PrepRedzoneWI Showcase Standouts: LB, DB, WR
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There was a special buzz in the air last weekend in Waukesha at Carroll University, and I really felt like we at PrepRedzone got a rare opportunity to get an inside & in-depth evaluation of some very talented and under the radar…
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Continue ReadingThere was a special buzz in the air last weekend in Waukesha at Carroll University, and I really felt like we at PrepRedzone got a rare opportunity to get an inside & in-depth evaluation of some very talented and under the radar prospects from Wisconsin and Illinois at an extremely tight and well run event led by the Pioneers staff. The testing portion of the PrepRedzoneWI Showcase was orderly and methodical, the kids got coached up and then some by an experienced and energetic Pios staff and got their heart rates jumping, and 1 on 1s were crisp, lively, and competitive, making it one of my favorite of the almost double-digit Showcases I’ve been lucky enough to be apart of with PrepRedzone so far! Things were especially poppin’ among the linebackers, defensive backs, and wide receivers that descended on Carroll University, and when the dust settled and things were all said and done I came away particularly impressed with these position groups. There were a sundry of prospects who passed the eye test, a number of blazin’ 40 times, and some fierce combatants during 1 on 1s that pitted explosive route runners vs. sticky DBs across the 2022, ’23, and even ’24 graduating classes from the great states of Illinois and Wisconsin, and I got the inside scoop of the standouts and MVPs below. Check it out, and Roll Pios!
What an event! 🏈
The @PrepRedzone Wisconsin Showcase was ELITE!
🏈 : @PrepRedzoneWI
🎥 : @BaxterColburn pic.twitter.com/adfsQq0sPk— Prep Redzone 🏈 (@PrepRedzone) May 28, 2021
Linebackers
Justin Surma Justin Surma 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Catholic Memorial | 2023 State WI (Catholic Memorial, WI) 2023. 6’1, 168 lbs. @justinsurma1
The LBs were the thinnest group at the event last weekend, but that didn’t stop its members from going hard and showing out. The first standout didn’t have to come far in Waukesha area native and Catholic Memorial rising junior Justin Surma Justin Surma 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Catholic Memorial | 2023 State WI , who we at PRzWI have had our eyes on for a while. With notable length and big hands and big feet, I think he’s got a lot of room to continue to grow, and Surma showed that he is a good athlete who can move well and cover route-runners in space. One of his most impressive qualities was his speed when he got his head around and ran with RBs on deeper routes, and he used his length to his advantage and had some nice PBUs that afternoon.
Tyree Harper Tyree Harper 5'10" | 220 lbs | LB Catholic Memorial | 2023 State WI (Catholic Memorial, WI) 2023. 5’8, 208 lbs. @Tyree9Harper
Another Waukesha area native and Catholic Memorial sophomore, Harper is a thick and little Mack truck of a LB who looked like a smooth athlete in Indy and 1 and 1s and really stood out to me due to how fast he got out of his stance and how fast he got downhill after putting his foot in the ground. He was also physical, and when he made contact with RBs during 1 on 1s it was easy for him to reroute them, and he’s a strong LB who I can assume does his best work in pads. I’m very excited to see the Catholic Memorial LB duo as upperclassmen!
Davion Adams Davion Adams 5'9" | 185 lbs | LB Thornton | 2023 State IL (Thornton Township, IL) 2023. 5’7, 180 lbs. @TTHS_football
The Illinois product was quick when reacting to RBs changing direction and was dangerous at the catch point and able to break up the football when given an opportunity. With a good frame and a lot more room to grow I liked what I saw from him as a sophomore and he had a good 1 on 1 period last weekend.
Braxton Weisenburger – 5’6, 177 lbs. (Madison East, WI) 2024.
The freshman still has some growing to do, but he used his hands well in coverage when given the opportunity and got downhill in a hurry when triggering on the football. He’s going to be a name to keep an eye on in Madison soon.
