Scouting Reports: Urbandale 2025

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CEDAR RAPIDS</strong> -- Urbandale (2-2) traveled to eastern Iowa to spoil Cedar Rapids Jefferson's (1-3) homecoming last Friday in a battle of J-Hawks, taking down the home team, 37-15 in Kingston Stadium</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We'll breakdown key members of the Urbandale squad here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1671624"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d1999234649"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A previously unknown prospect to me, I couldn't leave Kingston Stadium on Friday night without remembering sophomore linebacker, [player_tooltip player_id='1671624' first='Gabe' last='Blanshan']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big body with long arms already looking the part of a high-level linebacker in just his second year of high school ball, Blanshan led Urbandale in tackles in Cedar Rapids, posting 10.5, including eight solo. His ability to read and react, plus his frame make him a play waiting to happen. Whether it's reading the QB's eyes, jumping up and swatting down a pass at the line, recognizing a screen and dipping around would-be blockers for a tackle or patiently waiting for a play to develop before taking off after ball-carriers, Blanshan is a tackling machine.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With 42.5 tackles through four games this season, he may not be on college radars just yet, but if he keeps up this level of production, he will be soon enough. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1452144"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d19992346cd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One of the players on the Urbandale roster that looks ready-made to play Division I football, [player_tooltip player_id='1452144' first='Levi' last='Chulu'] is a safety/nickel for the J-Hawk defense whose length and athleticism make him a hard-hitting DB in the run game, but also a rangy, sideline-to-sideline defender in pass coverage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A nose for the ball off the edge in running situations, Chulu fires off the ball into the backfield to stop run plays before they get started. In passing situations, he'll drop off the line of scrimmage, read the quarterback's eyes and lay out to register a PBU or force an incompletion. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":1904072,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Jayvion Edwards-Ramirez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"212","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Urbandale","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d19992347d4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A wide, sturdy edge rusher for the J-Hawk defense, Jayvion Edwards-Ramirez lived in the Jefferson backfield for part of the night on Friday, registering three of Urbandale's four sacks on the evening. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An underrated athlete who can blow plays up but also shows patience when opposing teams run an RPO scheme, Edwards-Ramirez has a high motor that puts him in ball-pursuit on 99% of plays. Whether he misses a tackle or opposing teams run away from his side of the line, Edwards-Ramirez will chase after ball-carriers on every play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He'll get overlooked because of his lack of height, but if and when a program pulls the trigger and offers him, they'll be happy they did. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1212629"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d199923484a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The bell-cow running back that got the win sealed for Urbandale, [player_tooltip player_id='1212629' first='Jackson' last='Sturdivant'] took 16 carries for 218 yards (13.6 yards per carry) and four touchdowns on Friday night in Cedar Rapids. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sturdivant used a mixture of lateral quickness to avoid tackles in the backfield and in the middle of the field, as well as straight line speed to run away from the Jefferson defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Behind the Urbandale offensive line, his big, low center of gravity, a mean stiff arm and a violent running style, Sturdivant ran all over Jefferson on Friday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1699596"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68d19992348b4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Yet another defensive playmaker for the J-Hawks, [player_tooltip player_id='1699596' first='Kade' last='Yager'] entered the game in Cedar Rapids without an interception to his name over the first three contests, and left on Friday night with two picks against one of the better, more experienced quarterbacks in 5A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A smooth athlete that's rangy on the back end of the field, Yager reads the quarterback's eyes incredibly well, navigates the middle of the field with speed and fluidity. He broke on a post-route on his first interception of the night, and then high-pointed a ball in front of the quarterback's intended target to the far side of the field for his second pick. The last line of defense for Urbandale, he's a sure tackler, as well, that ensures little-to-no big plays happen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->