PrepRedzoneWI Showcase at Carroll University Overall MVPs

We are now more than a week removed from our second PrepRedzoneWI Showcase and our first event working alongside the talented and experienced staff from Carroll University, and the buzz from last Sunday still hasn’t worn off for yours truly. Whether it was how organized and tightly ran the Showcase was by the Pioneers staff, the speed and quickness shown from the prospects during testing, the competitive spirit in the air from the fiercely battled 1 on 1s, or the really individualized and detailed evaluations we got from our under the radar prospects, it was a really awesome event and one of my favorite I’ve covered from the almost double-digit PrepRedzone Showcases we’ve held so far. Now that the smoke has cleared, the testing results are all posted, and the memories are still fresh in our scout’s heads I am going to wrap things up by naming one, two, or three overall MVPs from each and every position group represented in Waukesha at our second ever PRzWI Showcase and give our fine readers a detailed breakdown of their performance at the event. We had size, speed, and talent all represented at Carroll, and I hope you enjoy reading about the standouts! [embed]https://twitter.com/PrepRedzone/status/1398306613778386956?s=20[/embed] Offensive Line [player_tooltip player_id="31295" first="Ethan" last="Hansen"] (Appleton North, WI) 2022. 6’1, 255 lbs. Originally caught my eye with his leet fight and athletic running gait during the 40-yard dash, where he posted back-to-back 5.27s at 250+ pounds. Even more impressively, the Appleton native record a 4.47 & 4.56 (!) on the short shuttle and a 7.28 on the L-drill for some really impressive short-area quickness at his size. He put those strengths to good use during 1 on 1s as well, where he played technically sound and used a quick but powerful pass-set to play speed rushes well and could also react to counters and DL’s second move. I think he’s a potential scholarship-level type interior OL, and the city of Appleton is fricken loaded with talent in the 2022 graduating class. Max Stuhlmacher (Shorewood-Messmer, WI) 2024. 6’1.75, 280 lbs. What a ceiling on the 2024 offensive line prospect out of the Milwaukee area. We at PrepRedzoneWI and PrepRedzoneIL have gotten a good amount of eyes and in-person looks at Max, and each and every time it’s been obvious to see the potential in the freshman 280 lber. Where Stuhlmacher shines is during 1 on 1s when the lights come on and it’s eat or be eaten, and he looked great last weekend and plays with a balanced skill-set that performs way above his age would suggest. He’s patient with his hands and a really strong prospect overall who can make a big-time impact when he times his punch out well. I’m very excited to see where his future is heading! Thomas "TJ" Grachan (Menomonee Falls) 2022. 6’.25, 280 lbs. Really impressed PrepRedzoneWI scout Mark Johnson with his stout and powerful build and impressive anchor when pass-blocking all afternoon long in Waukesha, not to mention how technically sound and well-coached up he is coming out of an awesome program in Menomonee Falls. Clocking a 4.69 in the short shuttle ain’t too shabby either, and I think he’s got the potential to be a really successful collegiate OL wherever he ends up next spring! Defensive Line [player_tooltip player_id="31293" first="Percy" last="Robertson"] (Wauwatosa East, WI) 2022. 6’3.5, 280 lbs. This kid came to play, man! After seeing the almost 6’4, 280 lb. DT move in person I am incredibly surprised he doesn’t have a scholarship offer at this point in time, and NSIC schools should really take notice of the ’Tosa East prospect. By far the largest lineman at the event, Robertson was a really noteworthy blend of speed and power and had a strong first step, decent bend, and some really good hand usage that helped him beat opposing OL inside or outside from the 3T position. His strength really overwhelmed the OL at the event and he was a tough matchup for each and every opponent he went against at Carroll University. George Cook (Sun Prairie, WI) 2022. 5’10, 215 lbs. Came into the event with limited film, so we at PRzWI did not know what to expect from the powerhouse Sun Prairie junior. Man oh man though, what a showing! According to PRZ scout’s Nate and Mark, who watched the lineman more closely, Cook barely lost a rep all afternoon in Waukesha with his combination of an explosive first step, quickness to cross face, and efficient hand usage. Despite being undersized, he showed he had the strength and body control to not get thrown off his path when punched by a stronger and larger OL, and I think he would make a fantastic DIII defensive line prospect who could really be effective in pass-rushing situations. [player_tooltip player_id="31425" first="Sam" last="Coufal"] (Kettle Moraine, WI) 2023. 6’, 235 lbs. The Kettle Moraine Lasers are LOADED with talent coming up in the ’22 and ’23 classes, and Coufal is among the best of the best at KM and showed why he will be highly sought after in only a year or two. He possesses a noteworthy blend of speed and strength and showed the ability to play either the 3T or 5T in high school or at the next level, and with a powerful initial punch, good bend, and a frame capable of adding a ton more weight I think he’s going to be making a lot of noise on the recruiting trail soon. It was fun to watch, Sam! Linebackers [player_tooltip player_id="104383" first="Justin" last="Surma"] (Catholic Memorial) 2023. 