Newly Ranked Seniors with Something to Prove

These rising seniors have something to prove this fall. All rising up from the Watch List, these prospects have been on the right trajectory for a while. So, from Groves to Saline, here are seven Newly-Ranked Seniors with something to prove in 2024.    I've had an eye on Jayden for a little while now. Last season, he served as a great role player on the Groves defense. The best plays on his highlight tape show decent man coverage on many streaking downfield routes. He has a couple highlights showing his man coverage on shorter, more "twitchy" routes (slants, etc) and Jalen looks alright there. I think Jaden can benefit with more practice playing press coverage against good receivers. Sometimes, I see Jalen lose a step or two in coverage, and I'm not sure how twitchy or explosive he is. Jalen has all of the tools to have a breakout season in the OAA White but he's got to prove it. It's also noteworthy that Jalen is a solid, but not great run defender. He had a few tackles against Seaholm (a Veer team) but generally needs to prove himself in that area.     Cameron is a high-upside defensive tackle playing in the OAA Gold. Last season was a resurgence for Avondale, and it was also a breakout year for Cameron. He was an immoveable object last season and a nightmare to run against. Few, if any, O-Linemen in the OAA Blue can move Cameron. Although he's a great inside run-stuffer, Cameron lacks the explosiveness and motor needed to be a great DT prospect. Yes, he's physical. Yes, he hits hard. But his athletic traits are severely holding him back. This is a player who could SHOOT up the rankings with one phenomenal offseason. I'm not sure if he's had that phenomenal offseason, but if he did, he'd be a completely different football player.     I'm very optimistic about Gabe's outlook. Last season, he was a great role player on the West Catholic defense. I love the way he was utilized when playing DB. Gabe plays his best when he's free to blitz or play off-coverage, defending the deep pass. When blitzing, Gabe is able to creep inside and quickly fire off the ball. Gabe would significantly improve in this area with better speed, but as it stands, he's still a great blitzer. Defending the pass, Gabe is generally unproven playing man-to-man coverage. Though that's not his role in the defense. Playing on the outside, Gabe was able to secure many interceptions mostly off of bad throws from the QB. I've seen a lot of West Catholic players show significant improvement year after year, and I expect Gabe to take a step up this coming season.     Sam is another potential breakout player. Last season, he served as a good outside/middle linebacker for Brother Rice. In that role, he served as a common blitzer playing on and off-ball. When rushing the passer, I like his initial burst and tenacity trying to shed the block. He isn't always able to shed a block, but he still anchors down and looks for other ways to impact the play. All in all, he's a very good high school linebacker. What's holding him back most is his average athleticism plus below-average height for the position. I like Sam's IQ and overall impact, and I hope we see a breakout season that leads to offers.     Emilio is a very similar player to Sam, as mentioned above. Man, I love Emilio's play speed and tenacity. Playing outside backer, Emilio fires himself out of a cannon whenever an outside run comes his way. Predictably, he's also a very effective blitzer. As a high school football player, Emilio's impact is unquestioned. He's a phenomenal player for the Rochester defense. The thing is, his size doesn't translate to the next level. Emilio could be a great player at an NAIA school, but past that, his ceiling is unfortunately low.     I'm happy to say that Martin will probably be a much-improved player next season. Though for now, I don't have much to go off besides his current highlights. Last season, he was a brick wall that flashed good power on several occasions. His overall run blocking was good, but not dominant. He'd oftentimes make a step toward his defender, lock onto him, and do his best to hold on. That said, Martin lacked the footwork, tenacity, and overall fundamentals to be a dominant offensive lineman. Still, the upside has ALWAYS been there. Over the past few months, Martin has attended several camps and there's little doubt he's improved. With all of the knowledge he's gained, I expect a breakout season for Martin.     In 2023, Ayden was a good off-ball linebacker. When a ballcarrier was in front of him, he attacked. I especially like the plays where Ayden attacks the Quarterback as he rolls out, negating scramble yards. I'd like to see Ayden improve his decisiveness and aggressiveness. There are several occasions where Ayden reacts slowly to the developing play. These plays are on his highlight tape, so he obviously makes the tackle eventually, but he'd have far more TFLs if he played with more confidence. If he can find that play speed and confidence, Ayden can be a MUCH improved linebacker. I'm looking forward to seeing what Ayden is able to accomplish.

These rising seniors have something to prove this fall. All rising up from the Watch List, these prospects have been on the right trajectory for a while. So, from Groves to Saline, here are seven Newly-Ranked Seniors with something to prove in 2024.