Under the Radar - Part V

Position flexibility has become increasingly important as high school defenses have become more complex. Position flexibility is also the theme of this group of five under-the-radar athletes.    Olagbaju has good size at defensive end. Splitting time between varsity and JV as a junior, the Pirates' big man looks to have the skills to make an every-game impact this fall. He does well getting upfield and then re-routing to get back into the play when he is on the backside of the play. Olagbaju has solid hands and good upper body strength to get off blocks. The senior-to-be has position flexibility. He usually lines up on the edge but can also slide inside to play the three-technique.     Another guy with position flexibility – Mandelkow handles business at middle linebacker, but I like him better at defensive end. He does a great job setting the edge and uses his hands and good leverage to string out plays and get off blocks to make tackles on the outside. He does a good job keeping his outside hand free when engaging with blockers – allowing him to string plays out. Mandelkow is quick off the ball but is also physical at the point of attack.     Position flexibility is the theme of this version of Under the Radar, as Selberg lines up on the interior and the edge of the Knights' defensive line. His athletic ability is evident from the start, with his quick get-off, athletic build, and agility. Selberg uses his hands well to keep blockers off his body, allowing him to use his footwork to get off blocks. He has the speed to come off the edge but the strength to hold the edge in the running game or power his way through the interior.     Maack is too quick off the snap for most offensive linemen he faced as a junior. His explosiveness often either flat-out beats the offensive lineman or gets him immediately on his heels. Not just a speed guy, Maack has low hips and power to get under a blocker's pads and walk him into the backfield. He has the hand strength – when quickness alone isn't enough – to keep lineman away and is able to dictate the play. The Otters' big man has good lateral movement – helping him slide up and down the line of scrimmage.     Schmidt does a great job setting the edge while getting into the backfield from his outside linebacker position. He achieves this by utilizing his quickness and agility to evade blockers at the point of attack. Once he diagnoses the play, he closes quickly and is a solid tackler. Schmidt is at his best when playing in space but has the strength to work between the tackles in the trenches. Playing in space helped the Spartan when he moved to safety – going five for five with multi-position players – and his ability to cover.

Position flexibility has become increasingly important as high school defenses have become more complex. Position flexibility is also the theme of this group of five under-the-radar athletes.