20 Scouting Notes From 5 Friday Playoff Games

The first round of playoffs is in the rearview. I went back and watched some tape from Friday and dished on what I saw. From a scouting and evaluation standpoint, here are my main takeaways.   Cass vs Kell   QB [player_tooltip player_id='205701' first='Brodie' last='McWhorter'], 2026, Cass:   Perhaps nobody on the field boosted their stock the way McWhorter did against Kell. The 2026 QB prospect is well on his way toward being a major P5 QB recruit, and he already holds offers. McWhorter flashed all of his tools Friday night, showcasing his laser arm strength and confidence in the deep ball. However, he rushed for 2 TDs and extended plays all night, exhibiting some explosiveness and athleticism that we hadn't seen before on tape. He ran with a purpose and fought through contact all night, making tough run after tough run to put the game away for Cass. His stock is rising.   ATH [player_tooltip player_id='635707' first='Devin' last='Henderson'] (2024) and ATH [player_tooltip player_id='325510' first='Sacovie' last='White'] (2025), Cass:   Henderson, headed to Liberty, was arguably the MVP for Cass. He played all over the field and impacted the football on both sides of the ball. White, headed to UGA, showcased the traditional explosiveness at WR that we have seen in the past. However, his upside on defense continues to shine through. He tracked tackles nicely and played through the whistle.   DL [player_tooltip player_id='1085369' first='Tyshawn' last='Natt'], 2024, Kell:   Natt doesn't check ideal measurable boxes, but he wreaks havoc and had a productive night against a stout Cass OL. Natt strikes, sheds, and works off blocks at a high level for a prospect that lacks length, but his spatial awareness is perhaps more impressive. He rallies to the football in a hurry and does a good job of corraling the QB, resulting in a clean tackle or funneling the QB back to his teammates. As smaller colleges start to ramp up their recruiting in the next few weeks, keep an eye on Natt.   ATH Kemari Nix, 2024, Kell:   Nix is committed to Arkansas State, where he will presumably play DB. However, he took over at QB late in the game after [player_tooltip player_id='325240' first='Bryce' last='Clavon'] went down to injury. When skill players get the ball in their hands and make plays in space, you get to see their athletic profile on full display. It's clear Nix is a natural runner and is plenty comfortable with the ball in his hands. He is big, long, and tough to bring down. He builds up to his top speed nicely, which translates to DB nicely. Arkansas State is getting a steal here.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Warner Robins vs McIntosh   RB/ATH Cam Flowers, 2024, Warner Robins:   Flowers is headed to Western Kentucky, where he will gift the Hilltoppers with an electric and decisive playmaker with the ball in his hands. Flowers took several handoffs from the RB spot and looked more than natural in a scat-back type role. He did an excellent job of playing squared and squeezing his blocks. From there, he showed a solid understanding of when to stay between the tackles vs when to bounce outside. Flowers is slippery and generates tons of separation with his jump-cut. Once he hits the open field, he has the extra gear to stay away from defenders.   OLB Ja'lean Robinson, 2024, Warner Robins:   The Warner Robins defensive front is full of game-breakers that create pressure and push on every single snap. Naturally, Robinson, a 5'11 defender who often rushes off the edge, flies under the radar. However, even with the lack of length, Robinson caught my attention on tape. He flashed excellent bend coming around the edge, then showed good body control by maintaining his balance and leverage while getting around the arc. When he was flushed out of the play, he did a great job of redirecting himself and closing ground to the football in a hurry. Robinson is a senior sleeper who could offer some upside at the college level, likely playing off the ball.   DE Maddox Dykeman, 2025, McIntosh:   Dykeman caught my eye early in the game by setting the edge and using his length to corner ball carriers. He passed the eye test, but I was surprised to see he is listed at 6'8 240. His size alone should generate D1 buzz. In fact, he already holds FBS offers. As is typical with large defenders at this age, Dykeman is still growing into his frame and becoming more refined as a mover. However, he seems to have a good understanding of how to use his body, creating tons of space to operate with his length and using his wide tackling radius to stop ball carriers in his track. When the spring eval period rolls around, keep an eye on Dykeman, he put out some good tape this fall and might be rewarded for it soon.   RB Brandan Ridley, 2026, McIntosh:   Ridley had a solid fall and has put himself on good footing as he heads into the second half of his high school career. Ridley is a projectable 6'1 185 and while on the thinner side for an RB, he has room to grow and doesn't seem to shy away from contact. When given the football, Ridley stayed vertical for as many yards as possible. He is also a basketball athlete, so he certainly has the ability to dance around defenders and make plays in space if needed. Ridley is an underrated member of this McIntosh squad and deserves more recognition for the caliber of prospect he appears to be.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Gainesville vs South Paulding   LB Carmelo Byrd, 2025, Gainesville:   Byrd is the energizer bunny for the Gainesville defense, flying all around the field and getting to the football in a hurry. He is listed as an LB, but he has the athleticism and instincts to play all over the defense and even match up in 1 v 1s with wide receivers. All night, Byrd did an outstanding job of rallying to the football and finishing tackles aggressively, often going for the knockout blow on ball carriers, knocking them to the turf. You can expect Byrd to get in the mix on every snap.   TE Callum Fraser (2024) and TE Sky Niblett (2024), Gainesville:   Niblett and Fraser were both on the field seemingly every snap as Gainesville ran 12 personnel a significant amount of time. They were both significantly involved in a run game that ran all over the South Paulding defense. Both held their own as in-line blockers and handled several different motions with a high level of comfort. Both made plays as a receiver, especially Niblett, who showcased some eye-opening burst for a more stout prospect on a long TD grab. Niblett holds offers and Fraser, coming in at 6'4 200 with blocking and receiving upside, would be a high-upside senior addition.   