Small school studs - final version - for now . . .

One more time – for now – I put more focus on small school studs around Minnesota. For this story, I hit all levels of the ball. This story focuses on the line of scrimmage, the backfield, the secondary, and everything in between.    Smith is too big and physical for most players he faces – on both sides of the ball. On offense, he has a big frame but comes off the line of scrimmage with low hips. Once he gets engaged with a defender, the Vikings' two-way player has the power to drive people three or four yards off the line of scrimmage. At the same time, he is agile enough to come off blocks and get to the second level. Smith has good feet for a player his size. This allows him to move well in space and when in pass protection. His power translates to the defensive side of the ball, where he often demands a double team.     At inside linebacker, Jax moves well in space. His athleticism comes through immediately. He has good explosion when he decides to attack the ball. He has good instincts and can play from sideline to sideline. The Rebels' two-way player has solid closing speed and takes good angles – two more reasons he can play sideline to sideline. Jax transitions well from a full sprint to a breakdown position. This allows him to stay in plays and not run himself out of position. Staying in position makes him a great tackler – he does a great job squaring ball carriers up. Then, he lowers his center of gravity, driving into their hips, and wrapping up. As a running back, he has quick feet and solid power. He is tough to knock off balance if he is not wrapped up.     Heppner is an explosive defender coming off the edge. He doesn't have the ideal size for a defensive end. However, he uses his quickness and good hands to keep blockers off his body. His quick first step puts bigger blockers back on their heels. Once he gets some space, he can use his superior speed to get into the backfield, run plays down from behind, and cover a lot of ground from the backside.     Chilman is physical on both sides of the ball. As a wide receiver, his strength allows him to overpower defensive backs, break tackles, and add to his YAC stats. He runs sharp, crisp routes. He has a great pair of hands. Those hands and his overall athletic ability allow him to get to balls many can't. As a corner, he comes up physically in the running game. Along with that, he has the instincts and quickness to operate in space. Chilman breaks on the ball well – exploding out of his cuts.

One more time – for now – I put more focus on small school studs around Minnesota. For this story, I hit all levels of the ball. This story focuses on the line of scrimmage, the backfield, the secondary, and everything in between.