2025 Rankings: Players I got WRONG

Throughout the years, there have been some evaluations I got wrong. In the class of 2025, there are definitely a few of those. Namely, a few players who I completely underestimated when it came to leadership and work ethic. Much of the time, I'm forced to make a snap judgment based on a highlight tape, game, or workout. In those instances, I rarely get a good character evaluation- something that I've learned is absolutely critical for accurate evaluations.   So, these are the players I got wrong in the past. All of these players were, at one point or another, overlooked by me!   QB | Byron Center | [player_tooltip player_id='899559' first='Landon' last='Tungate']   Signed with Davenport   I was definitely wrong about my past D3 evaluation of Landon. Now, I still stand by a lot of what I've said in the past. Mainly, Landon's accuracy and overall arm talent is still at a D3 level, and I know there are a lot of college coaches that would back me up. What I failed to properly evaluate in years past is Landon's grit and work ethic. Dude seems to live, breathe, and sleep football, and I know that's a big reason why D2s began showing interest.   Plus, Landon has undoubtedly improved since I marked him a D3 talent. This year, he made better decisions with the football, wasn't as scramble-happy, and at times showed incredible pocket presence. Landon also did a much better job scanning the field and spreading the ball out. Keep this work ethic, and Landon has a chance to be a gamechanger in the GLIAC. The Davenport QB room is pretty stacked, so I don't know how soon Landon will hit the field. But, if Landon keeps outworking everyone around him, he has a great shot at developing into a great DII player.   TE | Gibson Connelly | Grandville   Signed with Grand Valley State   Last offseason, I honestly didn't get the hype surrounding Gibson. Having watched him at a couple of camps, I saw a player who had near-elite size but someone who was incredibly raw in several areas. I just didn't get it.   This season, I started to get it. Just about every week, I'd see a good play from Gibson. A good catch was followed by a good block, which was then followed by a good route. I still don't think Gibson is a super polished tight end, but if he was polished, he'd be a Power 4 prospect. In other words, Gibson showed significant improvement this season, and his size indicates sky-high upside. If Gibson can unlock his full potential at Grand Valley State, he could eventually be an All-GLIAC player.   LB | [player_tooltip player_id='602039' first='Brady' last='Hamby'] | Dakota   Signed with Ferris State   I always thought of Brady as a Division 2 prospect, but he's one of those guys that you can't truly appreciate until you watch him in person. When I watched him against IKE (regular season), Brady did an excellent job of scraping, filling, and tackling. Pretty basic when I put it like that, but being excellent at the basics is actually quite rare at the high school level. On top of that, Brady's play speed as a linebacker is in a very high tier. Most high school linebackers don't have the reaction time or athletic ability to go sideline to sideline, but Brady has both. Fast player, hard-hitter, and way better in person than on tape.   WR | [player_tooltip player_id='824330' first='Carson' last='Dykstra'] | Hudsonville   Signed with Davenport   Carson is another player that I've seen consistently improve over the years. A couple of years ago, I thought he'd have a good chance to be a D3 prospect. Last year, I still leaned D3. But at the tail end of last offseason, I thought Carson may actually be a GLIAC prospect. I saw noticeably better release, route running, and RAC ability in the offseason. Then, the season kicked off and Carson's trajectory kept on going up. When I watched him against East Kentwood, Carson did a good job getting open by way of consistently good route running. He also did a good job blocking. Then, against Howell (semifinals), he had a few truly standout plays.   Love the route running, especially his post, slant, and other in routes. Carson has been improving every year, and I fully expect him to develop into a good player at Davenport.   ATH | [player_tooltip player_id='1290838' first='Keaton' last='Hendricks'] | Zeeland West   Signed with Grand Valley State   I had Keaton ranked criminally low in previous updates. I mean, I have absolutely no excuse for this big miss. The first time Keaton really caught my attention was when I watched him late in the regular season against West Catholic. Loved his vision, play speed, and overall ability to make things happen with the ball in his hands. Then, I watched him against Detroit MLK in the State Championships. Against a powerhouse program full of D1 and D2 prospects, Keaton totaled 16 carries, 129 yards, and 3 touchdowns, with 3 more receiving touchdowns. Oh, and he also had a forced fumble on defense. Plus, Keaton also has the athleticism to be a great DII football player- another aspect I largely overlooked. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/17247520/675839e91a5267f966863218">Watch the tape</a>- this is a big reason why Keaton is now at GVSU!

Throughout the years, there have been some evaluations I got wrong. In the class of 2025, there are definitely a few of those. Namely, a few players who I completely underestimated when it came to leadership and work ethic. Much of the time, I'm forced to make a snap judgment based on a highlight tape, game, or workout. In those instances, I rarely get a good character evaluation- something that I've learned is absolutely critical for accurate evaluations.