Under the radar - for now

One of my problems with national sports media is the coverage of the popular team or the flavor of the week player. The national media loves to talk up the Dallas Cowboys - for instance. Even though they haven't been relevant since Troy Aikman – now long-time announcer and Deion Sanders – now coaching his second college football team, wore the famous star on the side of their helmet. I will admit – I enjoy covering the Division I recruits and love going to the big school top ten showdowns. However, so many football players in this state are overlooked and don't get the attention they should be getting.   I know it is impossible to cover everyone. Still, during the offseason, one of my goals is to put the spotlight – at least for what I can do – on as many of the great players in Minnesota that are not necessarily on places like Rivals or 247 Sports radar.    LaPointe can play inside and outside linebacker. Usually, on the outside, he does a great job setting the edge and then coming downhill across the line of scrimmage to make plays on the inside. Once he reads a run to the inside, his first step is fast and decisive. He is able to keep blockers off his body with good hands and arm extension. His ability to keep his hips square to the line of scrimmage when moving down the line also helps him keep blockers off his body and legs.     Haring moves well in the pocket. He slides well side-to-side and knows when to step up in the pocket to avoid pressure. He throws well on the move and is willing to take a hit to make an accurate throw. I wouldn't say he looks to run first, but he has the speed and instincts to make plays with his legs. Haring is most effective throwing into the middle of the field. His crossing routes are, more often than not, right on time. He also has plenty of arm strength to make effective throws to the sidelines when his feet can't get set.     The thing that stood out immediately when looking at Ackerman's highlight package was his toughness. The kid gets absolutely creamed by pass rushers in the first few plays of the package. Each time, he makes strong, accurate throws. He has a nice deep ball, but what stood out – after his toughness – was how his intermediate throws are on a rope with a lot of pace on the ball. He diced up zone coverage with lasers that defenders couldn't react to. I wouldn't classify him as a running quarterback, but he has the speed and athleticism to beat defenses with his legs.     Clare is a big, physical presence on the Tigers' defensive line. The first thing that impressed me was his explosiveness out of his stance. He is in the offensive lineman's kitchen before most offensive linemen are fully out of their stance. He does a good job with his hands, taking on double teams and getting off blocks. Clare is athletic enough to make plays on the opposite side of the field. This two-way player is also a physical running back who – when in the open field - has surprising speed for such a physical athlete.     Hinrichs has a good catch radius and makes plays on balls that require significant adjustments. His body control jumps off the screen when adjusting to balls and when he is near the sidelines. It goes without saying that to make those types of catches, his hands are also a strength of his game. The Cardinals' wideout also has a knack for finding soft spots against zone coverage. He is a team player. Hinrichs is a willing and effective blocker on the outside.

One of my problems with national sports media is the coverage of the popular team or the flavor of the week player. The national media loves to talk up the Dallas Cowboys - for instance. Even though they haven't been relevant since Troy Aikman – now long-time announcer and Deion Sanders – now coaching his second college football team, wore the famous star on the side of their helmet. I will admit – I enjoy covering the Division I recruits and love going to the big school top ten showdowns. However, so many football players in this state are overlooked and don't get the attention they should be getting.