Defensive Backs
Anthony “AJ” Ward II (James Madison Memorial, WI) 2022. 5’9.25, 154 lbs. @ant_ward2x
The surefire, no doubt defensive back MVP from a loaded DB group at Carroll University came out of PrepRedzoneWI Showcase veteran and James Madison Memorial’s rising senior corner Anthony Ward II Anthony Ward II 5'10" | 165 lbs | DB James Madison Memorial | 2022 State WI . I’ve seen him play before and knew he was naturally sticky, but he really dazzled the scouts and coaches in attendance and got his performance on the going with a bang and he hit a huge leaping back handspring after warm-ups that showcased some obvious athleticism and explosiveness, which he then backed up during testing. He recorded a 4.63 40, 4.59 short shuttle, and 9’ broad jump, but really shined when 1 on 1s and the competition portion of the Showcase came around. He’s one of the best DBs and had one of the best performances of any defensive back I’ve seen compete throughout this PrepRedzone Spring Showcase Series, and was really technically sound at every point of an opposing WRs route and was impressively athletic when it came time to compete for the football at the catch point. Throughout the release of the wideouts at the LOS he was really good at mirroring his opponent’s feet and never overextended or opened his hips to allow a free release, and his timing on his punches was always good, which allowed for him to both disrupt the timing of the WRs routes and get himself in a good position to get hip to hip with his opponent, where he stayed all afternoon long in Waukesha. He was very efficient at getting to the WRs pocket and made sure that he was in a good position before turning his head around to make a play on the ball, and when the ball was in the air he was incredible at contorting his body and exploding up into the air to make some really impressive PBUs at a ton of different angles. He also had some of the smoothest and most fluid hips I’ve seen of any DB this spring, and he could flip and unlock them with ease to cut off WR routes and stay in good position, and I also saw a couple of nice speed turns to boot. All in all, he’s a really complete coverage corner and is a great athlete at the position who I believe can play some scholarship ball at the next level. It was fun to watch!
Jaiden Pickett Jaiden Pickett 6'3" | 190 lbs | ATH Riverside University | 2023 State WI (Riverside University, WI) 2023. 6’1.25, 189 lbs. @Jaipickett31
Holy cow what a breakthrough showing to the PrepRedzone staff for the sophomore Milwaukee native Jaiden Pickett Jaiden Pickett 6'3" | 190 lbs | ATH Riverside University | 2023 State WI . This kid was the most physically impressive DB at the entire event and was a cut-up and well-built nearly 6’2, 190 pounds, and really blew things out of the water during testing with a 4.62 40, 4.16 & 4.38 short shuttle, 9’2 broad, and 7.41 L-drill. He put that standout athleticism to great use during 1 on 1s as well, where he really made a strong case for MVP of the defensive back group as he was a special combination of size, speed, and strength and knew how to use them all when competing. With long arms, he was very efficient and dangerous at the LOS, and opposing WRs were legit scared of this kid, who was powerful and aggressive when playing press man. His timing was always on point, and when he got a hand on there was an audible pop that really threw WRs off of their marks and was really disruptive at the WR release point. Not only was he strong, but he was also very apt at changing direction and explosive out of his cuts which helped him to remain patient when reacting to the opponent’s routes and breaks. He was also able to keep WRs from stacking him and did a great job of staying on top of deep routes, and could also jump out of the gym and was able to break up passes in a variety of different fashions. He had a really strong day and made a ton of PBUs on the afternoon, and I don’t think it’s a stretch at all to say he’s a D1 prospect. He’s going to see a drastic jump on our rankings come update time as well. Keep up the good work, Jaiden!
Daniel Martens Daniel Martens 5'11" | 190 lbs | DB Franklin | 2022 State WI (Franklin, WI) 2022. 5’10, 187 lbs. @juicemartens
I knew coming into the event that Martens could flat out play, and he really lived up to the hype in my mind after seeing him live and in-person last weekend in Waukesha. We split up 1 on 1s for the skill positions into a CB and S group, and Martens was no doubt competing for the MVP of the safety group as he was natural and comfortable in coverage out of the slot and further back from the ball than a CB. With really clean and efficient footwork, his closing speed was phenomenal and really stood out among some athletic DBs in his group, and he was able to get out of his breaks with some really noteworthy power and used his instincts and patient to undercut just about every ball thrown his way. He recorded a 4.65 40, a 4.34 & 4.35 short shuttle, and a 9’1 broad during testing, and his lateral agility really translated to the 1 on 1 portion of the day. I loved what I saw and it was also easy to see that Martens does his best work in pads and is a really physical player who embraces that part of the sport. He’s fun to watch and has recently earned offers from DII Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota State-Mankato.
