Hudl Discoveries #45: OAA Gold Pt.4

<p>Wrapping up my weekend coverage of the OAA Gold, I'll be evaluating the final five prospects from this league. Next up, I'll be combing through the OAA Blue. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'26 DE/T | [player_tooltip player_id='1298705' first='Collin' last='Richardson'] | Berkley | <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinR2026">@CollinR2026</a></h2>   <p>6'5" 275</p>   <p>Last season, Collin served as a solid role player for Berkley on both sides of the ball. Although his skill isn't where it needs to be, his (self-reported) size is phenomenal and indicates a very high ceiling. On defense, Collin has average instincts and needs to work on firing off the ball. There are a few decent tackles on runs in the B/C gap, but there's not too much to go on there. Offensively, Collin has quite a bit of tape. Collin is able to keep defenders in front of him and box them out, but he really needs to learn how to pass set, punch, and he generally needs to be much more explosive. There's still a lot of time to develop, and considering his size, Collin could be a college prospect in a year's time if he works his tail off. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 QB | Cullen Hock | Ferndale | <a href="https://twitter.com/CullenHock">@CullenHock</a></h2>   <p>This is a high-upside QB who could have a breakout Senior Season. Last season, Cullen served as a solid pro-style quarterback who was one of the best in the OAA Gold. Although he found success running the ball, he didn't lean on his legs too much. There were several occasions where the pocket began to collapse, and rather than scrambling, Cullen stepped up and delivered a strike. I hope to see him sometime this offseason, as he could be a college prospect. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 DB | [player_tooltip player_id='602090' first='Gary' last='Maxwell'] | Ferndale | <a href="https://twitter.com/gmax_23">@gmax_23</a></h2>   <p>Gary has some good tape at DB, and I really hope to see him at some camps this summer. His highlight tape is varied and shows plenty of good play in several areas. First, his run defense is stellar. You usually only see 68 tackles from a linebacker, but Gary was able to rack up a ton of tackles from his aggressive style of play. The highlight at 1:30 shows this off very well. From the snap, Gary immediately rushes toward the receiver, converting a TFL. Other plays depict good blitzing, and good pursuit. He's also quite good in coverage. The highlights at 3:03 and 0:07 show this off well. Both of these plays show Gary reacting quickly to the thrown ball, resulting in an interception or near-interception. I could easily see Gary impressing at college camps and eventually earning offers. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 WR/DB | Blaze Jeffries | Royal Oak | <a href="https://twitter.com/blazejeffries">@BlazeJeffries</a></h2>   <p>Blaze is a solid speed-in-space player who also made a few good plays on defense. Offensively, he received the ball via sweeps and deep routes. On those sweeps, he did his best to follow his blocks and find daylight. Blaze would oftentimes get to the second level, but he struggled to create extra yardage. His receiving tells a similar story. He was able to get open downfield a few times but didn't have the acceleration needed to hit top speed and score a touchdown. His defensive highlights show good effort, reaction time, and tackling. For someone as light as Blaze is, he showed a lot of grit on the defensive side of the ball. I'm looking forward to seeing if Blaze can build off his 2023 campaign. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 WR/DB | Julien Burns | Royal Oak | <a href="https://twitter.com/JulienBurns_">@JulienBurns_</a></h2>   <p>Julien is one of the more well-rounded players in the OAA Gold. Offensively, he has a mix of great explosive plays and blocking highlights. In the run game, Julien is a willing blocker who oftentimes earns pancakes from his tenacity. Furthermore, he has a few explosive plays in the pass game. Julien found himself open running downfield several times during the season and made the most of his opportunities. Although he's not the fastest or most explosive athlete, Julien had a few good concentration grabs and was able to earn RAC when presented to him. Defensively, he has a few solid pass breakups from the safety position. I'm hoping Julien has a breakout 2024 season! </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'26 ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='1298707' first='Javien' last='Johnson'] | Royal Oak | <a href="https://twitter.com/Javien_j19">@Javien_j19</a></h2>   <p>As a sophomore, Javien made several great plays on varsity, and he has a great foundation for next season. He was utilized as a speed-in-space player for the most part. Returning punts, Javien flashed good vision and decent athleticism. He'd oftentimes do his best to run horizontal to find a lane up field, which he was fairly successful. As a receiver, Javien received a lot of sweeps. It's obviously a play he's repped hundreds of times because he always seems to make the most of those carries. If a DB tries to cut inside, Javien will bounce it outside. If a DB sets the edge, Javien will make a quick cut inside. </p>   <p>There are also a few solid defensive plays where he shows good reaction time and aggression while stopping the run. I don't think he currently has the athleticism to be a college prospect, but he could very easily develop into one in a year's time. </p>

Wrapping up my weekend coverage of the OAA Gold, I'll be evaluating the final five prospects from this league. Next up, I'll be combing through the OAA Blue.