Upside, Upside, Upside

This article is all about players with great upside. All of these guys had incredible moments last season, mostly at the Junior Varsity level. The thing is, all of these guys have the tools to become amazing Varsity players. Here's what I think of their current tape, and I hope to see all of these guys ball out this coming season!    One position that Rockford consistently does a great job at reloading is Wide Receiver.   I don't know if Aidon will be starting on Varsity next season, but he does have great JV tape and several skills that will translate well into Varsity. Aidon is mostly utilized as a speed-in-space slot receiver. The highlights at 0:09 and 0:14 show quick screens for first downs. Then, 0:49 features good speed and vision from the running back position.   A ton of speed-in-space opportunities, and a good amount of success. Overall, Aidon's vision is inconsistent, but there are definite flashes. Hopefully we see some similar utilization at the Varsity level!      Not a great athlete but knows what he's doing. Good tackler, in the right areas, but a little slow to react and slow in general.   Connor is a promising Safety from Allen Park. Plays like 0:16 showcase his abilities well. He quickly diagnoses the screen, shoots the gap, and makes a solid tackle. Next play, same thing. A good read, shoots the gap, and stops the running back right in the hole. That said, Connor has great instincts when it comes to stopping those outside runs/screens.   0:50 shows a little of what Cooper can do in man coverage. Defending a quick out right at the goalline, Cooper takes advantage of the underthrow and returns the interception 50 yards.   Good tape from Cooper. In the future, I'd like to see a bit better speed. Other than that, I love his instincts!      A promising season from Michael.   Tape kicks off with a solid goalline TD. Not a ton of resistance getting there, but still a good job to keep his legs moving through an arm tackle. Next, a good playoff carry against Farmington, then another TD, this time against Brother Rice. Lastly, there's one defensive highlight at 4:05. Here, Michael jumps in front of an underthrown ball and earns a nice interception.   Next season, hopefully, Michael can be a great Varsity starter. I also hope to watch Michael in person sometime in the next couple of months.      James has good JV tape, and tested pretty dang well at our last Prep Redzone Camp.   James ran a 4.7 40 at our camp, and that's enough to burn most JV defenses. That's exactly what he did last season. On several occasions, James exposed poor pursuit angles. I also think James has good vision for a 2027 prospect. I especially like that he doesn't waste much time dancing in the open field- he's a north-south runner. A good offseason improving in speed, balance, and power, James has the chance to be a great Varsity football player this Fall.      I like what Brady brings to the table. Tall, long, and a solid athlete. Brady is able to play outside or in-line, and found a lot of success at the Junior Varsity level.   The clip at 0:14 shows some of his skills as an in-line TE. Boxes out the safety, doesn't push off, and just goes up and snags the ball. 0:26 is another good play. Not the best route, but great job adjusting to the poor throw to secure the catch. Lastly, 1:09 shows a good crossing route, catch, and RAC. I don't think Brady is amazing after the catch, but he's way more physical than most young TEs. Keep working on speed, contact balance, and routes, and Brady could be a phenomenal vertical threat at TE. Looking forward to see his possible Varisty contributions next season.

This article is all about players with great upside. All of these guys had incredible moments last season, mostly at the Junior Varsity level. The thing is, all of these guys have the tools to become amazing Varsity players. Here's what I think of their current tape, and I hope to see all of these guys ball out this coming season!