Pallone’s 2025 Preseason All Catholic-Central Offense (MI)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Catholic League is back. St. Mary's, De La Salle, and Detroit Catholic Central are all state championship frontrunners, while Brother Rice has one of the most intriguing young rosters in Michigan. Alongside the Ohio teams, this is, without a doubt, the most talented and competitive league in Michigan. Here are my picks for first team offense, pulling from our Michigan programs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">All Catholic Central Offense</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>QB - [player_tooltip player_id='212645' first='Grayson' last='Thurston'] - De La Salle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm betting on Thurston to be the best Catholic League QB in Michigan. A ton of turnover at QB in this league, and with a ton of uncertainty, I believe Thurston has the best chance of succeeding. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>QB - [player_tooltip player_id='1157439' first='Duke' last='Banta'] - Detroit Catholic Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Banta is in for a big year. I also think he's in the best offense in the Catholic League. This offense includes arguably the best offensive lineman in Michigan, the best receiver in Michigan, and a running back who is #1 in the class of 2029 rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB - [player_tooltip player_id='1593244' first='JJ' last='Chevalier'] - Detroit Catholic Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Too soon? Well, surprisingly, I don't think the Catholic League is particularly strong at running back. JJ looks to be an immediate plug-and-play guy. He's looking to be an extremely special prospect. At this rate, JJ has the chance to be the face of Michigan HSFB in a year or two. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RB - [player_tooltip player_id='1634763' first='Michael' last='Walker Jr.'] - St. Mary's</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm expecting a nice jump in production from [player_tooltip player_id='1634763' first='Michael' last='Walker Jr.'] I know he's been hard at work regarding the "smaller" details of his game. Excited to see if he's up for the challenge. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WR - [player_tooltip player_id='563422' first='Damion' last='King'] - De La Salle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Set up to be De La Salle's leading receiver this season. One of the best route runners in Michigan. Has always flashed after the catch. Also able to take the top off of he defense. Will be a critical player for De La Salle this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WR - [player_tooltip player_id='1148715' first='Samson' last='Gash'] - Detroit Catholic Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gash exploded onto the scene this past season. An amazing 2024, and that momentum has carried into 2025. An easy pick for the best receiver in the catholic league. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WR - [player_tooltip player_id='1225746' first='Jacob' last='Johnson'] - Brother Rice</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Criminally underrated. Breakaway speed, good hands, good route running. Brother Rice has got to find ways to get [player_tooltip player_id='1225746' first='Jacob' last='Johnson'] the ball. Expecting a great season! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WR - [player_tooltip player_id='489268' first='Chad' last='Willis'] - St. Mary's</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Willis needs to introduction. Elite size, great athletic traits, and an all-around super high-upside player. I'd argue Willis has the highest upside of anyone on this list. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TE - [player_tooltip player_id='566981' first='Jack' last='Janda'] - Detroit Catholic Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Janda had a phenomenal 2024 season. Leaps and bounds better in practically every area. Proved to be an awesome all-around tight end. The Wisconsin commit should have another incredible season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OL - [player_tooltip player_id='212357' first='Benjamin' last='Eziuka'] - Detroit Catholic Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A player who has done nothing but work tirelessly to reach his high school potential. Very few players get close to their true potential, and I think Eziuka is pretty darn close. Going to dominate this season, and will fit right in at Penn State. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OL - [player_tooltip player_id='1629755' first='John' last='Kolarchick'] - St. Mary's</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the biggest surprises of the offseason. John has made extreme improvements in the past year. He heads into this season with supreme confidence and likely a larger role. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OL - [player_tooltip player_id='1225769' first='Kinnus' last='Paul II'] - St. Mary's</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kinnus was a critical piece of a state championship offensive line. You'd have a very difficult time finding other offensive linemen as strong as Kinnus. I'm expecting a big year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OL - [player_tooltip player_id='1233478' first='Eric' last='Anderson'] - Detroit Catholic Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eric is following the Power 4 offensive lineman blueprint. He has the size and frame, and just needs the polish. Compared to the beginning of the offseason, Eric looks noticeably stronger and way more fundamentally sound. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OL - Greyson Saucet - De La Salle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saucet is coming off a big year on JV. De La Salle's line is set for a big overhaul this season, and Saucet will be key in De La Salle's success. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->