Players Ready To Catch Recruiting Fire Part 3

As the 2024 season starts to wind down this is the start of a series where I will take a look at players that I expect to catch recruiting fire. We're at a point we're almost all players should have at least a half a season's worth of game film put down. Aside from grades and character traits and good film or everything when it comes to the recruiting game.   2026 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1182174' first='Eden' last='Williams'] (Dublin Scioto) 5'10 190- Williams is an offensive weapon our of the backfield for the Irish. He's a bigger back who can really move. He's a patient runner who has good vision for finding running lanes. He's a strong one-cut runner who can really stick his foot in the ground and get downhill. When he gets the ball in the open field, he has his speed to pull away from defenders. Eden is also a threat to make plays catching the ball out of the backfield making him a true 3 down back. Williams is definitely a D1 prospect who should start to garner a lot of interest and offers over the next year as he continues to develop physically.   2025 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1310551' first='Josh' last='Moore'] (Groveport Madison) 6'3 175 and 2025 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1279501' first='Jeremiah' last='Moore'] (Groveport Madison) 6'3 175- I've written about the Moore twins a few times before. Late bloomers are behind the eight ball when it comes to recruiting, especially at the P4 level and especially with the way college football is in 2024. This is the case with the Moores. They must have great 1v1 workouts versus one another in the back yard Joshua at WR and Jeremiah at Cornerback. They're both long, athletic, explosive and have legit 4.40 speed. They both show fluid hips and elite body control and track the long ball well. When you watch the film of these two, the instincts and football IQ match the physical traits. I'll say it again Joshua and Jeremiah are top-shelf Power 4 caliber talents. I hope the P4 coaching community catches on quickly and they get the opportunities they deserve.   2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1182012' first='TeJuan' last='Barbour'] (Northland) 6'3 175- TeJuan is another talented player in the Vikings defensive secondary. At 6'3 he possesses exceptional length for a cornerback. He mirrors well off the line of scrimmage and has fluid hips when he transitions from his backpedal to run with the receiver. He's just very fluid and easy in his movements which isn't the norm with players of his height. He's also explosive in his breaks on the ball and can close separation in a hurry. TeJuan uses his length and body control well to bat away passes without interferening with the receiver. He has the athleticism to go up and get the 50/50 balls. Barbour is a player that I expect to really come onto the D1 and P4 recruiting scene.   2026 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1165060' first='Isaac' last='Patterson'] Westerville South 6'0 180- Patterson is a talented two-way for the Panthers. On defense Patterson plays safety. I think he's versatile enough to play either strong or free at the next level. In space he takes good angles to the ball and when the ball gets there there he does a good job of playing the ball not the man. He has the speed and hips run with receivers in man to coverage from the line of scrimmage. On the offensive side of the ball, he lines up at wide receiver. The same physical traits that help to make him excel on the defensive side of the ball carry over to the offensive side. He runs detailed routes that along with his speed and athleticism help him create great separation. Isaac is getting plenty of D1 interest which I expect to heat up big time this off-season.   2026 ATH [player_tooltip player_id='647593' first='Joshua' last='Smith'] (Africentric) 6'4 180-Smith is an electric Athlete for the Nubians. He plays Quarterback on offense and LB on defense. When he has the ball in his hands at quarterback, he's simply electric. He can escape a good rush and makes guys miss in the open field. He's menace to defensive coordinators with his ability to extend plays and make yards that aren't there with his legs. What I'm most impressed with is his progression as a thrower from his sophomore to junior seasons. I feel like his velocity and accuracy both took a jump. He also showed the ability to improvise by throwing from different arm slots. Making throws both from the pocket and on the run. With Smith's speed and athleticism there's no doubt he could play wide receiver at the D1 and P4 levels. If he keeps progressing as a quarterback who can win from the pocket, I could really see him begin to catch P4 recruiting fire as a QB. Regardless, I'll be shocked if he didn't catch D1 P4 recruiting fire this off-season.   2026 LB [player_tooltip player_id='402332' first='Grant' last='Blascak'] (Walsh Jesuit) 6'3 210- Walsh has had a huge season sitting at 10-0. Their defense has been really good this year and Blascak is a big part of it. While he lines up as a safety for the Warriors, I project him as a hybrid linebacker position at the college level. Grant has ability to play safety in high school level at a high-level which shows his ability and comfort level in coverage. He moves well in space and has good ball skills. He has the size, ability to run, and tackle that will make him an asset in the run game. At the college level I expect that he'll fill out to 225-230 pounds and be a linebacker who can play in base and nickel defenses. Blascak currently holds offers from Toledo and Buffalo. As coaches get into the heart of their film evaluation, I expect his list of offers to grow quickly.

As the 2024 season starts to wind down this is the start of a series where I will take a look at players that I expect to catch recruiting fire. We're at a point we're almost all players should have at least a half a season's worth of game film put down. Aside from grades and character traits and good film or everything when it comes to the recruiting game.