game with his soft hands. I’m expecting a big senior season after this summer of camps.
Highlights
Will is one of the best Northern WI receivers. He is coming off back to back 1st Team All Conference WR seasons, and he is poised for a fun summer and fall. The 6’1″ 200 lbs athlete has a great frame for the position. However, it isn’t the size that he leans on most to create separation. It is his speed. Will is able to pull away from DBs while attacking every level of the field. Whether it is shallow drags, or flying up the seam, Will has proven to be hard to run with. The bigger target also possesses the balance needed to not only run effective routes, but also be dangerous after the catch. Packard has the lateral agility to shake DBs after the catch, and he has strong vision with the ball in his hands as he figures out the best path to yards after the catch. Make sure this weapon is on your boards.
Highlights
Alex is a dominant force on both sides of the ball for Clayton. The 8 Man standout is coming off an All State OL performance, and the tape is quick to show how he earned that honor. The 6’2″ 250 lbs OL bullies kids at the HS level. Off the line he bursts into opponents and uses his strong hands to toss DL around. Alex is also blessed with the range to be able to pull, get out in space, and land blocks on LBs or DBs that again send them flying to the ground. Schradle attempts to finish every block with a pancake. It is clear his strength and athleticism at his size are a mismatch at this level.
On defense, Alex continues to flash that explosive get off. His power gives him the chance to bull rush with success, and his overall balance and athleticism allows him to play stand up edge defender and create a pass rush. It will be interesting to see if he is recruited as an OL or DL. Either way, get eyes on this kid today.
Zach Germain
Zach Germain
Next up we have a new athlete on our radars in Rhinelander’s DB/WR Zach Germain. Zach has an intriguing frame at 6’3″ 200 lbs. On defense, Zach plays primarily off coverage. That allows him to be able to keep everything in front of him, read the receiver or QB, and then show off the change of direction when he triggers downhill on the ball. Zach also shows that he is pretty fluid when he needs to turn and run deep with a receiver. Germain is very good at the catch point. He attacks the ball and has soft hands to make INTs.
On offense, Zach has shown he can be a deep threat. Multiple times we see him get behind DBs with speed or with savvy route running. Germain tracks the ball well and can adjust to the flight of the ball on the fly. Zach is a raw prospect, but I like the tools he brings to the table.
Noah Bruckner
Noah Bruckner
Noah is a 5’11” 205 lbs RB to get eyes on. The junior finished 2023 with over 1,000 yards while helping his team to a playoff berth. Watching through the tape, I came away a fan of Noah’s play behind the line of scrimmage. He is a patient back that allows blocks to set up, and once he sees that lane open up he attacks. Noah is a north-south runner who runs hard, plays behind his pads, and has a strong base that allows him to take contact and continue gaining yards. Bruckner also flashes some lateral agility while attacking between the tackles. Noah consistently finds a way to get to green grass and once he does we see the sufficient speed to create the big chunk plays and long TD runs. Noah handles a large workload, so I’m excited for what he puts on tape this fall.
Alex is one of the more impressive athletes I have come across in Northern WI over the past few years. The QB has an exceptional frame at 6’5″ 205 lbs. Despite his size, Alex is not a statue in the pocket. He has quick feet in his drop and while moving in the pocket. His release is quick, as is his entire throwing motion so he can get the ball out quickly when needed. The big man is blessed with a live arm that can attack every level of the field with velocity. When he gets behind it, Alex can push it 20+ yards downfield with no air under the ball. That strong arm also allows him the ability to get the ball out without having his feet set and from awkward arm angles. Further separating himself from the crowd, DePew has strong control over his ball placement and overall accuracy. The cherry on top of this impressive prospect is that he is a dual threat, with sufficient speed to threaten a defense, and he isn’t afraid to use that big frame to gain the tough yards. Don’t sleep on this kid. He checks a lot of boxes. The tape is linked below.