Midseason Standouts - Capital Area

There are a few surprising teams coming out of the Lansing area. Of course, DeWitt is still atop the Blue, but Grand Ledge is right there with them. Additionally, Williamston has been surprisingly dominant in the Red.   Today, I'm looking at five prospects. Programs featured include Grand Ledge, DeWitt, and Williamston.    Grand Ledge has surged to the top of the Capital Area Blue league, and much of that is because of their offensive line.   Lucas has had a great season thus far, earning time at multiple positions on the offensive line. His week 1-3 tape kicks off with a great down block, successfully getting his hands inside, and forcing the DT away from the C gap. Second, a display of flat-out great effort. Lucas drives his defender 10 yards back and flattens him at the end. Jumping to 1:45, Lucas again shows good anchor and eliminates the much slower NT.   Whether Lucas is at tackle or center, he's done a good job blocking the man in front of him. I think his strength as absolutely at center.      A shock to absolutely nobody, DeWitt is atop the Capital Blue.   Channing is a great player in space, and he's earning a great number of Varsity snaps as a sophomore. You'll see a lot of plays like 0:33- an outside run going for an explosive gain. Most of these plays are blocked super well, as well as properly schemed up. That said, most players are going to earn positive yardage, but Channing has the speed to turn those 10 yard gains into 50-yard TDs. Again, watch 0:33- it's Channing's speed that finishes the play. You can see it again at 0:47- sprints down the sideline and straight-up beats two guys.   Channing's speed is absolutely his greatest asset. Considering he's a sophomore, I like where he's at from a developmental standpoint. A lot of time to improve things like power, elusiveness, and vision. If Channing proves to be on track with some of DeWitt's best, he'll be a D2 prospect at the very least.      A key piece of the DeWitt defense.   This defensive unit as a whole may be improved compared to last season. Returners like [player_tooltip player_id='1680060' first='Miller' last='Wing'] play a big role in that.   Mostly playing safety, Miller has proven to be a good all-around defender. His tape begins with a great read and tackle against the counter. He follows the receiver in motion, finds the hole, and perfectly fills while also laying a big hit. As you'd expect from a safety, there are several solid run fits on this tape, and Miller tends to hit hard. Real quick- a solid number of pass defense highlights, but not enough for me to get a good feel of his skillset. 0:19 is great man coverage against a 10-yard out, and 0:43 shows solid coverage against the double-move post.      Who saw Williamston coming in the Capital Area Red?   He's a multi-positional player who does quite a bit for his team. First highlight is a punishing block on a clueless DE. Second, playing SAM, Parker is ultra-aggressive, crashes on the outside run, and has the motor + speed to run down the ballcarrier and earn a TFL. Third, a 48-yard kick return that again showcases Parker's physicality.   That's just the first three plays. It's rare that I watch a 3-week highlight tape this impressive. Throughout the 2 and a half minute tape, Parker showcases elite motor and excellent physicality. Love his chances at earning offers this spring.      Not many on Williamston's schedule can stop a good power RB like [player_tooltip player_id='1173614' first='Joseph' last='Smith'].   Nice efficiency, around average vision, and plus power. 0:59 is a good example of all of these. Joseph goes off-schedule, finds a lane, and breaks a tackle. 1:23 is similar. Joseph does a good job following his blocks, then pushing forward through contact. Absolutely a player that will guide Williamston through the postseason.

There are a few surprising teams coming out of the Lansing area. Of course, DeWitt is still atop the Blue, but Grand Ledge is right there with them. Additionally, Williamston has been surprisingly dominant in the Red.