Robby Michael Robby Michael 5'11" | 170 lbs | ATH Sheboygan Lutheran | 2022 State WI (KLC, WI) 2022. 5’9, 152 lbs. @robbymichael15
This kid can flat-out play football, man. A 2020 Associated Press All-State pick as well as an All-Region selection at QB, we at PRzWI got our eyes on Michael at our previous Showcase last Winter but he really cemented himself as one of the most versatile football players in the entire Badger State after his performance last weekend. Normally a standout QB, Michael is nursing some tweaks and bruises and decided to show us what he was made of at the S position, where I think he’d project nicely at the college level. For a primarily offensive player, Michael stepped in and looked like a complete natural in coverage and had a great showing while displaying speed, instincts, and athleticism at the position. He was excellent at getting in and out of his breaks with explosiveness and was great at covering ground to get himself back in phase with a streaking WR if he ever got out of position, and was really great at tracking the ball in the air and getting his body in a great position to make a play on the football. The junior was very hard for opponents to beat deep, and made sure to get his hands involved in the play and to try and disrupt WRs when given the opportunity. He played some fundamentally sound football and looked as if he had been playing the position his entire career. I love watching this kid ball and he’s a natural who can make any position group at the college level. Scholarship player no doubt!
Ayden Probst Ayden Probst 6'0" | 160 lbs | ATH Stoughton | 2022 WI (Stoughton, WI) 2022. 5’11, 158 lbs. @AydenProbst
The Stoughton Viking CB had a strong showing last weekend possesses some good size for the CB and was a really balanced prospect overall who clocked a 4.61 40 and showed off that speed during 1 on 1s, as he was very difficult to beat deep and was always on top of opposing WRs, and he also recorded a 4.18 and 4.25 short shuttle for two of the best times posted on the short shuttle at the entire event. His lateral agility really helped him at the LOS, where he kept his feet active and was able to stay square when going against wideouts, and he did a great job of playing physically and didn’t allow bigger WRs to box him out or use their larger frames to keep him away from the football. He had a ton of PBUs on the day and matched up well against anyone and everyone he lined up against. I loved his fight and attitude and am interested to see where his recruitment takes him going forward!
Isaac Hyland Isaac Hyland 5'10" | 175 lbs | ATH St. Mary's Spring Academy | 2022 State WI (St. Mary’s Springs, WI) 2022. 5’10.25, 167 lbs. @IsaacHyland
One of the prospects I was most excited to see live coming into the Showcase, Hyland tested well with a 4.71 40 and 4.41 short shuttle and put the physicality that is so obvious on his tape to good use during 1 on 1s, where his strength, hand usage, and overall lack of care for his body helped him to win reps consistently throughout the day. His lateral agility and explosiveness also helped him to stay in a good position throughout the route, and although I didn’t get to see him compete as much as he definitely lived up to my hype and he’s one of my favorite recruits in the entire 2022 class of Wisconsin, as well as one of the hardest hitters. Thanks for coming, Isaac!
Derek Domalik (Zion Benton, IL) 2022. 5’8, 163 lbs. @DJDomalik
A nice little CB/S hybrid of a junior, the Illinois prospect Domalik initially caught my eye during the Indy portion of the event, where his footwork was clean and he showed a really strong T-step that helped him create power out of his breaks. He could get downhill fast, but also possessed the hips and footwork to stick his foot in the ground and gain depth or transition to a backpedal nicely. He also had a good 1 on 1 showing and was efficient at disrupting WRs off their marks with his hands and also showed some strong eye discipline and did a good job of keeping his eyes on opponents’ hips when reading their routes. He’s also a well-filled out 163 lbs. and showed the ability to cover on the outside or from the slot to boot.
Will Van Laanen (Homestead, WI) 2024. 5’8, 144 lbs. @WVanLaanen2024
The youngest of the defensive backs from last weekend’s Showcase, Homestead’s Van Laanen was not shy of competition and fit right in against larger and more experienced upperclassman wideouts. He was tough at the LOS and had no problem pressing, and showed a good skill-set that could physically compete against bigger WR/TEs as well as the speed to stay with faster wideouts. His technique was good for his age and he showed some natural ability to change direction, read and react, and make a play on the football when the time comes. It’s still early, but he’s definitely a name to keep an eye on and has a bright future ahead of him on the gridiron.
Wide Receivers
John “JT” Seagreaves (Monroe, WI) 2022. 6’5, 224 lbs. @JtSeagreaves
One of the best athletes at the entire Showcase also happens to be one of the best kept secrets in the 2022 class out of Wisconsin in-terms of pass-catchers, and Monroe’s JT Seagreaves JT Seagreaves 6'6" | 220 lbs | TE Monroe | 2022 State WI is no joke ladies and gentlemen. An accomplished hooper on the hardcourt, Seagreaves came out to compete as a WR/TE hybrid at Carroll University and blew things out of the water during testing as he clocked a 4.59 and 4.62 40, 4.75 and 4.69 short shuttle, and 9’3 broad jump to really show off some explosiveness and athleticism for his size, and during 1 on 1s he did a great job of using his size and length to out position DBs and pluck the football out of the air with a wide and extensive catch radius. He was impressive at the LOS, as he could straight run through defenders but also possessed the quick feet to shake DBs laterally, and was also excellent at high pointing the football and really stretching the field vertically both in terms of deep speed and hops up in the air. With a great frame to continue adding weight I think he brings a lot of versatility to the WR/TE position and he recently received his first D1 football offer from Illinois State of the Missouri Valley. More coming, JT!
