Spring Spotlight: Underclassmen Pass Catchers Worth Your Time

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's always tough this early to say exactly what a player is going to turn into. Bodies change, roles change, and a lot of guys look different a year or two down the line. But with this group, it doesn't take much digging to see why the ceiling is already so high. There's a lot of natural talent here, and it's not just raw traits either — there are a few guys already showing real polish in how they move and play the position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Jacob Christiano","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2410","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Pinnacle","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69dde4de4b3cd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Christiano looks like one of those young receivers where the raw athletic foundation jumps out before the full polish ever gets there, and that's not a bad place to start at all. He's a nice-looking two-way athlete with real fluidity, and you can see that background show up in the way he processes things once the play starts to break down. A lot of young wideouts get lost the second the quarterback leaves the pocket, but he doesn't. He does a good job working back to the ball, adjusting his angles, and finding space instead of just drifting around and hoping the play finds him. That feel matters, and it's one of the more encouraging things about his film right now. He moves easy out there, and when you pair that with his length and straight-line speed, it's not hard to see where this could go. The routes still need more refinement and there are times where you can tell he's still growing into the finer details of the position, but the base is absolutely there. He flashes enough stem work, enough sharpness in and out of breaks, and enough natural instincts to make you think this is a player who could take a real jump once the technical side catches up a little more with the athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Joshua Crunes","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2407","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Coconino","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69dde4de4b58c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">What makes Crunes fun is that he actually looks like a traditional tight end, and not just in the lazy size-and-position-label way people usually mean it. He plays like a kid who already understands what the job is supposed to look like. The blocking clips tell you that right away. He's not sneaking in a bunch of cheap pancakes or lucky knockdowns where somebody tripped over a foot. You see real intent there, real pride in doing the dirty work, and honestly that stands out because a lot of young tight ends want to be treated like oversized receivers before they've earned that. Crunes is different. He's willing, he's technical for his age, and he already seems to understand leverage, hand usage, angles, and how to stay attached through the rep. He's not the biggest body right now, but he makes up for it by having quicker feet than whoever he's blocking. That lighter frame also helps him when he does release into routes, because he's agile enough to move around, settle in, and give you something as a pass catcher too. There's still a lot of development left, obviously, but the old-school tight end feel is what sticks with you here. He looks like someone who enjoys the physical part of the position instead of just tolerating it, and that alone makes him someone worth keeping an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Kash DeVorce","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2030","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2410","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Basha","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69dde4de4b735"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">DeVorce is the kind of young receiver who makes you stop for a second because the combination is just that rare at his age. He's already a massive target, long as hell, physically mature, and none of it feels stiff or clunky. That's the part that really grabs you. Usually when kids are this long this young, there's at least a little awkwardness in the movement, a little pause before they get where they're trying to go, but that's not really what shows up here. The feet are quick, the body stays under control, and more importantly, his feet usually seem to be in the right place to set up whatever comes next. That's a big deal. You can tell the route work isn't just natural talent carrying him around out there either — it looks coached, it looks worked on, and it looks like something he takes seriously. The smoothness is obvious, but so is the detail. Add in the length, the strong hands, the catch radius, and the early buzz he's already starting to build, and it's easy to understand why people are so high on him. He still hasn't even gotten rolling at the high school level yet, which is the scary part. He already looks like a player with real outside-the-numbers ability and the kind of movement skills that can make a big receiver a real pain to deal with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Elijah Dickey","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2030","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2407","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Chandler","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69dde4de4b86e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Dickey is really impressive this early because the easy takeaway is the size, but once you sit with the film a little longer, it's clear that size isn't doing all the work for him. Yeah, the physical tools are a huge part of the appeal. He's built in a way that naturally gives defenders problems, and when he gets the ball, there's some real toughness to the way he carries himself. But the more encouraging piece is that he doesn't move like a big young player who's still trying to figure out how his body works. (Which seems to be a running theme with these young, big-bodied pass catchers lately.) For a tight end his age, the footwork is cleaner than you'd expect, and he's already showing he can get to spots and make himself available instead of just being big and hoping it works. The hands look dependable and he's got enough strength at the catch point that it gives you a picture of what he could be if things keep trending the right way. It's not just size carrying him right now — the size helps, but there's enough movement and feel mixed in that it feels like it can actually translate as he gets older. He's still young and still has a ton of room to grow into the position, but the tool box is easy to get excited about.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Kevin Lassiter","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2407","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Buena","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69dde4de4b99a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lassiter feels like a classic long-term tight end bet. The film isn't screaming fully formed player yet, and that's fine, because that's not really the point with him right now. The point is, the physical tools are there, and there's enough willingness to do the rougher parts of the job to make you interested in what this could look like down the line. The first thing you notice is the length. He's got obvious reach, he covers ground with long strides, and even with limited pass-catching reps on film, you can already see the catch radius and the kind of body type that quarterbacks like throwing around. He's also a willing blocker, which is incredibly important, even if the technique still needs work. The leverage and pad level are going to have to come along, because right now, there are a few reps where he's giving away too much of his power and making life harder on himself than it needs to be. But for a young player, that's the kind of stuff you can live with when the frame, effort, and natural tools are already there. He's raw, no question, but it's the kind of raw where you can still clearly see what people are betting on. There's enough to work with here that if the technical side starts to tighten up, he could make a pretty nice jump.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->