OL [player_tooltip player_id='209444' first='Jayce' last='Sanker'], 2026, South Paulding:   Sanker had a tough matchup against blue-chip DL recruit [player_tooltip player_id='321446' first='Champ' last='Thompson'], but he held his own. Sanker did a good job of getting into his pass set and anchoring down against the pass rush. Thompson might be able to get Sanker back on his heels, but he did a good job of standing strong and redirecting his leverage back upfield, flushing the defender out of the play. It was a tough matchup for Sanker and the South Paulding OL, but he held his own against a high level of competition.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Glynn Academy vs Jonesboro   WR Montez Redding, 2024, Jonesboro:   Redding is a basketball athlete making the transition to football, and he looks natural. Redding is long, lanky, and a super-talented athlete. He made several explosive plays, including one where he flashed excellent body control while reaching out for the pylon. He had another play which was ruled incomplete, but he tracked the ball nicely and used his leaping ability and length to reach up and highpoint the ball over a defender. For a raw prospect, he looks to have pretty natural hands and ball skills. Redding is an elite athlete with FBS offers. I predict he'll make some noise at the college level.   RB [player_tooltip player_id='283878' first='Lucious' last='Murray'], 2026, Jonesboro:   Murray broke off a big run late in the game and had other important plays throughout the night. Jonesboro shares the worth a lot, but Murray flashes when he gets the ball in his hands. He is a smaller, scat-back runner at 5'8 180. He keeps his eyes up and runs with his shoulders squared which allows him to quickly shift to another running lane and break down defenders. He has quick, powerful feet which help him hit another gear when he finds space and he creates yards for himself. He is still young, but he should continue to produce over the next few years.   [player_tooltip player_id='1092187' first='Jontavius' last='Wyman'] is the real deal...   Wyman blew up in the last year, accumulating offers from schools like LSU, Florida, Auburn, Texas, Tennessee, and several others. He is already a bonafide blue-chip recruit, but after watching his tape against Glynn Academy, I am somehow even higher on him than I already was. He is a legit size/speed threat at WR who can create separation. However, his body control and ability to win on balls thrown high, low, and almost out of his reach is superb. Wyman is still young and looks like he could play either side of the ball at a high level.   OL Max Poysky, 2024, Glynn Academy:   Poysky caught my eye on the opening drive and didn't disappoint the rest of the game. He is a projectable OL prospect with D1 measurables and upside. Poysky comes in at 6'3 275 with room to grow and carries his weight well. He did a fantastic job of anchoring down and striking with good timing and location against defenders. When having to climb to the second level, Poysky did a good job of chipping and quickly pinpointing his next opponent, where he had enough athleticism and quick-footedness to quickly get up on defenders. Poysky is a senior with D1 offers, but is still vastly underrated. He will draw another eval from me.   ATH Jayden Ellis, 2025, Glynn Academy:   Ellis is the definition of a "good athlete playing QB". He frequently calls his own number and is drawn up opportunities to tote the ball off a direct snap. He clearly projects at RB, sporting a low center of gravity and the explosiveness in his lower body to quickly redirect momentum and drive through would-be tackles. Ellis made potentially the play of the night, showing off his athleticism by completely clearing a defender while hitting another gear and trotting to the endzone. Ellis plays bigger than his 5'8 180 frame and looks the part of a back that can handle a workload at the next level.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Harris County vs Ola   QB Levi Watson, 2024, Harris County:   Watson didn't get a whole lot of chances to drop back, read the defense, and showcase whatever ability he has to attack the different levels of the field. Though he did place a deep ball between two defenders for a long TD. However, he was a ball distributor who quickly and efficiently got the ball out of his hand with good spin and velocity to the flats. He is a thin 6'1 175 and showcases the elasticity in his delivery to rip the ball. As a runner, Watson's game really excels. He runs the misdirection and option game nicely, selling fakes and taking advantage of vacated space with his speed. Watson is a successful senior with good arm talent and athleticism, he is worthy of some small-school looks.   RB Mataye Youman, 2024, Harris County:   Youman isn't built like your typical RB prospect, checking in at 5'11 230 with more of an FB-like frame. He rushed for 200 yards on the night and did so utilizing his ability to move the pile and explode through the levels of the defense. As you can imagine, he is a lot to bring down, frequently running through weak tackling attempts and commanding numerous defenders to bring him down. However, he is surprisingly light-footed and can piece his way through tight areas in the front seven to find green grass. Youman would be an intriguing senior addition.   Two dynamic edge defenders...   2024 Holden Hajek (6'3 215) and 2025 Bishop Adams (6'3 200) check some height, weight, and speed boxes after the eye test, but both made their presence known against Ola. Hajek played low to the ground and did a good job creating extension and keeping himself out of harm's way by bending away from blockers and making himself skinny in the lanes. Adams was extremely explosive off the snap and pursued the QB aggressively, frequently throwing him off his timing. Both are worthy of small-school evals and have high upside.   DL [player_tooltip player_id='407500' first='Lendric' last='Barber'], 2024, Ola:   Harris County ran misdirection and several different formations, which seemed to challenge the timing and run fits of the Ola defense. However, from an evaluation standpoint. Barber checks the P5 boxes. He comes in at around 6'4 300 and carries his weight very well, quickly exploding off the snap and often slipping blockers or knocking them back on their heels with his reach. Barber holds P5 offers and could be a guy who makes a late surge if he remains unsigned after the December signing period.

The first round of playoffs is in the rearview. I went back and watched some tape from Friday and dished on what I saw. From a scouting and evaluation standpoint, here are my main takeaways.