UWEC Futures Exposure Camp: Stars of the Show

The state of Wisconsin is extremely lucky to have the D3 football that it has. It has an outstanding argument for the most competitive conference in the state with the WIAC. Not to mention several other schools at the D3 level that give so many athletes a chance to continue their education and football careers. These D3 schools have also started doing an outstanding job of giving these kids more and more opportunities to put themselves out there, learn, and experience a college setting through more and more camps.   The newest camp in the state was put on by the Blugolds of Eau Claire. A camp that revolved around not just showing your talent, but learning and developing. The Futures Exposure Camp put on by UWEC offered athletes a chance for athletes and parents to learn about the recruiting landscape, and it also gave athletes a chance to learn how to approach the drills that these kids are going to see over and over again at camps. Then we ended the day with the athletes getting to do the tests and bring home numbers that they can share and build on over the offseason. I was lucky enough to be invited out to take in this awesome experience. We start our recap of the event with a look at the Stars of the Show once we went live during the testing portion.    We already were fans of Coltan coming into the event, ranking him in the top half of his Class. However, the junior stole the show once the horn blew for the testing to start. The 6'0.5" 170 lbs athlete showed off his explosive athleticism and long speed at every station. He exploded for a 37.3" & 36.3" vertical jump. Coltan also crushed a 9'5.75" and 9'4" broad jump. The '26 has build an explosive lower body that also shined at the 40 where he was able to get a great burst at the start and hit back to back 4.70 40s. The reigning State Champ put on a show.     The Futures Exposure Camp brought out athletes from beyond Wisconsin as well. We saw kids from MN and IL along with the strong WI crowd. One of those standout MN athletes was sophomore Brayden Britton. The underclassman is on his way towards building a strong frame, checking in at 6' 208.6 lbs. It is a clean and explosive 208 lbs at that. The sophomore jumped out of the gym with a 38.2" and 37.8" vertical. Those paired with duo 9'6" broad jumps demonstrated the explosive power Brayden has in his lower body. Brittan finished off his athletic display with a 4.78 40 yard dash on top of it. This is going to be a kid to keep an eye on over the coming years. Strong, explosive, and building a frame that will be ready for the next level.     Another MN standout was junior [player_tooltip player_id='1248631' first='Evan' last='Durst']. Durst and a few other Byron athletes made the trip well worth their time. The junior DB checked in at just over 6'2" 178 lbs with almost a 6'4" wingspan and 10" hands. The long, lean DB frame is loaded up with the explosive burst needed to thrive in the defensive backfield. Evan jumped 35" & 35.1" in the vertical and 9'5.25" & 9'5" in the broad. Durst also showed off the balance and burst he has while changing direction, posting 7.08 and 7.15 in the L-Drill. It was a great showing for the MN DB.     The top OL from the day was Chippewa Falls' [player_tooltip player_id='1610025' first='Noah' last='King']. The Top 10 OL in the state of WI looked the part of a future D1 athlete. To start, King checked in at 6'4.75" 263 lbs with a 6'8.5" wingspan and 9.5" hands. He also tested well for the position with a 25" vertical, 8'6.25" broad, and putting up a 5.27 40 time. More important than the numbers was how Noah looked going through the drills. The OT plays with that natural athleticism that is hard to find at this level. Fluid lower body while changing direction, natural and smooth running in the 40. King looked how he looks on tape. Big, athletic, fluid, and strong. The '26 has one of the highest ceilings in this Class at his position.     A new name on my radar from this event that caught my eyes at multiple drills was Flambeau's [player_tooltip player_id='1802037' first='Chanse' last='Ludescher']. The 6'2" 186 lbs athlete dominated the broad jump with a 9'9.25" and 9'9" measurements. He also added a 33.4" and 33.1" vertical. The junior also showed off the long speed going 4.81 and 4.79 in the 40. This is a kid that I will be diving more into, and I suggest recruiters do as well. He is coming off a junior season at RB and LB where he scored 14 TDs and made over 100 tackles.     One of the best all around performances of the day was from another member of the Byron roster out of MN. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1248616' first='Beau' last='Nicklay'] Checked in just under 5'11" 172 lbs with almost a 6'2" wingspan. Beau dominated both jump tests going 35.5" and 34.5" in the vertical and 9'3.5" and 9'5.25" in the broad jump. Nicklay also showed off the agility, balance, change of direction and burst in the L- Drill where he posted strong times of 7.01 and 6.96. Solidifying his change of direction and powerful acceleration, Beau also put up strong 5-10-5 times going 4.32 and 4.37. The cherry on top of his day was a 4.74 and 4.71 40 time. Both of which were near the top for fastest of the day. The sophomore WR is definitely going to be a name to know over the coming years.     Another new athlete on my radar is Wausau West's Cullin Quance, and you need to make sure he is on yours as well. The 6'2" 187 lbs athlete came in with just under a 6'5" wingspan and just under 10" hands. The big frame had a strong case for most explosive athlete at the camp. Quance jumped an elite 40.7" and 40.1" in the vertical. He also went crazy at the broad jump with a 10'8" and 10'6" leap. Showing that the powerful burst carries over the his movement on the field, Cullin ran a strong 4.17 L-Drill and also checked off the long speed box with a 4.76 40 yard dash. I'm very excited to check out this kid's tape, and recruiters need to join me in doing so. This kid looked like a special athlete yesterday.     The third and final Byron standout for today's article is [player_tooltip player_id='1248630' first='Eli' last='Rodemeyer']. Eli had one of the top performances among QBs. He started with a strong weigh-in going 6'1" 170 lbs with just shy of a 6'4" wingspan. The QB showed outstanding short area agility in the L-Drill with times of 6.82 and 6.84. Numbers that suggest he can dominate when it comes to moving in the pocket to buy time and avoid pressure. Those numbers also pair well with a 4.81 40 yard dash. The sophomore QB has the athletic traits to be a threat to defenses with his legs. That's a dangerous combo to go alongside his 65% completion percentage from 2024.     Chippewa Falls is going to be a school that a lot of college coaches go through and recruit this year. One of the reasons why is DB/WR [player_tooltip player_id='1613817' first='Jaylyn' last='Smith']. The '26 had a great showing at the UWEC Exposure Combine. The 5'9" 177 lbs athlete has elite length for his frame with a 6'1" wingspan. Jaylyn also has a next level athletic base to build around too. He hit double 4.76 40 yard dashes, had a 7.28 L-Drill, 4.39 5-10-5, and hit a 35.2" vertical on his best attempt. Numbers that suggest an athlete that is explosive, can win in short areas or deep downfield, and has the ability to change direction and accelerate on a dime. Get eyes on the '26.     Another Eau Claire region standout was from the Class of 2027. The 6' 170 lbs sophomore lost most of his season in 2024 to a knee injury, but his performance yesterday says he is back and better than ever. Jackson jumped 34.9" in the vertical, 9'1.75" in the broad, hit a 7.39 in the L-Drill, and ran 4.63 in the 40. Those numbers are a great base for him to build on over the next two years. I'm very excited to see him on the field this summer/fall and watch those numbers translate to game action/scenarios.

The state of Wisconsin is extremely lucky to have the D3 football that it has. It has an outstanding argument for the most competitive conference in the state with the WIAC. Not to mention several other schools at the D3 level that give so many athletes a chance to continue their education and football careers. These D3 schools have also started doing an outstanding job of giving these kids more and more opportunities to put themselves out there, learn, and experience a college setting through more and more camps.