Reese Osgood (Franklin, WI) 2022. 6’, 175 lbs. @ReeseOsgood
The Franklin Sabers are fricken loaded in their upcoming senior class, and among the talent there is a big sleeper in WR Reese Osgood, who came in and looked like one of the smoothest, most fluid, and natural athletes at the entire Showcase. He first caught our attention during testing, where he clocked a 4.52 and 4.44 on the 40 (!!), a 4.28 and 4.15 on the short shuttle, and 10’5 on the broad jump! Talk about explosive, he’s a lean, ripped, and long WR prospect who was lethal during 1 on 1s who was aided by his noteworthy flexibility and balance. He could contort and control his body in a really impressive manner, and was able to use his explosiveness to make DBs look foolish at the LOS and throughout the route. He’s very capable of gaining separation with subtle fakes and cuts, and is efficient at stacking and outmanuvering the defender before the ball gets thrown or while it’s in the air. There’s a lot I could say about Osgood but it really sums it up to say he’s got a really high ceiling as a recruit who was one of the most athletic WRs we’ve had in the history of our Showcases. Big summer coming, Reese!
Colin Girdaukas Colin Girdaukas 6'1" | 190 lbs | WR Sheboygan Lutheran | 2022 State WI (KLC, WI) 2022. 5’11.25, 193 lbs. @GirdaukasColin
A PrepRedzoneWI Showcase veteran, Girdaukas is a very well built 5’11, 190 lbs. with wide shoulders and a thick lower body to go along with some strong hands, and he continued to catch our eye in the speed department as he once again clocked in the 4.5s with a 4.57 last weekend. He also recorded a 4.5 short shuttle, and was very impressive during 1 on 1s where he displayed the breakaway speed to pull away from DBs and a really impressive ability to track and adjust to the football while it was in the air. He’s excellent at getting under the football and can make tough catches at a variety of different angles, and also has a large toolbelt of routes he’s capable of running efficiently. He does his best work on deeper routes and is a really balanced WR prospect overall, so coupled with his excellent production on the gridiron throughout high school I think he’s going to really wake some college programs up this summer.
Michael Mulhollon Michael Mulhollon 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Westosha Central | 2022 State WI (Westosha Central, WI) 2022. 6’3, 200 lbs. @mulhollon_3
Currently a Wichita State baseball commit, Mulhollon should absolutely continued to be recruited to play college football and is a great athlete at 6’3, 200 lbs. and clocked a 4.6 flat in the 40 as well as a 4.5 and 4.25 in the short shuttle. He’s a long and lean 200 lbs. and possesses some really quick feet that made him dangerous in his releases at the LOS, where he was strategic in setting up DBs and making them open their hips or freeze their feet in the turf. Those quick feet also helped him to separate from defenders throughout the route, and he could drop his hips to cut off his routes really efficiently. He’s got a lot to like in his skill set and is a D1 caliber athlete in multiple sports, making him a must see in the 2022 class in Wisconsin. Very happy to have seen him compete.
Lynel Billups-Williams (Crete Monee, IL) 2023. 5’9, 155 lbs. @BillupsLynel
One of the Crete Monee train that came in and took over at Carroll University, Billups-Williams was an exceptional route-runner who initially caught our eyes after he recorded a 4.47 and 4.5 flat 40 yard dash time as well as a 4.16 short shuttle and a 9’ broad for a really nice testing showing for a sophomore. Once 1 on 1s came around he continued to live up to the hype, as he was one of the best route-runners in attendance who had really special body control and showed a ton of nuance in his route-running such as head-fakes and hand fighting techniques. He was excellent at winning at the LOS and taking advantage of it, as he naturally stacked DBs and utilized his loose hips to really drop them on a dime as well as not show off where he was cutting to. His excellent top end speed also helped him to pull away from DBs easily and before defenders really knew what was happening, and he could track and adjust to the ball really well to boot. He had a great showing and is a dangerous route-runner as well as explosive after the catch. I loved watching him compete and he’s poised for a big junior season next Fall.