6’1.75, 168 lbs. A 2023 LB already seeing a lot of production who we’ve had our eyes on for a little bit now already, Surma showed some great length and coverage ability last weekend and put his frame to good use against a talented group of RBs in coverage. He took a ton of reps and is a tough competitor who could start and stop effectively, and I liked how strong he was at the catch point as he was able to break up passes and knock some balls loose when given the opportunity. [player_tooltip player_id="49842" first="Mason" last="South"] (Maple Grove, MN) 2022. 6’1, 217 lbs. This is technically cheating as South ran and competed with the DL group and was a standout of MVP caliber there, but I didn’t want to go too heavy on the DL mentions and since the LB group was thinner I threw the MN native in here. The big reason why is because he moved so well I really think he could play some LB (standup OLB or potentially ILB) as a prep and at the college level, despite him playing with his hand in the dirt at Maple Grove currently. He recorded a 5 flat on the 40 and a 4.51 & 4.65 on the short shuttle and put that speed to good use during 1 on 1s where he showed impressive bend at the top of the arch as well as the ability to cross the lineman’s face inside. He was light on his feet and had some good body control at his size, and he’s a scholarship-level talent in my eyes no doubt. Go Crimson! Defensive Backs Anthony "AJ" Ward II (James Madison Memorial, WI) 2022. 5’9.25, 154 lbs. I talked about Ward already extensively in my "LB, DB, & WR" feature for PrepRedzone published a couple of days ago, so I’ll keep things shorter here, but man this kid had one of the best performances of any DB I’ve seen at our almost double-digit Showcases we’ve held at our PRZ inception. My two favorite qualities of the JM Memorial CB were his loose hips and how competitive he was at the catch point, and each of these strengths was on display and then some last weekend at Carroll University. His ability to unlock his hips helped him tremendously when reacting and maintaining a strong position in pass coverage, and I saw him really do a good job of taking away inside breaking routes from wideouts due to his hip positioning on multiple routes, not to mention his speed turns and how quick he’s able to get back into the pocket of the WR when the ball is in the air. That leads me to his toughness at the catch point, where he explodes up into the air to bat away balls and really does a good job of timing out his jumps to get under the football to always make a play on the ball. He was fantastic to watch and I am very curious to see what college coaches think when they get their eyes on him this summer. He also clocked a 4.63 40, a 4.59 short shuttle, and a 9’ broad jump! [player_tooltip player_id="31404" first="Jaiden" last="Pickett"] (Milwaukee Riverside, WI) 2023. 6’1.25, 189 lbs. An exceptional physical prospect at DB who is going to be on a lot of college program’s radars soon, Pickett is a cut-up, well built, sophomore out of Milwaukee with long arms and broad shoulders who is going to continue to get bigger, faster, and stronger, much to the displeasure of future opponents on the gridiron. Where the young buck really stood out was in his athleticism and physicality, and the presence he brought onto the gridiron that day really had some WRs shaking in their boots and hesitant to go against the powerful presser at the LOS. He was a beast playing press-man, who possessed a strong punch that was well-timed out, and he was consistent in getting a hand on a WR during their release throughout his many reps as well which really threw WRs off of their marks and disrupted the timing of the throw and the route. He also displayed some loose hips and quick feet and was able to read and react to opponents during their route and get hip to hip by the time the football was in the air, and his closing speed was also off the charts and he made a ton of PBUs in a variety of fashions last week. Additionally, at almost 6’2, 190 lbs. he recorded a 4.66 & 4.62 in the 40, a 4.16 & 4.38 in the short shuttle, and jumped a 9’2 and 9’1 in the broad. People need to know this kid’s name! Wide Receivers Reese Osgood (Franklin, WI) 2022. 6’, 174 lbs. The Franklin Sabers are loaded in their 2022 and ’23 classes, and one of the sleepers out of their rising seniors comes from the extremely smooth and athletic WR Reese Osgood. He started things off by blowing things out of the water during testing with a 4.52 and 4.44 40, a 4.28 and 4.15 short shuttle, and a 10’5 broad jump (!) for by and large the best individual testing performance from any prep at the entire Showcase. He backed things up during 1 on 1s as well, where his noteworthy flexibility and body control helped him win his reps at any point of the route, from his release to the top of the route to the catch point. He was very deceptive in his cuts, and DBs had a really tough time reading and adjusting to what Osgood was showing them, and when he planted his foot in the ground he generated a ton of force and was very explosive in his cuts and breaks. He was also silky smooth when going up for the football and he made some exciting and tough, contested catches throughout the day. What a showing and what an athlete! Lynel Billups-Williams (Crete Monee, IL) 2023. 