Region IDs: New Names from the Auburn/Opelika Area

Here are some new names from the Auburn-Opelika area who popped on my radar recently.    Antonio Welch is a long, lanky WR prospect who makes plays at all levels of the field. He hovers around 6'0 with a paper-thin 160-pound frame, offering plenty of room to fill out. Most of his highlight reel plays come after the catch. He is so long and unpredictable as a mover that it actually looks like it gives defenders problems matching his movements. Pair that with his thinness, and would-be tacklers often roll off of him or completely miss as is. I can't find verified speed, but he frequently out-angles defenses to the sidelines. He is pretty reliable down the field, settling in soft spots of the defense and taking yards available underneath. However, he will continue to make his money in the open field with the ball in his hands.     Highly productive edge defender who splits time in a three-point and two-point stance. He works in different depths and alignments to give himself the best chance of working against the weak spots of blockers. He gets good depth on his first step and pairs that with solid hand-play and subtle bend to get around the edge and chase after the QB. He isn't a burner, but plays with a hot motor and proves capable of hawking the ball down all across the field. He keeps his feet active and hands heavy while working to shed blocks, gradually wearing out blockers on each rep. Creighton is a smooth operator with the nuance needed to dance around the hands of blockers and threaten both shoulders. He is a sneaky-good prospect who should generate some FCS buzz as he continues to produce against good competition.     BJ McGhee is a long, lanky prospect who sticks mostly at corner but is capable of playing safety at the next level. He has decent measurables and still has optimal space to add mass. He is a silky smooth mover, both in his back-pedal and when he transitions to a sprint to change direction. He is best working with cushion, where he is soft enough on his feet to float around the receiver at release points. He locates and tracks the ball well in the air with the ball skills to execute when it hits his hands. Verified speed is a question, but he floats around the field like he is on rollerblades, which really showcases when he rallies to the ball. He puts on a clinic of attacking the trunk of ball carriers - dropping his shoulder and folding ball carriers in half. McGhee has a few D1 offers. I am impressed with his nuance and think he projects best as a safety.     Athletic, well-built TE prospect who is used almost exclusively as a blocker. He has the look of an FBS TE prospect and still has room to easily get to and surpass 270. He could be a candidate to fill out and play OT. As it is now, he already is an extension of the offensive line, so wouldn't be too difficult of a transition. Prichett is a good athlete who is quick out of his stance, not waiting on defenders to come to him, and instead bringing the fight first. He is athletic enough to step in front of defenders from a wide alignment and climb to the second level to occupy more athletic defenders. For a thinner guy, he fires his feet and proves strong enough to rip defenders off their base. He is relentless and works through the ground/whistle, which you can credit to his violence and motor. I think Prichett projects best as an OT prospect, but will need time in the weight room to bulk up. While he does, you can count on him playing hard.     [player_tooltip player_id='1621649' first='Dre' last='Vann'] is coming off a productive junior season and has his eyes set on a breakout senior campaign on the recruiting trail. He plays almost strictly on the outside, but his size might bump him inside at the next level. He is a bouncy athlete who is fast enough to get behind safeties and light enough on his feet to work efficient releases and cut across the face of defenders. He does an excellent job deceiving corners and attacking opposite of their leverage, often resulting in him slipping into wide-open throwing lanes. When the ball is in the air, he tracks it well through the arms of taller DBs and makes difficult off-platform grabs. Vann is a tough guard for corners due to his combination of athleticism and instincts.     [player_tooltip player_id='366554' first='Darius' last='Whitlow'] is a prototype IOL projection who took a massive step forward this offseason. He added some FBS offers to his name in January and it's a matter of time before P4 schools get involved. Whitlow is nearly impossible to move and does plenty of people-pushing himself. He packs a jarring punch, stunning and often knocking defenders off-balance at first contact. He is explosive out of his stance and plays with decent pad level, helping him arrive first and create dents on down blocks. He is athletic enough to pull and gets a full head of steam going downhill. He can play in a box with the guy lined up across from him, but he takes his game to another level thanks to his ability to move in space. Whitlow is listed most recently at 6'3. I think he has the tools to compensate for being on the shorter side.     Tre' Stone is a multi-sport LB prospect coming off a productive sophomore campaign. He is far along physically for his age, coming in at a rocked-up 6'1 205. Stone roams the second level, spending most time as a traditional stand-up LB, but will slide over and cover up a receiver in the slot if needed. He is patient in coverage and looks disciplined with his eyes. He is hard to throw over and around when he sits in passing lanes. His pursuit skills are elite, patiently making his way to the football and consistently making tackles from across the field. His physical gifts are on display at the point of attack, exploding through contact and inflicting damage on ball carriers. Stone has FBS offers from Troy and Georgia State. I wouldn't be shocked to see P4 schools in the mix a year from now.     Max Shiver is an underrated small-school OL prospect with the size and strength to at least generate some small-school recruiting attention. He is stouter in the arms and likely limited in how much more weight he can add, but he will be ready to go physically on day one at JUCO-DII schools, and possibly some FCS programs too. Shiver is too strong for his level of competition. Even without perfect pad level and technique, he completely displaces defenders and creates easy push up-front. When he gets defenders going backward, he smells blood in the water, firing his feet into overdrive and escorting defenders several yards downfield. He breaks the game right now.

Here are some new names from the Auburn-Opelika area who popped on my radar recently.