Prospect Sheet Deep Dive: North Jackson Chiefs

North Jackson is coming off a region championship. While they are losing several players to the college level, they return plenty of talent from last year's squad. Pair that with some youngsters ready to take the next step, and they are in a position yet again to make a push at a region title.   Standouts    [player_tooltip player_id='1406607' first='Kadyn' last='Pace'] is a highly productive two-way player who made plays as a junior in every way imaginable as a skill player. He is a long-limbed, thin athlete who still has plenty of growth left in the tank. He is developing some twitch, but he gallops around the field and eats up yards with just a few steps. He projects best as a safety, crashing downhill hard and exploding through contact. He strikes with good pad level and buckles ball carriers at contact. His large catch radius and ball skills stick out at WR. He projects as a downhill, hard-hitting safety. He holds some small school offers and interest as of now.     Haven Massenegile is an absolute burner who PR'd this week at 10.61 in the 100M. Coaches rave about his work in the weight room and classroom as well. He plays both ways for North Jackson. At DB, he arrives at landmarks with time to spare and is difficult to separate against. At WR, where he projects, he fires out of his stance and forces DBs to turn and run early to match his speed. He shines with the ball in the open field. When given a lane to run, he leaves defenders in the dust. [player_tooltip player_id='1647172' first='Haven' last='Massengile'] is one of the fastest football players in Alabama and at the very least will gift a program the chance to break off kick return TDs.     [player_tooltip player_id='1646831' first='Nick' last='Price'] is an impressive looking back and a leader in the weight room, squatting over 500 pounds. He hovers around 200 pounds but has room to get even bigger. He battles through contact and is an outlier physically compared to competition, making him difficult to tackle. His vision and patience flash on tape, nickel and diming his way through contact in the box before eventually leaking outside. He might not win foot-races, but he steadily builds away from defenders with his long strides and is difficult to catch from behind. Price had a big year, but I think there is plenty of upside here and the potential to grow into a D1 RB prospect.     Bryson Higgins is a smaller OL prospect, but compensates for his size with his athleticism and effort. Plays LT for North Jackson and has the athletic traits needed to handle the responsibilities of that position. He is bouncy off the line and gets into his pass set efficiently. Really impressive when combo blocking to the next level, keeping his eyes up and clicking from one defender to another. He works through the whistle and finishes blocks through the dirt. Higgins might not receive major recruiting buzz, but he has the athletic traits to compensate for his size and will his way to a smaller school level of football, especially if he can add good weight to his frame.     Creed Richardson gained a lot of valuable experience as a freshman on varsity this past fall. He is a big-bodied, durable presence in the pocket who is tough to bring down. He has the arm strength needed to bomb the ball over the top at this phase. Touch and placement on the deep ball shine all throughout tape, getting the nose of the ball to turn over and fall gracefully into the hands of receivers. His subtle pocket mobility and presence are notable, dancing around contact and stepping up into the pocket to evade backside pressure. Richardson is on pace for a productive high school career.     There isn't much freshman tape to evaluate here, but Jones started for a region championship squad at corner, gaining valuable experience. Coaches praise his ability to physically set the edge, his work ethic, and his energy. Jones doubles as a T/F athlete and has improved his sprint times by at least half a second this spring.     No freshman tape yet for Jovani Taylor, but he has the look of a prospect who should develop nicely. He comes in at 6'4 230 with a multi-sport background. His coaches like his combination of length and athleticism, using his length to create extension from his chest. Taylor should develop nicely as he grows into his impressive frame.

North Jackson is coming off a region championship. While they are losing several players to the college level, they return plenty of talent from last year's squad. Pair that with some youngsters ready to take the next step, and they are in a position yet again to make a push at a region title.