2019 Non-Varsity Players to Watch: Part 1

<strong>Jake Scianna, LB, 6', 215, Lincoln-Way East, 2023</strong> I was very impressed by Jake's 2019 film. This is a ferocious linebacker prospect who plays with a see ball get ball mentality. He fills gaps with tremendous power and will speed his feet on contact. He plays with an extremely high motor and is well-polished as a tackler. Jake will be among the best LB's in IL in the 2023 class if he continues to play like he did as a freshman. I would not be shocked if we saw Scianna starting on varsity for the Griffins this fall as a sophomore. <strong>Jayson Harris, DE, 6'2, 220, Marist, 2022</strong> Harris was a disruptive force last season and blew up opposing teams blocking schemes. He has a good base when reading run and uses his speed rush to defeat offensive lineman in the passing game. His punch has a ton of pop and jolts offensive lineman backward at times. You don't see many interior defensive linemen who are sideline to sideline runners, but that's exactly what Harris is. He plays as a 3 technique right now, but I could see him kicking out to a 5 technique at the varsity level. <strong>Patrick McDowell, ATH, 6'2, 190, Hinsdale Central, 2022</strong> Patrick is a ballhawk at the free safety position, where he attacks the ball at it's highest point. He's not afraid to lower his shoulder and will run through wide receivers when they're attempting to make a catch. McDowell is a natural at tracking the ball when it's in the air, whether it be at wide receiver or safety. He's a natural long strider with considerable game speed. Patrick played both sides of the ball last fall; however, I think his future at the next level is at the safety position. <strong>Caden Phengkeokaisone, DE, 6', 200, St. Charles East, 2023</strong> This is a slippery pass rusher with loose hips. He will overpower offensive lineman with brute strength and rip off to sack the quarterback. He consistently is the first man off the ball and does a spectacular job playing with a low pad level. Caden does not stop when he gets to a ball carrier and will plow through them when making a tackle. Believe it or not, he played quarterback in 2019 as well and looked like a natural standing in the pocket and making throws. I do see his future at defensive end, as it is hard to find quality pass rushers at the high school level and Caden most certainly does have the talent. <strong>Jack Limas, RB, 5'9, 160, Washington, 2022</strong> Limas gashed defenses back and forth all of 2019. Last fall, he was an absolute workhorse in Washington's pro-style offense and consistently wore defenses down. Limas displayed expert patience in the run game and did a great job ready his fullbacks block. He loves his spin move and was rarely tackled by the first defender. He's versatile too and can split out wide and do some really nice things working out of the slot. I'm interested to see where he plays this fall, as he has the talent to play running back or wide receiver.