Sophomores Breaking Out at the Midseason Point

This is one of my favorite articles every season. This article highlights the sophomores that have made a big impact on their teams and have impressed us with the individual talent they have. When you earn a spot in this article it usually points to a bright future and some big things ahead. It's fun diving into why each athlete made it into the article too. Do they have elite size? Do they have off the charts athleticism? Overpowering strength? Is there a rare combination of those traits? Whatever it is, these are athletes that college recruiting staffs will want to have on their boards right now. Let's see who made the list in this year's crop of sophomores!    It isn't often that WI has a CB prospect with legitimate tools to become a D1 prospect and also stay at the CB position at the next level. We might have one of those types of athletes right here in [player_tooltip player_id='653861' first='Zy'aire' last='Smith']. The 2027 already has a fantastic athletic profile. Things like turning and running out of his backpedal, transitioning downhill out of his backpedal and reacting to route breaks instantly so he can stay in his receiver's pocket are the hardest things to do at CB, but Smith makes them look easy. His body control and awareness allow him to do those things at a high rate of speed while staying under control. On top of the exceptional athletic traits, Zy'aire also has a high football IQ. There are so many weekly examples of his quickly sniffing out plays and closing on them quickly to shut them down before they can really develop. The cherry on top of it all is that the talented sophomore can also be trusted to be a sure tackler out in space. Smith is a prospect that teams should be watching on a weekly basis. Big things ahead for him.     Harold is putting together tools that is going to make him a special RB prospect. The things he can do athletically at 6' 180 lbs is rare. Harold's balance and body control make him a nightmare to contain because he is able to cut or juke on a dime while going at 100% speed. That speed is elite too. The sophomore can get the edge with ease and beat pursuit angles on the long runs. Harold's burst to top speed is also elite thanks to that explosive lower body. His vision and instincts between the tackles also jumps off the tape as he works through traffic while making defenders miss in tight quarters. This kid is looking like the RB1 in this Class and a legitimate offensive weapon that programs are going to want at the next level.     Sophomore QB [player_tooltip player_id='1226914' first='Jamison' last='Larsen'] is looking good this fall. He has a big, strong frame at 6'3" 200 lbs and he is putting together a good year of production so far. He has 863 yards through 5 games with 10 TDs and only 4 INTs. The sophomore is protecting the ball while also averaging almost 10 yards per attempts. Being a good decision maker with the ball while also pushing it downfield pretty consistently is not easy for an underclassman. Jamison is doing that, though. Skill-wise, the big frame comes with a big arm that can deliver passes downfield on a rope. The sophomore QB also is talented at delivering the ball from awkward arm angles or without his feet set. So he has the arm talent to not need to be perfectly set. Larsen also possesses the accuracy needed to carve up defenses at every level of the field too. The tools are all there to continue to mold into a top tier QB prospect. Keep a close eye on this kid.     If you are a close follower of our articles here at Prep Redzone WI then you are very familiar with the sophomore LB out of De Pere. Cayden is a strong, instinctive, rangy LB who is seeing the tools come together in the form of high levels of production on the varsity field. Cayden is already dominant moving around the front seven, avoiding blocks, disengaging from blocks, and always coming downhill to meet RBs instead of catching them. The sophomore already has a high football IQ and identifies plays so quickly and attacks just as quickly. The sophomore has a good base of strength to win physically in the trenches and can become even more dominant as he gets bigger and grows in the weight room too. This is definitely a top tier defensive talent in the Class of 2027.     I'm excited for the future of this kid as he continues to grow and develop because he is making a consistent impact on varsity at LB while being 6'1" 175 lbs. Connor is able to succeed because he plays stronger than you would expect from a kid that size, he moves well, and he understands angles and how to get around traffic efficiently. He has the speed to be an effective off ball blitzer. His lateral agility is also a key part of his game to position him to make tackles and also make OL whiff not heir block attempts. It will be interesting to see how he fills out that frame and if we see him at other positions as he goes through HS. I'm really liking what we are seeing from him early on, though.     Maks is definitely a kid that is on the rise in the Class of 2027. He is looking the part at 6'1" 215 lbs and plays just as physical as you would hope from an underclassman with that size. Maks is at his best vs the run. He is quick to come downhill and is able to fly through the line of scrimmage unblocked at a very high rate. Even when a lineman does try to get hands on him the sophomore is able to quickly get himself clean and stay on his path to the QB/RB. Chevalier is piling up experience that is going to be so valuable for him long term. Keep an eye on the development of this LB.     I'm really liking the development that Eli is showing through his weekly highlights this season. The ball placement week after week shows that his accuracy is one of his best traits, and it is accuracy to all three levels of the field. Eli's arm talent is also continuing to improve. Short to intermediate he can fire it into a receiver while on the move or from the pocket and he has enough arm to push the ball downfield and drop it in over his man's shoulder. What I also really like is the sophomore has an ability to make the special play like buying time scrambling around and finding an open man last second. The flashes of high level play are getting more consistent from the 2027 QB. I'm excited for his future development.     Quinn is really impressing me with his play this fall. He has been surgical as a passer on the short to intermediate levels. Not only is the ball placement impressive, the sophomore is able to attack those levels with velocity. So he can hit tight windows and hit them before they close. The sophomore also is doing a great job of playing in the pocket and using his mobility to buy time. He plays with an impressive level of poise for an underclassman and looks like someone this offense can lean on and rely on more and more over the coming years. The arrow is pointing up for this sophomore QB.

This is one of my favorite articles every season. This article highlights the sophomores that have made a big impact on their teams and have impressed us with the individual talent they have. When you earn a spot in this article it usually points to a bright future and some big things ahead. It's fun diving into why each athlete made it into the article too. Do they have elite size? Do they have off the charts athleticism? Overpowering strength? Is there a rare combination of those traits? Whatever it is, these are athletes that college recruiting staffs will want to have on their boards right now. Let's see who made the list in this year's crop of sophomores!