Upward Momentum: The Regular Season’s Most Improved and Impactful

This has been a long regular season but a rewarding one. A ton of players boosted their stock throughout creating big plays for their respective teams. I selected a handful that elevated their team with stellar performances week in and week out. Let's dive into it.    Mangrum had a statement season, solidifying his status as a top Colorado running back. The 5'9 180-pound running back had 174 carries for 2001 yards with 30 touchdowns, 11 receptions for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mangrum has very good athletic ability due to elite change of direction, very good acceleration, and balance. Explosive quick start. He has very good inside and outside running. He hits the gaps with bursts of speed and uses his elite vision to run through the defense. Or he'll hit the perimeter and be gone. Mixtures of weaver and power. Explosive jump cuts and a very good juke move to gain yards after contact. Or he'll use his very good balance to bounce off the tacklers. Mangrum has smooth and controlled body movements. Mangrum is very good in pass protection, allowing extra time for this QB to throw. He is also a good receiver out of the backfield. Don't be surprised when colleges start to see this talent.     Measuring in at 6'3 170-pounds, Newbill has very good size and lengthy arms. The WR/CB had 52 receptions for 697 yards with 9 touchdowns, 36 total tackles , and 6 INT. Newbill has very good athletic ability due to very good jumping, change of direction, acceleration, and good speed. On both sides of the ball, he thrives with physicality. As a receiver, he uses his good release and very good separation quickness to make himself open. Due to his size, he is a great contested catch option. Very good catching and ball tracking skills. Plucks the ball with ease on offense and defense. Very good at jamming the receiver at the line of scrimmage. Smooth and controlled back pedal and fluid hips to match the receiver's cuts. Very good man coverage and good zone coverage. Very good read and reaction speed. One thing of note is his ability to tackle. Some corners shy away from tackling however Newbill succeeds and excels. Great job by the senior from Berthoud.     Bailey had a good season last year with 461 yards and 6 touchdowns. This season, he exploded onto the scene with new QB [player_tooltip player_id='1338094' first='Marquise' last='Reese']. The 5'11 165-pound receiver has 49 receptions for 1218 yards and 20 touchdowns with 11 total tackles, 2 INT, and 6 PD. He has very good athletic ability due to elite speed, very good change of direction, acceleration, and good jumping. Very good release at the line of scrimmage. Beats the DB due to his very quick feet and creates separation with ease. He'll out run the DB at the top of the route, or will find an empty spot in the zone to exploit. Very good catching and ball tracking skills. He'll adjust to the ball in flight whether it's high, low, or above. Sticky hands. Very good body control especially on sideline catches. After the catch, he uses his elite speed to run through the defense and into the endzone. Very good juke moves. Bailey is a legit prospect.     Bustillos measures in at 6'1 170-pounds, and has been a presence on the defensive line for Holyoke. He has 58 total tackles (32 solo, 26 assisted), 13 TFL, 11 sacks, 9 QB pressures, 3 FF, and 1 blocked field goal. He has very good athletic ability due to very good lateral quickness, change of direction, good acceleration, and speed. Good strength, very good hand strength, and good hand placement. Very good hand speed with his initial quickness and engaging the offensive lineman first. Very good bend around the edge. He shows his flexibility to get around the tackle and sack the QB. Good get off speed, very good block shedding. Bustillos has good pursuit on the ball, and ball carrier. Doesn't give up on the play. Brandon has good tackling as well. Impressive season by the senior.     Dunning is an interesting combination playing QB and DB. Measuring in at 6'4 160-pounds, the junior has thrown 156/230 for 2353, 67.8% completion, 23 TDs, 5 INT, 3 rushing TDs, 27 total tackles, 6 INT, and 7 PD. Good athletic ability due to very good acceleration, change of direction, good speed, and jumping. Dunning has good throw power and good release. He goes through his progressions and finds the open man. Very good touch and ball placement skills. Make it easy for this wide receiver to catch the ball. Good pump fake to stall the defense for a couple of seconds. Good deep ball with a high arch. As a DB, he's good at jamming the WR at the LOS. He has very good ball tracking and catching. He's a ball hawk. Very good timing at creating pass break ups. Good closing quickness as well. Dunning has continued to boost his stock, and his versatility will intrigue colleges.

This has been a long regular season but a rewarding one. A ton of players boosted their stock throughout creating big plays for their respective teams. I selected a handful that elevated their team with stellar performances week in and week out. Let's dive into it.