Uncovered Gems #10 - OAA Red Offense #2

Our 10th iteration of this series and our second look at offense in the OAA Red. This time around, we have a few very high-upside players! I could easily see any of these players having breakout Varsity seasons in 2025.   Includes players from Clarkston, Lake Orion, and West Bloomfield.    Jackson was a phenomenal two-way player for Clarkston this season, and he has an excellent chance to make a huge impact on Varsity next season.   On the offensive line, I love his physicality. Jackson doesn't have the best footwork or overall fundamentals yet, but he definitely has the physicality needed to play at the varsity level. Simple plays like 0:48 is a great example. Basic base block, gets his hands on the lineman, locks out, and drives him backward. Watch his tape and you'll find many other instances of similarly simple yet effective blocks.   Finally, he has some DT highlights sprinkled in. Like at 2:40 where he does a great job of bouncing off the block and getting in on the tackle.   Jackson is currently more skilled on the offensive line, but I feel his ceiling is higher at DT solely because of his height.      Hank made some amazing plays this past season!   His tape starts out with a simple hitch route that he turns into an explosive play against a usually great defense. He begins the RAC by breaking two tackles, including a big hit that he absorbed. Then, he runs downfield only to be stopped by a DB (I would have liked him to beat the last man for the TD, but that DB is a D1 prospect) Then, at 0:28, he takes a screen to the house. Hank further showcases his excellent contact balance and good straight-line speed.   Great receiver in the OAA Red with excellent toughness. Contact balance and overall toughness are rare traits for a WR. Sharpen those routes, and Hank could easily become a college prospect this spring.      DC has built a solid foundation that he can build off of heading into his sophomore season. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if DC earned a ton of Varsity playing time as a sophomore.   I know this article focuses on offensive players, but DC is actually a defender and special teams player. I usually don't love seeing special teams highlights on a highlight tape, but it is impressive seeing just how many tackles DC made on kickoff team. On top of that, he had a MASSIVE game against Seaholm, who is a very physical, ground-and-pound team. Several tackles with a great job setting the edge in that game.   He's quite a bit smaller than most on-ball linebackers, especially in the OAA Red. Still, some of his performances prove that he can be a good player at the Varsity level. Really looking forward to seeing how DC is utilized in 2025!      Without a doubt a gem.   I can't believe we don't have Ryan ranked- he's a TE with excellent size, good physical ability, and is utilized extremely effectively in the Lake Orion offense. His first highlight shows a good seam/corner route from the in-line position. Good job getting behind the defense, but I will say, I'd love to see a little more physicality / contact balance at the end of that play to ensure a TD. His second highlight shows a good comeback route where, after the catch, he avoids two defenders and quickly scores the 30-yard TD. Third, a good chip and TD catch in the back of the endzone against Saline.   The rest of his tape is pretty good as well. Some good plays lined up wide, as well as a few defensive highlights. Good all-around player.   Though, with his size, Ryan has got to work on being more physical. Far too often does he go down at first contact with a defender- would love to see him lower the shoulder from time to time. Also, I would love to see blocking highlights and a bit crisper routes.      Another day, another Clarkston offensive lineman with tape.   Kyler has some solid highlights as well. Kicking things off, Kyler executes a solid pass block against Troy Athens. I don't love the footwork, but Kyler keeps his defender in front, and is physical enough to keep him from breaking free. At 1:22, Kyler executes a decent down block, driving the defender 5 yards backwards, again, against Troy Athens. The next play, he executes a combo block that goes OK. He blocks the linebacker, but doesn't do a whole lot to keep him from breaking free.   Solid highlights with the majority of them being against Troy Athens. Next season, I could easily see Kyler put out some great tape against OAA Red competition.

Our 10th iteration of this series and our second look at offense in the OAA Red. This time around, we have a few very high-upside players! I could easily see any of these players having breakout Varsity seasons in 2025.