Prep Redzone WI Showcase: Game Changers at LB

In today's game you can win with a lot of different types of athletes, but the ones that are able to stay on the field the most and impact the game are the ones with versatility and the ability to play on all three downs. During the winter Showcase on December 1st we were lucky enough to have a lot of those types of athletes come out and show off their talent. Leading the way was LB MVP [player_tooltip player_id='1570847' first='Cayden' last='Cavanaugh'] of De Pere HS. Read about his day in the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/12/prep-redzone-wi-winter-showcase-mvps/">MVP article</a>. For the rest of the need to know athletes continue reading, and get them on your radars and recruiting boards going forward.    An athlete at the LB position that college programs need to get their eyes on for this next recruiting cycle is [player_tooltip player_id='1570963' first='Tyler' last='Vogt'] of Middleton. Tyler is new to the game, only playing football the past few years, but it is clear that he has an outstanding base of athleticism to build and develop his game around. The 6'1" 200 lbs junior ran 4.81 in the 40, 4.35 in the shuttle, 9'2" in the broad jump, and 7.11 in the L-Drill. Balance, change of direction, and explosive acceleration are key parts of his ability to play in space.   Those traits were on display beyond the testing portion too. Tyler is an efficient athlete that attacked with purpose and with quickness. 1 on 1 in space vs the run, Tyler was able to quickly close and wrap up vs the agile RBs, and truly showed off his three down versatility with his play in pass coverage. The junior LB is quick to see route breaks and mirror them to stay tight to the RB through the route so he can break up the pass at the catch point or at least create disruption to make the catch as difficult as possible. Get this kid on campus this offseason.     Aiden definitely fits the role of the old-school thumper when you watch him on tape. The 6'2" 216 lbs sophomore has a strong frame to fight through blocks and traffic to get to the ball vs the run game. That strength isn't something that gets to be demonstrated at camps, but what we did get to see is that the 2027 is well on his way to growing into that big frame and his athleticism and overall mobility is starting to shine through. Aiden was at his best when he could pursue downhill and close quickly on the ball. He did a good job of knowing what pursuit angle to take to meet RBs in the 1 vs 1 battles on the ground. Aiden is an athlete to keep your eyes on. He has a 6'3" wingspan with a big frame and a physicality needed at the position. He also clearly is becoming a leader of his team, earning a spot as captain as a sophomore on varsity.     Another big LB who attended the showcase is 6' 216 lbs junior [player_tooltip player_id='773276' first='Hunter' last='Eder']. The '26 is developing nicely as his athletic numbers are starting to match his impressive frame. Hunter ran 5.06 in the 40, 4.75 in the shuttle, and broad jumped 8'6". Eder also has outstanding length with a 6'4.5 wingspan and 10.25" hands. What stood out once we got to the fieldwork is Hunter's ability to close quickly on RBs and also caught my eyes with reps where he was able to see a cut coming from the RB and get in position to be able to make a play still. The All Conference athlete is a difference maker to watch.     Ian is an intriguing junior LB to get on your radars. He has fantastic length on his 5'11" 203 lbs frame with his almost 6'7" wingspan and almost 10" hands. That length gives Ian a huge advantage because it gives him room for error/recovery in coverage vs RBs. To go along with that elite length is also strong examples of explosive agility. Ian ran a 4.53 shuttle, 7.51 L- Drill and brand jumped 9'. That athleticism allowed him to fly around the field even faster than he looked in the 40 yard dash. Harris demonstrated quick recognition of routes and closing speed plus used that length to make plays on the ball in coverage. Ian has experience playing on the edge and at off ball LB this past season. I really like the way he flies around the field on tape. Give him a look.     Sean is the type of LB that is utilized more and more these days. He might not have the size of the old school LBs at 6' 180 lbs, but the '26 LB offers athleticism to be able to be trusted in space vs the quick, shifty RBs that offenses use out of the backfield in the passing game. Sean had a great day of testing with his 4.84 40 yard dash, 4.70 shuttle, 7.16 L-Drill, and 8'4" broad jump. Sean brings sideline to sideline range to the LB position, and did a great job of showing that off in drills vs RBs. The junior did a great job of covering ground, and also showed that he has the agility to run with RBs when we got to the 1 on 1 battles. Sean's athleticism also helped him have a productive junior season where he was all over opposing backfields. It was a good day for the 2026 LB.     Coming off a 1st Team All Conference junior season, Jon came out to continue to verify that he is a name to know this offseason and next season. The 5'11" 185 lbs LB was another strong tester with his 4.87 40 yard dash, 4.46 shuttle, 7.38 L-Drill and 8'10" broad jump. No question, the junior is an explosive athlete that wins with that burst and suddenness as he flies around the front seven. Jon is an LB that is able to attack and close by the time the RB hits the line of scrimmage. Out in space the 2026 is an efficient mover who trusts his own agility to be able to match up 1 vs 1 on RBs. I love the way this kid attacks line a heat seeking missile both at the showcase and on tape.     The junior out of Wisconsin Lutheran is a S/LB hybrid. Checking in at 5'9" 160 lbs, Finley is obviously undersized for an LB but that didn't slow him down this season where he had 85 tackles and an insane 20 TFLs. At the showcase Finley was able to show how he created so much in-season success. The '26 does a great job playing in space, has the ability to accelerate quickly, and can stop and change direction or change his path while on the move rather easily. Finley proved to be a defender that offenses have to account for.     Another undersized LB who is more of a S/LB/nickel is sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1306687' first='Bishop' last='Stoltz']. The 5'9" 170 lbs athlete has a 6'2.25" wingspan with 10" hands. He ran a 4.60 shuttle, and a 7.34 L-Drill along with a 8'8" broad jump. I'm very interested to see how the '27 continues to grow and develop his game. He is coming off a season where he was a key contributor on varsity at LB where he was able to make an impact with his quickness through the front seven and into the backfield to make tackles. Bishop has gotten very good at avoiding traffic while attacking the ball and looks comfortable when he has to play out in space like he did at the Showcase in Oak Creek.     Germantown has an impressive stable of current and up and coming LB talent. One of those up and coming athletes is freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1284785' first='Connor' last='Meyers']. The '28 needs time to grow and fill out his frame, but the freshman was not afraid to come out and compete with the older athletes. Connor is a natural athlete who did well at the showcase because he is comfortable in coverage and out in space in general. He proved he could close quickly, get his hands on the ball to knock it away, and did a good job transitioning from a backpedal to attacking downhill towards the ball. It was great having the freshman at the showcase early in his career. I'm looking forward to watching him grow and develop over the coming years.

In today's game you can win with a lot of different types of athletes, but the ones that are able to stay on the field the most and impact the game are the ones with versatility and the ability to play on all three downs. During the winter Showcase on December 1st we were lucky enough to have a lot of those types of athletes come out and show off their talent. Leading the way was LB MVP Cayden Cavanaugh Cayden Cavanaugh 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB De Pere | 2027 State WI of De Pere HS. Read about his day in the MVP article. For the rest of the need to know athletes continue reading, and get them on your radars and recruiting boards going forward.