Buffalo Bison Film Room

Buffalo is a 6A school that has produced a litany of collegiate talent over the last half-decade, and this season's crop of talent is no different. The Bison have sent kids everywhere, from the Mountain West to recent FCS winner NDSU, to sprinkling athletes across the MIAC and WIAC. I've found 8 returning athletes in their program who I think have the potential to play at the next level. We got scholarship kids and D3 demons!    One of 6A's top returning receivers ahead of 2025, Gatz is an athlete with a lot of raw attributes that would serve him well at the next level. Throughout Gatz's tape, he shows off fantastic ball-tracking abilities as well as stellar body control when reeling in seemingly impossible catches. He works well in open space and the Bison love to get the ball in his hands, by any means necessary. He can break off giant chunk plays with simple jet sweeps, and utilizing his quick release and solid straight-line speed he's able to create immediate separation off of the LOS. Gatz is going to be a problem for teams next year and I hope coaches start to pay him more attention.     As a first-team all-district defensive lineman with a tremendous upside, I view Pederson as a potential scholarship athlete at either the FCS or FBS level. Pederson is a terror lined up on the edge. He does a fantastic job of keeping powerful offensive linemen at bay with his long arms, and the level of effort he gives when pursuing ball carriers anywhere on the field is simply outstanding. He moves like a linebacker stuffed inside the body of a monster, and his speed frequently proves to create problems for offenses attempting to run off-tackle. He's got all the tools to take a massive recruiting jump headed through 2025, and I think he deserves far more hype as a prospect.     A QB prospect with a clear collegiate upside, while Benson struggled at times last season, he's been putting in the work with noted QBs coach 612QBs and he possesses plenty of raw traits that would serve him well at the next level. Immediately on his tape his frame shines, Benson sits just shy of 6'4" and he's got the arm talent to match. If you give him a clean pocket and time for the play to develop a little, Benson can sling it with the best of them. He loves to push the ball deep, and when he needs to he can throw it on an absolute rope into a tight window. While he's not Lamar Jackson mobile, he can certainly extend the play with his legs by bouncing around in the pocket, and when needed can even scramble for those key extra yards. Benson is in a great position to have a stellar senior season.     Likely the QB of the future for the Bison, Wignes is expected to step into that starting role his senior year. He's done a nice job of putting together some JV tape, which will give us an insight into what to expect from the young athlete. On his tape, Wignes showcases some solid varsity-level throws where he's able to hit targets in stride more than 40 yards downfield. He's able to put the right amount of touch on the ball pretty consistently, balancing between lofting balls over DBs heads and rifling balls into tight windows just for the wideout. He's fairly mobile and senses pressure well in the pocket. If the pocket breaks down he's able to escape and has made some elite throws off platform. Another year of development in the Bison's coaching system can only help him, but rest assured he looks like an athlete remember going forward.     One of 6A's best kick returners, Coss also is looking to carve out a niche in the Bison's offense in 2025. His greatest strength as a returner is his ability to find a lane, and he was one of the few athletes who managed a kickoff return TD last season. As a wideout, Coss can do it all. He's quick enough to hurt DBs over the top but can also make key possession catches in big situations. Coss is also big and physical enough to make a legitimate impact as a blocker when asked to. He was also named a top performer during PRZ's winter StockUp Showcase, so it'd be wise to watch for the Bison product this fall.     A first-team all-district member as a sophomore, Brisk is an athlete who has scholarship potential if he continues to develop at this rate. Physically, I mean he's built like a truck. That frame allows him to be a truly imposing threat at the second level at the defense, and when he comes screaming downhill Brisk is an extreme threat to offenses. He clogs up run lanes like it's nobody's business. He rarely false steps, and punishes ball carriers when they meet him in the gap. Brisk is a run-stopping demon with a tremendous upside, and I think you'll start to see his recruiting take off this offseason and during his junior year.     The younger brother of recent NDSU commit Ryan Babatz, Matthew looks to continue in his brother's footsteps during his junior year. He doesn't have a ton of sophomore tape, but the three-sport athlete did see some varsity time and gave us some film to break down. Babatz is currently an IOL with a specific emphasis as a center. He's particularly adept at pass-pro, where he does a nice job of creating a sturdy base, getting his hips underneath him, and absorbing a bull rush. He's also got some tape of him picking up blitzes, and I'm curious to see how Babatz develops during what will likely be his first full-time varsity season.     A freshman RB who I think we could see a lot of over the next three years, Afonja has a nice blend of speed and power which comes through on his tape. On his film, Afonja proves to be a strong zone runner who can extend plays outside of the hashes. More often than not he's faster than the defenders and he can beat them to the edge, but there are times I'd like to see him cut upfield faster. Perhaps his greatest asset as a ball-carrier though is how physical he is with the rock in his hands. Afonja will light up defenders at all three levels and make them pay for closing the distance with him. He's a 2028 sleeper back to keep an eye out for going forward.

Buffalo is a 6A school that has produced a litany of collegiate talent over the last half-decade, and this season's crop of talent is no different. The Bison have sent kids everywhere, from the Mountain West to recent FCS winner NDSU, to sprinkling athletes across the MIAC and WIAC. I've found 8 returning athletes in their program who I think have the potential to play at the next level. We got scholarship kids and D3 demons!