Uncovered Gems #3 - Capital Area Blue Pt.3

This article has a GEM in it! As usual, six prospects, six players I don't currently have ranked- all in the Capital Area Blue. This time, we've got two from DeWitt, two from Everett, one from Okemos, and one from Wavery.    Jackson is coming off a solid season, with most of his reps at center.   He did a great job run and pass-blocking this season. The first highlight I'd like to point out is 0:54, where Jackson executes a great base block against a taller defender. He does have a false step here but does a great job of giving the defender a pop before locking out and driving. At 1:39, Jackson and a teammate drive a defender about 7 yards downfield- always great to see from an offensive lineman.   Several other highlights show the same thing: straight-up solid blocking. Good technique in locking out and driving, good physicality, and, overall, a good high school center. Jackson will have an uphill battle getting recruited because of his height but I'd still like to see him perform well at offseason camps!      I'm happy to be revisiting Ryan's tape- he may have earned himself a ranking!   The first play I'd like to highlight is at 0:13. Ryan takes the snap from wildcat, notices the play is breaking down, so he cuts to the left, outruns a few defenders, and scores a touchdown. At 0:38, Ryan takes the (right side) reverse and proceeds to again to the left, navigates traffic, and scores a 58-yard touchdown.   Love Ryan's vision and elusiveness in several of these plays. On top of that, he has a decent stiff arm. Really good stuff from Ryan against good competition- I hope to see a full-season highlight tape from him soon. I think he'll be a college prospect once colleges begin watching his tape in a year!      Mujtba did a solid job playing all over the offensive line this season.   The first thing I'd like to point out is his height. Mujtba towers over most other players, giving him a distinct advantage in most situations. His skillset seems to be solid, too. Perhaps good enough to earn him D3 or NAIA offers.   At 0:42, Mujtba demonstrates a decent pass set and delivers a good pop to the defender before anchoring down. The next two plays show similar decent footwork and straight-up good pass blocking. At many other points, Mujtba executes a variety of great run blocks. No matter the block, he has a good first step, and great physicality.   As I mentioned before, I think Mujtba has a chance to get recruited this offseason. To do that, he has to work hard on his pass-blocking footwork and technique.      This past season, Charlie was a great run support DB.   The first good play I'd like to highlight is at 0:29. The play is "toss left," which leaves Charlie one-on-one with the running back. He makes a great tackle, and leaves the RB with only a minimal 1-2 yard gain. 1:46 is another great play- Charlie reacts quickly to the slot out-route, immediately giving him a hit and breaking up the pass.   There are several other instances of good open-field tackling. Overall a solid highlight tape. But, in the future, I'd like to see Charlie highlight himself pre-play and trim the tape to under 5 minutes.      GEM ALERT!   The first minute of his tape alone has three great deep 50/50 catches and three touchdowns - five plays total. Further on in the tape, Jadon demonstrates a variety of good routes and sticky hands. The play at 2:55 impressed me. Jadon runs a 15-yard comeback, plants his foot and changes direction quickly at the top of his route, and toe-taps for the first-down. Oh yeah- that was also in the State Semifinals against a great pass defense. There are also plays like 3:55 and 4:02 where Jadon lays some great blocks.   Jadon seems like an excellent all-around receiver. Right now, he looks like he could be an excellent D3 prospect or a D2 prospect if he has excellent testing numbers. Can't wait to see Jadon's recruiting value this Spring!      Braylon did a great job at LB/S this past season.   In short, Braylon is a great run defender, and he's not afraid to get physical. His first highlight shows a big hit against a receiver running a 5-yard out. The second highlight shows excellent pursuit and a good tackle on an outside option play. The entire 2-minute tape shows consistently great tackling on plays outside the hashes.   Depending on his size, Braylon could be a NAIA prospect this Spring.

This article has a GEM in it! As usual, six prospects, six players I don't currently have ranked- all in the Capital Area Blue. This time, we've got two from DeWitt, two from Everett, one from Okemos, and one from Wavery.