U.P. Power: 2027 Spotlight

The upper peninsula is an area of the state of Michigan that doesn't get talked about enough when it comes to high school football. There are plenty of excellent coaches , players , and programs. Let's take a look at a few players who will make some serious noise this fall.    Zahn is a kid that plays with a chip on his shoulder. I am impressed with Zahn's ability to fire of the line of scrimmage and keep a good base whether in the run game or in pass protection. Zahn comes in as the #155 overall player and the number #34 lineman in the class. Another trait that stands out with Zahn is the high motor he plays with each and every snap. Zahn does an excellent job playing through and occasionally after the whistle. I am very impressed with Zahn and see a big fall ahead for the Eskimos mauler.     Kyan is an athlete I am super excited about. Kyan shows excellent straight line speed and has become a very solid corner for the Sentinels. Kyan shows really good back pedal and is extremely smooth out of his breaks. The senior corner has become a lock down defender and is also very physical for a corner. another part of his game I appreciate is his ability to flex to safety and defend from that spot. Keep an eye on Kyan and expect to see him making plays all over the field this fall.         The first thing I noticed about Perry is the toughness he runs the ball with. It's not easy to run the ball between the tackles but Perry does an excellent job doing so. Make no mistake though Perry can bounce the ball to the outside and chew up yards in a hurry with his excellent speed and good jump cutting ability. Another thing I like about Perry is the fact he is a 2 way player and has become a very solid defender for the stags. On multiple occasions he comes up from his corner spot and delivers a bone crunching hit. I think Perry is in for a big fall season and he is one to keep an eye on.     Brayden is a kid that flys a little under the radar but is a player I am very high on. Brayden checks in as the #37 ranked quarterback in the class but I think with a big year has potential to make a giant leap. I really like the way Brayden throws the rock. Brayden has excellent touch on his deep ball but can also rocket a ball into a window with excellent velocity on it. At 6'2" Brayden has the ability to stand tall in the pocket, scan the field and deliver strikes to his receivers. Another aspect of his game I like is his ability to move the pocket with his feet and when he needs to, tuck the ball and big up chunk plays. I really like Brayden and expect this fall he puts up big numbers for the mountaineers.     Watching Tylers film I came away extremely impressed with this tough nosed defensive end. Tyler does a really nice job setting the edge for his peers and he makes a lot of plays from his rush end position. I really like the way Tyler uses his hands to ward off offensive lineman and shows good speed to blow by them to get into the backfield. At 225 pounds Tyler is very light on his feet and moves very well for his size. Keep an eye on Tyler and expect his to build off from last year and put up a solid senior campaign.     Gionni is a player that can burn you from any place on the field. The senior running back shows very good patience which is very hard to teach running backs. Another thing that pops on film immediately is his open field speed. When Gionni break free it's almost impossible to run him down. This bark river-harris running back also does a very nice job of knowing when to stuff the ball between the tackles or when to bounce the ball to the outside showing very good vision. watch out for this back to rack up a ton of yards this fall and keep an eye out for his name.

The upper peninsula is an area of the state of Michigan that doesn't get talked about enough when it comes to high school football. There are plenty of excellent coaches , players , and programs. Let's take a look at a few players who will make some serious noise this fall.