5’9, 155 lbs. The sophomore from Illinois powerhouse Crete Monee was action-packed and extremely fun to watch during 1 on 1s at Carroll University, but he really got things going during the testing portion of the event as he recorded a 4.47 and 4.5 flat on the 40, a 4.16 on the short shuttle, a 9’ broad, and a 7.09 L-drill. His speed was very evident during the competition portion of things, and boy oh boy could this kid run some routes. He was shifty and explosive in his cuts and possesses the ability to start and stop on a dime, which led to some awesome route running and a lot of DBs searching for their ankles once Billups-Williams got done with them and his rep. He also possessed soft hands and could make contested catches through contact, and as only a sophomore I think he’s got the ability to be a really productive WR at the varsity level and a matchup nightmare for safeties and LBs out of the slot. Tight End John "JT" Seagreaves (Monroe, WI) 2022. 6’5, 223 lbs. A special WR/TE hybrid out of Monroe, Seagreaves is also a standout hooper on his school’s basketball team and that athleticism translates well to the gridiron as he had a great showing last weekend and really turned some heads during and after the event. He started things off by putting up a 4.59 and 4.62 on the 40, a 4.75 and 4.69 on the short shuttle, and a 9’3 broad to really show off the athleticism his big ol’ frame possesses. When we transitioned to 1 on 1s he continued to impress, as he showed off a huge catch radius and some quick feet, and good physicality when needed at the LOS when beating the press. DB’s really had a hard time corraling him at the LOS and at the top of the route, and this kid could also jump out of the gym and could high point the football better than just about every other prospect at the event. He recently received his first D1 football offer from Illinois State, and more are coming. Quarterbacks [player_tooltip player_id="118354" first="Riley" last="Warzynski"] (SPASH, WI) 2022. 6’1.25, 196 lbs. A large and well-built QB prospect, the Stevens Point native clocked a 4.62 on the short shuttle and possessed the strong arm at the event and some nice deep ball accuracy that gave his WR a chance to go up and get the rock with the DB being able to make a play on things. His timing on his throws was also impressive, and I saw him accurately complete a wide variety of routes throughout the day. His footwork and poise in the pocket were also impressive, and he made the biggest impression on me of any of the QB recruits at the event. [player_tooltip player_id="31255" first="Robert" last="Bloom"] (Brookfield Central, WI) 2022. 6’1, 184 lbs. Another QB recruit with a good frame and build, Bloom showed off a smooth, clean release and had some of the best accuracy on his throws of any of the signal-callers at Carroll University last weekend. He was able to get the rock out of his hand in a hurry, and on shorter and intermediate throws he showed some good zip on his passes and put the football where only the WR could get it. Running Backs [player_tooltip player_id="31248" first="Nick" last="Kent"] (Sparta, WI) 2022. 5’8, 188 lbs. Blew things out of the water during testing as he recorded a 4.75 and 4.78 on the 40 and a 4.58 and 4.56 on the short shuttle and put things together well during 1 on 1s as he had great North-South speed that helped him become a deep threat during 1 on 1s, but also displayed that he could run the route tree and was a threat out of the backfield in any 1 on 1 passing situation. He was a strong and deliberate cutter who did a great job of making the LB miss once he made the catch as well. There’s a ton to like out of the Sparta product! [player_tooltip player_id="118837" first="Wade" last="Abrams"] (Cary Grove, IL) 2022. 6’, 196 lbs. With excellent size for the position and the tape to back it up, Abrams came into Waukesha and ran a 4.75 and 4.78 on the 40, a 4.28 and 4.47 on the short shuttle, and a 9’4 & 9’6 broad jump for a really nice testing showing at his size. He was also very dangerous during 1 on 1s, and could blow by or blow around defenders with ease and possessed some nice route-running techniques and fakes for a RB. To me, it looked like he was strong at setting up defenders and understanding how to beat them with angles, speed, or power, and I watched him blow by LBs consistently last weekend on deep routes out of the backfield. He was also an explosive one cut back which he used to efficiently run routes underneath or in the middle of the field, and I came away once again impressed by the hard-working and competitive Illinois product. Scholarship programs need to take notice! [player_tooltip player_id="118489" first="Jayden" last="Lor"] (Wauwatosa East, WI) 2022. 5’5, 187 lbs. Man, do I want to watch this kid run the football! At a swole almost 190 lbs., Lor is my kind of running back who possessed a low center of gravity and the strength and contact balance to really give tacklers fits in the open field. He clocked a 4.44 and 4.25 on the short shuttle and was really shifty and elusive during 1 on 1s, using his explosive cuts to shake opponents once they got to his hip. His straight-line speed also looked good, and his hands out of the backfield were soft, and I can’t help but get the feeling that this kid is a truck stick in pads. He’s a kid whose tape I’ll be very much looking forward to checking out!