Community Film Room Episode 4

Welcome back to the Community Film Room, one of my favorite series we do at Prep Redzone. A lot goes into traditional evaluations: Measurements, stats, competition level, etc. Our community film room series attempts to strip some of that away, instead letting the highlight tape speak for itself. To be featured in a future CFR episode, simply reach out to me on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>) with your film and I'll make sure to feature you.   In each edition, we'll break down five unranked players from across the state to let you see what we're seeing. The series will lead right into the the start of the spring rankings cycle, the ever-growing importance of the summer program schedules and then the 2025 season.   Here, we break down a nasty junior offensive lineman, a small but strong slot receiver, a talented sophomore linebacker, and two freshman playmakers.    Mathews doesn't have elite size and length, but he's not lacking in either department by any means. He's a cheat code in counter, because his first step and lateral quickness are excellent. Accordingly, he's able to get out as a puller and kick out linebackers and edge rushers to open massive holes for his backs. I really like the clip at the 1:22 mark. The defensive tackle bails, so he doesn't have anyone to block on the line of scrimmage. Instead, he patiently waits and walls off the linebacker to make a running lane.      Cook fits the mold of an undersized slot receiver who isn't afraid of contact and excels at getting open. His numbers as a junior were modest, just nine catches for 126 yards, but he excelled on out-breaking routes and when the play broke down. He's strong, benching 260 and squatting 405, which makes him an intriguing prospect at the next level.      Roland is what I like to call a dumpster diver at linebacker. He's excellent at sorting through the trash in the running game and making plays on the ball. In fact, most of the best plays on his film are when he has to pick his way through traffic to make tackles near the line of scrimmage against heavier sets. Just a sophomore, Roland already commands the defense and I won't be surprised if his overall numbers tick up as a junior.      A talented two-way freshman, Troy excelled on junior varsity and earned some late-season playing time on varsity, making appearances on both sides of the ball. We like him most as a linebacker, where his quick get-off and impressive long speed allow him to chase down ball carriers from the back side. As a running back he seeks out contact, which we love to see from younger players. He's definitely on out radar.      Davis-Hilton was a versatile playmaker for both junior varsity and varsity at Mount Pleasant as a freshman. Used as a traditional running back, H-back, and special-teamer, Davis-Hilton excelled. When he finds open field, he's tough to catch. I think we'll see him more as a receiver next year as he develops his route-running. For now, "Get him the ball in space" is a great strategy, as Davis-Hilton was at his best after the catch.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Logandavis57192/status/1853194078248452171 </div></figure>

Welcome back to the Community Film Room, one of my favorite series we do at Prep Redzone. A lot goes into traditional evaluations: Measurements, stats, competition level, etc. Our community film room series attempts to strip some of that away, instead letting the highlight tape speak for itself. To be featured in a future CFR episode, simply reach out to me on Twitter/X (@whelms21) with your film and I'll make sure to feature you.