Hudl Discoveries #46: OAA Blue Pt.1

<p>Welcome Hudl Discoveries #46! Today, I'll be kicking off my coverage of the OAA Blue. This league is going to be uber-competitive with nearly every team having reasonable expectations to compete for the league title. From Oak Park to Bloomfield Hills, here are six players to watch in the Blue! </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'27 WR/S | [player_tooltip player_id='1185143' first='Mason' last='Hitchcock'] | Bloomfield Hills | <a href="https://x.com/mjhitchcock08">@mjhitchcock08</a></h2>   <p>6'4" 165</p>   <p>Starting off, we have a very intriguing 2027 prospect from Bloomfield Hills. Generally, Mason looks like a 202 prospect in that he's a very raw player. I like his effort on several of his plays, though he doesn't currently have great athleticism or game IQ; that will come with time and reps. Though I am very optimistic about his trajectory. First off, he's a star basketball player. Second, it looks like he's working hard on his athleticism with a self-reported 4.6 40-yard dash. I love to see a 2027 prospect get to work in the offseason, and if Mason is able to keep this up, he'll be an OAA Blue star as soon as next season. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 RB | [player_tooltip player_id='899558' first='Dezmon' last='Blanch'] | North Farmington | <a href="https://x.com/DukeBlanch_">@DukeBlanch_</a></h2>   <p>5'10" 170</p>   <p>Duke made a name for himself last season as an elusive running back and major threat in the screen game. Taking handoffs, Dezmon explodes out of the backfield. He's a pure north-south runner who doesn't typically try and dance around defenders. Rather, he does a good job of working upfield, and he has solid contact balance to further complement his game. As I said earlier, Dezmon is also a giant threat in the screen game. He receives a ton of slip screens and does great work in the open field. He was also a solid DB, posting 49 total tackles. This is someone who I'll 100% have an eye on moving forward, and Dezmon could be on the rankings soon!</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'26 ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='1148721' first='Terrance' last='James'] | North Farmington | <a href="https://x.com/T_james2026">@T_james2026</a></h2>   <p>5'9" 160</p>   <p>Terrance did a lot of good last season that should compound into a breakout 2024 season. He was utilized in a variety of ways on both sides of the ball. Like Dezmon, Terrance took snaps in the backfield as a prototypical running back, and he received a few screens. There, Terrance showed solid explosiveness and good top speed as he ran north-south. He's also got a few good highlights at safety and kick return. I trust that he's a very athletic player, since he just received an offer from Miami (OH). If a MAC school believes in him that much, then I definitely believe in Terrance to have a breakout Junior season. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 Hybrid LB | [player_tooltip player_id='899562' first='Trey' last='Thomas'] | North Farmington | (No Twitter found)</h2>   <p>Most of Trey's film is as a hybrid on and off-ball OLB, but he also has some offensive experience. At linebacker, Trey has a few very promising highlights. Off-ball, he's able to scrape and attack the outside run. The play at 0:35 shows good instincts as he shoots the gap and earns a TFL. On-ball, Trey is a great edge-setter. He doesn't let anyone get outside of him, and he works hard to make a tackle once the ballcarrier cuts to his inside hip. All in all, I like Trey's aggressiveness and play speed while playing linebacker. He doesn't have the strength or build to physically dominate many players, but with a good Summer, he could improve in that aspect. I'm looking forward to seeing Trey hopefully take a big step forward on both sides of the ball next season! </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'27 LB | [player_tooltip player_id='1298712' first='Ivaan' last='Burrow'] | Oak Park | <a href="https://x.com/IBurrow20">@IBurrow20</a></h2>   <p> H/W not listed</p>   <p>I'm very impressed with Ivaan's freshman tape. In his first year of high school, Ivaan made several great plays as an off-ball LB and running back. He has more tape at LB, but it's worth stating that Ivaan did well rushing between the tackles, and he always kept his feet moving through contact. As a linebacker, he was a solid inside run-stopper. Off the jump, Ivaan's first highlight shows off his physicality. He does a good job at filling a gap and making a tackle if the ballcarrier attempts to rush near him. Though, I would like to see better athleticism, play speed, and more variety in his highlight tape moving forward. Awesome tape for a 2027 prospect, and I can't wait to see his sophomore season tape! </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">'25 RB/SB | John Makarewicz | Troy | <a href="https://twitter.com/jpmakarewicz1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@jpmakarewicz1</a></h2>   <p>5'11" 180</p>   <p> I would assume that John will be RB1 for Troy next season, which gives John a much more prominent role in the offense. There's some good stuff on tape. The highlight at 0:57 shows good vision and a couple of well-timed cuts on the outside zone run. Furthermore, the highlight at 1:55 shows solid vision and athleticism as a slotback running counter. I would love to see better decisiveness, explosiveness, and physicality during his Senior season. He has good stuff on tape, and he's close to being a college prospect. I hope to see John take a step forward this fall! </p>

Welcome Hudl Discoveries #46! Today, I'll be kicking off my coverage of the OAA Blue. This league is going to be uber-competitive with nearly every team having reasonable expectations to compete for the league title. From Oak Park to Bloomfield Hills, here are six players to watch in the Blue!