Howell Scouting Report (vs. Hudsonville)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It may be difficult to see it now, but it was a phenomenal season for Howell. Beating Belleville, winning the KLAA, and proving everyone's preseason expectations wrong. There were a ton of players who rose to the occasion at different points this season and a few stood out to me on Saturday. Here are my evaluations of five difference-makers for Howell. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["899487"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67394d09be11f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='899487' first='Justin' last='Jones'] was by far Howell's most impressive player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Usually, Justin stands out on offense, but Hudsonville shut him and Howell down completely. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was on Defense where Justin showed out. As an off-ball outside linebacker, Justin was by far Howell's best run-stopper and pass-defender. Howell struggled to tackle all game, but Justin consistently wrapped up the RBs and did his best to bring them to the ground.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Justin also made the highlight of the afternoon. Late in the fourth quarter, Hudsonville picked off Howell, but Justin came out of nowhere, stripping the ball from the defender and running downfield. That play set up Howell for their one and only touchdown of the game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lastly, Justin never looked rattled during the blowout. I watched a lot of Howell players become increasingly frustrated and sloppy with their play, but Justin remained collected while doing his job well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1559822,"width":"619px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/IMG_7679-crop-1744x1145-1731809246.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1559822" style="width:619px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":1559831,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1613589' first='Jackson' last='Pahl']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"235","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Howell","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67394d09bdf4f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson could very easily be a GLIAC prospect this coming spring. The primary reason behind that is his size. Jackson's listed 6'4" 235 seems accurate from the in-person eye test. He's big, long, and muscular. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He also played a solid game on defense. Generally, Jackson is a very physical football player. I was especially impressed with a few pass rush reps where he used his superior arm length to lock out and eventually shed the block. Jackson also has a solid getoff. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Where Jackson lacked was his overall IQ. Jackson has the size, strength, and explosiveness to consistently dominate blocks, rush the passer, and stop the run. It was apparent to me that he doesn't yet have a dominant pass rush move or know how to fill rush lanes effectively. With a decent highlight tape, good testing numbers, and an improved pass rush, Jackson will be a GLIAC prospect this Spring. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["247645"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67394d09bde4f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">This was my first (and very likely last) time watching [player_tooltip player_id='247645' first='Bobby' last='Kanka']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Right off the bat, I understand why he was a prime B1G 10 prospect. Bobby's size is incredible. Truly 6'5" with long limbs and impeccable power. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In-game, Bobby was a bit hit-or-miss. I will say, Hudsonville did an excellent job attacking Bobby via double teams, cut blocks, etc. At his best, Bobby fired out of his stance quickly and manhandled his opposing lineman. There were a few pass reps in particular where Bobby nearly earned a sack. Against the run, he did a solid job of anchoring down and trying to make a tackle. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't think it was Bobby's best game. Still, his size and upside are as high as any. I can't think of a better fit for him than Michigan and I'm confident he'll be able to develop into something truly special. Bobby has a real NFL upside, and I hope to see him get drafted eventually! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1559817,"width":"504px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/IMG_7617-crop-5393x3541-1731808620.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1559817" style="width:504px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":1559826,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1613592' first='Preston' last='Barb']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"170","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Howell","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67394d09be0c1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Preston was forced to pass the football way more often than usual. Being backed into a corner, I thought Preston did pretty well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>More often than not, Preston stood strong in the pocket and was decisive. He threw a few pretty deep balls and always gave his receiver an opportunity to make a play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, I don't think that Preston has the best arm talent, and I don't think he's extremely accurate. If Preston wants to be recruited this Spring, he needs to work hard early in the offseason to improve his footwork, mechanics, and most importantly, accuracy. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":1559829,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1613599' first='Drew' last='Lynn']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"180","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Howell","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67394d09be00e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Short eval here- but Drew played a solid game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, he was one of the better tacklers for Howell. In addition, he was in a decent position on a few passes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Drew's shining moments came when he rushed the passer. He's an excellent blitzer and earned 3+ QB hits on the day. Very intriguing athlete that I'd like to see more of this offseason! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->