Malik Morgan (Crete Monee, IL) 2022. 5’8, 135 lbs. @malikmorgan22
Another playmaker from the Crete Monee program, Morgan was incredibly shifty and explosive during 1 on 1s who was lethal when running one or two cut routes and left a lot of DBs searching for their ankles after the rep was through. He could start and stop on a dime and possessed some soft hands that he used really well through contact or when high pointing the football. He was also nuanced and comfortable when running routes of all different kinds and had a great showing last weekend. I’d love to have him running routes out of the slot for me if I was a college coach, and he’s a tough and explosive WR with a lot of room to continue to grow and improve.
Logan Seymour Logan Seymour 6'1" | 160 lbs | ATH Oconto Falls | 2022 WI (Oconto Falls, WI) 2022. 6’.5, 155 lbs. @loganseymour26
The Oconto Falls wideout was wirey and strong and also happened to possess some of the best releases of any WR at the Showcase, and put on an absolute clinic at the LOS all afternoon long in Waukesha. His timing and ability to set DBs up at the LOS was really impressive, as he didn’t have to use a ton of steps to get defenders to open their hips or give him a sliver of room to work through. He could also beat the press with strength and physicality, and could run through defenders punches if he needed to, but to be honest DBs rarely got a hand on him at any point of his routes for most of his reps. He also had soft hands and had the speed to pull away on deep routes, and all in all is a really complete and well-rounded WR prospect who is only to get better and better going forward. He ran a 4.78 on the 40 and a 4.43 and 4.47 on the short shuttle. Great day, Logan!
Carson Sippel Carson Sippel 6'0" | 175 lbs | WR Kaukauna | 2022 State WI (Kaukauna, WI) 2022. 5’11.5, 171 lbs. @_carsonsippel
One of the biggest winners from 1 on 1s at Carroll University came out of the Kaukauna Ghosts and their junior WR Carson Sippel Carson Sippel 6'0" | 175 lbs | WR Kaukauna | 2022 State WI . He was one of the most technically sound WRs in attendance and was consistent and natural at outmanuvering DBs and had a good testing portion of the Showcase as he recorded a 4.26 and 4.13 on the short shuttle and 10’1 and 10’4 on the broad jump. Laterally, he was incredibly explosive and used his body control to make some tough catches as well as explosive cuts and breaks when running routes. He was tough and strong through the press and rarely lost a rep all afternoon long in Waukesha. He’s fun to watch and has scholarship potential at the wideout position in my eyes.
Joshua Franklin Joshua Franklin 6'0" | 165 lbs | WR Crete Monee | 2023 State IL (Crete Monee, IL) 2023. 5’10.5, 160 lbs. @JoshuaDivonne
Ran a 4.82 and 4.78 on the 40, a 4.5 and 4.53 on the short shuttle and was the final of the Crete Monee WR standouts and once again a route-running technician who was superb at setting up DBs and cutting his routes off with one explosive step. No matter what the route was there was rarely a rep where he didn’t have 3 steps on the DB, and his loose and quick feet allowed him to work DBs out of their cleats at any point of the route. He won a ton of reps and won most of them really sure handidly, and I’ll be keeping my eyes on him going forward out of a traditional power in Crete Monee.
Ryan Acosta (Fort Atkinson, WI) 2022. 6’1, 170 lbs. @RyanAcosta55
A tough competitor with excellent length, Acosta knew how to take advantage of his long arms and used them well at the LOS to beat the press as well as position himself strategically when the ball was in the air. I liked his hops and ability to high point the football as well, and he’s a strong 6’1, 170 lber. who I would assume does his best work in pads. His length and physicality definitely left an impression on me.
Carson Kelsey Carson Kelsey 5'7" | 165 lbs | WR Sparta | 2023 State WI (Sparta, WI) 2023. 5’7, 162 lbs. @CarsonKelsey4
Didn’t get to watch the young buck during 1 on 1s as much as I would have liked, but during testing he posted a 4.72 40 and a 4.35 and 4.4 on the short shuttle for a good showing athletically for the underclassman.
Quinn Buchinger Quinn Buchinger 6'2" | 200 lbs | TE Kaukauna | 2023 WI (Kaukauna, WI) 2023. 6’1, 200 lbs. @QBuchinger
A really talented sophomore prospect from the Kaukauna Ghosts program who I am going to eagerly keep an eye on going forward, Buchinger posted a 4.81 on the 40, a 4.43 on the short shuttle, and an 8’10 broad at a legit 200 lbs. I wish I could to see him run a little more but with that size and athleticism he’s going to be a force as a junior next fall.