Breakout Stars in the OK-Conference: Pt.5

<p>I've said it so many times; the Ottawa-Kent Conference is arguably the #1 conference in Michigan. You could make a case for the OAA or OK, and I honestly wouldn't consider any other conference. I've learned a lot more about the talent in this stacked conference over the past few months, and I look forward to continuing my knowledge of this conference in the year to come. So, here are my final five breakout players in the conference... For now. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 TE | [player_tooltip player_id='1298516' first='Gibson' last='Connelly'] | Grandville | <a href="https://twitter.com/gibsonconnelly0">@gibsonconnelly0</a></h2>   <p>I was able to watch Gibson a few weeks ago at the MHSAA Jenison camp. All in all, he showed exactly what he showed on film. With a magnifying glass on his receiving abilities, Gibson had a few good moments sporting a wide catch radius. Other than that, he struggled with his release and overall route running. Still, his size is truly eye-opening, and there's still plenty of time for Gibson to develop his receiving game to where it needs to be. Because of the style of the Grandville offense, he'll probably need to work on his receiving game outside of practice. The good side to that is he'll get plenty of blocking opportunities. He looked a bit raw in that department, but he should easily be able to develop if he puts in the work with coaching and that great Grandville strength program. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'26 QB | [player_tooltip player_id='1198260' first='Jeffrey' last='Fogelsonger']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jeffrey-fogelsonger/"></a> | Grandville | <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffreyFogel12">@JeffreyFogel12</a></h2>   <p>I'm writing this with the assumption that Jeffrey will be the Grandville Starting QB for the 2024 season. He's already had a few seasons under his belt as the JV quarterback. There, he kept the ball very safe in that Wing-T offense. His handoffs were clean, and his passing looked reliable. If Jeffrey can continue to develop his passing, he could stand out in the few passing attempts he'll have every game. I'd be especially interested to see how he does if Grandville is forced to pass the ball a whole lot more if a game starts to get away from them. In terms of recruiting, he'll probably need to hit the camp circuit next offseason in order to get real recognition. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'27 ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='742867' first='Beau' last='Peterson'] | Sparta | <a href="https://twitter.com/BeauKnows312">@BeauKnows312</a></h2>   <p>Beau is a near-guarantee to continue to break out next season. This kid is going to be special. I've been able to watch Beau a couple times over the past few months, and he consistently outperforms rising seniors. Everything from the release to the change of direction, routes, and RAC is there. He's as polished as they come for a 2027 prospect. There's a reason why we have him ranked so incredibly high, and I have very high expectations for him as he takes the field for his Sophomore season. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 DB/LB | [player_tooltip player_id='602441' first='Reed' last='Vogeler'] | Caledonia | <a href="https://twitter.com/ReedVogeler">@ReedVogeler</a></h2>   <p>I'm sensing a bounceback season for Reed this Fall. It's not that last season was bad, but I think the film was much different than 2022. In 2022, Reed was a rangy DB who made plays all over the field. This past season, he switched things up as he played a lot of linebacker. Considering his size, I strongly believe that he'll earn much more recruiting attention as a defensive back or safety, but if playing LB helps Caledonia win games the most, then so be it. Back in 2022, I really liked Reed's playmaking abilities at safety. He was able to explode out of his break and jump in front of some nicely-thrown balls that would have resulted in a completion if anyone else was playing safety. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 T | [player_tooltip player_id='870328' first='JJ' last='Hirdes'] | Coopersville | <a href="https://twitter.com/hirdesj07/media">@hirdesj07</a></h2>   <p>JJ has already received a ton of D1 attention, just as I expected him to a year ago. Where he's getting a lot of MAC offers now, he could quickly earn B1G 10 offers with a dominant Fall season (or just great showings in June). The last time I watched JJ a year ago, he was fundamentally raw but anyone could see his potential from a mile away. The film still looks relatively raw, pretty much across the board. Just keep listening to the Coopersville coaching staff, and JJ will be a Power 5 prospect. </p>

I've said it so many times; the Ottawa-Kent Conference is arguably the #1 conference in Michigan. You could make a case for the OAA or OK, and I honestly wouldn't consider any other conference. I've learned a lot more about the talent in this stacked conference over the past few months, and I look forward to continuing my knowledge of this conference in the year to come. So, here are my final five breakout players in the conference... For now.