Which Freshmen Were Impact Performers on Varsity?

Jake Lemming

January 9, 2025 @ 04:09 PM

The future is now! We saw a ton of freshmen step up at the varsity level and deliver for their teams this fall. These guys are young but have plenty of ability and are still developing their game. I like their upside and think the best is yet to come from them. Look for them to continue to get bigger, faster, and stronger this offseason.   As always, If you have someone you think I need to see, please DM them to me on Twitter at @hsfbscout!   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   WR: [player_tooltip player_id='1599646' first='Aavant' last='Clayton'], 5'10" 180, Andress   He's got a pretty big catch radius for a guy his size, he can turn quick game concepts into explosive plays and has the quickness & hand fighting ability to defeat press coverage. He has the body control to adjust his frame into awkward positions on poor throws, he knows how to stem a defender and eat up their leverage & has the vision to spot ample cutback opportunities.   DL: Caden Thomas, 6'2" 225, Nacogdoches   Thomas has a great first step, he's extremely disruptive in the run game and has some serious pop at the point of attack. He's got a strong bull rush that can push the pocket with little effort, he can bend at the point of attack, plays with active hands, and has a strong anchor he can sit back in against opposing double teams.   OL: [player_tooltip player_id='1599671' first='Jamaylon' last='Rogers'], 6'6" 260, Nacogdoches   Theres not a ton of tape on Rogers right now at the varsity level, however, based on what I did see there are most certainly some traits you can work with. He's got great size at 6'6" 260, he can bend, he fights for hand placement on the breastplate, he can drive down defenders off the football, and has the lateral movement skills to maintain blocks when a defender retraces.   DB: [player_tooltip player_id='463319' first='Eyan' last='Stigall'], 5'8" 165, Hays   Despite his size, Eyan is a physical tackler, he can come to balance & make plays in space and is quite sticky as a nickel working out of the slot. He's tough as nails as a tackler within the box and can stun a back in his tracks. He's a natural as a single high centerfielder and reads the quarterback's intentions like a book. He can flip his hips and accelerate out of cuts and has an innate ability to force incompletions at the catch point.   DL: [player_tooltip player_id='1599197' first='Deion' last='Jones'], 6'2" 265, Roy Miller   A loose-hipped defensive tackle prospect that can quickly disengage and fall back inside. He's slippery at the point of attack and can slip opposing double teams, he can penetrate behind the line and can make tough tackles out of awkward body positions.

The future is now! We saw a ton of freshmen step up at the varsity level and deliver for their teams this fall. These guys are young but have plenty of ability and are still developing their game. I like their upside and think the best is yet to come from them. Look for them to continue to get bigger, faster, and stronger this offseason.