St. Xavier vs Lakota West Preview: Players to Watch

On Friday night, two of the top teams in the state of Ohio will play each other when St. Xavier plays Lakota West.  Both teams have several players that are Division 1 commits or will be soon and are ranked high in the Prep Redzone rankings.  Here are five of those players to watch in Friday’s game. DB [player_tooltip player_id="34377" first="Jyaire" last="Brown"] 6’0, 170 Lakota West [player_tooltip player_id="34377" first="Jyaire" last="Brown"] is the #1 ranked DB and the #5 ranked player overall in the class of 2022.  The future Ohio State Buckeye made 13 tackles as a Junior in 2020.  He plays as both a LCB and RCB.  In cover 4, he shows great hip fluidity as he turns and bails while displaying excellent play speed to defend his quarter of the field against smaller Z WR as he uses his great football intelligence to read the route of his man.  He displays excellent ball skills as he reads the QB, tracks the ball in the air and times his hands perfectly to deflect the ball at it’s highest point.  He is a solid tackler who plays with very good range as he plays sideline to sideline and uses his great closing speed to get to the ball quickly while displaying good play strength and leverage as he brings down larger receivers with ease. OL [player_tooltip player_id="34373" first="Tegra" last="Tshabola"], 6’6, 320, Lakota West [player_tooltip player_id="34373" first="Tegra" last="Tshabola"] is the #2 ranked OL and the #6 ranked player overall in the class of 2022.  Like his teammate [player_tooltip player_id="34377" first="Jyaire" last="Brown"], Tegra will also be attending Ohio State following his graduation next year.  He plays as a LT.  he is an outstanding run blocker who gets his hat across the 5T on a reach block, rolls his hips on contact while playing at a good pad level and shows excellent physical toughness and play strength as he finishes the block to the ground with ease.   When blocking at the 2nd level, he shows very good quickness and play speed to get to the LB and is able to use his size and nastiness to impose his will on all 2nd level defenders creating lanes for the RB in the process.   In pass pro, he takes a 45 degree set, plays at a good base, keeps his feet moving constantly and uses his play strength and very good hand usage to deliver a powerful strike as he knocks down the 5T on contact. DB, [player_tooltip player_id="34385" first="Alex" last="Afari"], 6’2, 205, Lakota West [player_tooltip player_id="34385" first="Alex" last="Afari"] is the #2 ranked DB and the #11 ranked player in the class of 2022.  Alex has recently committed to the University of Kentucky.  He plays primarily as a CB where he is responsible for covering outside as well as slot WR.  In off man coverage, he is able to match the feet of the WR and use his very good play speed to stay in phase with his man in all areas of the field.  He is a very good open field tackler as he uses his good use of hands to beat the WR to the punch as he sheds the block, shows good instincts to take the correct angle in pursuit and displays good leverage and play strength as he brings down the RB preventing a significant gain. OL, [player_tooltip player_id="34416" first="Brian" last="Parker"], 6’5, 275, St. Xavier [player_tooltip player_id="34416" first="Brian" last="Parker"] is the #5 ranked OL and the 24th ranked player in the state overall.  He has recently committed to Duke.  He plays as a C.  He is an outstanding run blocker who is quick off the ball as he gets the outside shoulder of the 2i on reach blocks, shows great leverage and hand use as he delivers a powerful punch to the frame of his man and is able to finish blocks to the ground with ease while playing to the whistle on every play.  In pass pro, he bends at the knee while playing at a good base enabling himself to keep a good distance between himself and the QB as he keeps the 1T from advancing while keeping his feet moving constantly and wins battles with his hands inside.  He shows very good reactive athleticism as he is able to pick up blitzes from the LB after assisting the G in pass pro. OL, [player_tooltip player_id="34432" first="Cameron" last="Collins"], 6’4, 265, St. Xavier [player_tooltip player_id="34432" first="Cameron" last="Collins"] is the 6th ranked OL and the 29th ranked player overall in the class of 2022.  He currently has scholarships from West Virginia, Louisville and several MAC schools.  He plays as a LT.  He is a very good run blocker who is able to use his very good play speed to get his hat across the 5T, rolls his hips on contact and uses very good play strength in his upper and lower body as well as his leverage to drive his man off the ball with ease clearing a path for the RB.  In pass pro, he takes a 45 degree or vertical set, bends at the waist, sinks his hips, keeps his feet moving and quickly shoots his hands delivering a powerful punch to the frame of the 5T as he prevents his man from making progress and keeps the QB clean.