2030 Watch: Freshmen Making an Early Varsity Impact

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class of 2030 is only two weeks into its first high school football season, but several freshmen across Illinois are already finding ways to make an impact at the varsity level. Playing varsity football as a freshman is difficult enough; producing against older, stronger and more experienced players makes these early performances even more noteworthy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is far too early to define the 2030 class, but these seven freshmen have given us some early names to follow as the season progresses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Caden Smith – Dyett</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith has been one of the most disruptive freshmen we've seen through the opening two weeks. The Dyett defender has already collected 13 tackles, including five tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Those backfield numbers immediately stand out for a player this young. Smith has shown an ability to get off blocks, find the football and finish plays behind the line of scrimmage. If this early production continues, he could quickly establish himself as one of the more intriguing defensive names in Illinois' 2030 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Colton Mueller – Jersey</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mueller has wasted little time making his presence felt for Jersey. Through two games, the freshman has recorded 11 tackles, nine of them solo, while adding four tackles for loss. His ability to create negative plays is particularly encouraging this early in his career. Mueller is already showing that he can handle varsity competition, and his combination of activity and early production makes him a freshman worth tracking throughout the fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Noah Reed – Carbondale</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Reed is getting valuable varsity experience early in his career at Carbondale and has responded with production. He has totaled 10 tackles through two games, including five solo stops and two tackles for loss. Reed has shown the ability to stay involved around the football and make plays near the line of scrimmage. With three more years of development ahead of him, he is an interesting Southern Illinois prospect to keep on the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cooper Miller – St. Teresa</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seeing the field as a freshman at St. Teresa is notable in itself, and Miller has done more than simply earn varsity snaps. He has eight tackles through his first two games, including six solo stops and two tackles for loss. Miller's early production against varsity competition gives him a strong foundation to build from. He'll be a name to continue watching as his role grows and he gains more experience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Seth Richardson – Carlyle</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Richardson has made the most of his opportunities along the Carlyle defensive front. The freshman has eight tackles through two games, but it's his production behind the line that really catches the eye. Richardson already has three tackles for loss and two sacks, showing an early ability to disrupt plays in the backfield. For a freshman playing up front against older competition, that is an impressive start and makes Richardson an intriguing 2030 prospect in Southern Illinois.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Landras Bellamy – Round Lake</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bellamy has been an active presence for Round Lake during the opening weeks of the season. He has registered 10 tackles through two games, with all 10 credited as solo stops. That ability to consistently finish tackles is encouraging for such a young varsity player. Bellamy is already finding the football and producing, and continued development over the next several seasons could make him an interesting name in the 2030 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Kymond Bischoff – Blue Ridge/DeLand-Weldon</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Few freshmen in Illinois have been around the football as consistently as Bischoff through the first two weeks. He has piled up 16 tackles, averaging eight per game, with an even split of eight solo tackles and eight assists. Simply earning a varsity role this early is significant, but Bischoff has immediately turned those opportunities into production. His early activity and tackling numbers make him one of the more interesting freshmen to monitor as the season continues.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The evaluation process for the Class of 2030 is only beginning. These players have three-plus seasons of development ahead of them, and plenty of new names will emerge as freshmen earn larger varsity roles. For now, these seven have done enough during the opening weeks to put themselves firmly on the early 2030 radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->