Twitter Reponses Game Tape Review Part I
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I took to Twitter to find some game films to review and break them down. Here are five players from the 2023 & 2024 classes that responded to my tweet and shared their game tapes. Jack Baptista Jack Baptista 5'9"…
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Continue ReadingI took to Twitter to find some game films to review and break them down. Here are five players from the 2023 & 2024 classes that responded to my tweet and shared their game tapes.
Jack Baptista Jack Baptista 5'9" | 175 lbs | WR Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE (2023 – WR) | Lincoln Southwest | 5’8’ 170 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Jack Baptista Jack Baptista 5'9" | 175 lbs | WR Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE is an exciting member of a ’23 Lincoln Southwest Silver Hawks class loaded with very talented players. Jack returns as the leading receiver from 2021 with 498 receiving yards on 33 receptions and hauled in 4 touchdowns. Baptista is a burner on the field and was able to get behind several secondaries for some big receiving plays. He is very fluid when he runs his routes and seems to glide seamlessly through defenses. Once the ball is in his hands, Baptista turns on the jets and is very hard to catch. One of Baptista’s most underrated traits is his ability to tack on yardage after the catch. His smooth running also helps him on kick return, where he is just as deadly where he has racked up 654 career kick return yardage on 27 returns for an average of 24.2 yards a return. Baptista and QB Collin Fritton Collin Fritton 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE have great chemistry on the field and should provide one of the best QB-WR combos in Class A.
Armani Levering Armani Levering 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB Omaha North | 2023 State NE (2023 – LB) | Omaha Northwest | 6’0″ 220 lbs
Armani is a dude! The Northwest Huskies LB is an underrated inside linebacker prospect who plays with tons of energy. Levering racked up 41 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and an interception and showed several flashes of how good he will be. Armani has a strong, stacked frame at 6 feet, 220 pounds, making him a thumper in the middle of the field. Even when delivering a brutal hit, he wraps up and uses his technique to ensure he doesn’t whiff on the tackle. Levering is very fast and explosive when he shoots his gap and seemed to get better at getting into the backfield as the season progressed. On top of his pass-rushing and run-stuffing game, Armani also looked promising as a coverage linebacker and helped in the flats and intermediate routes. Keep an eye out for Armani!
Payton McDonald Payton McDonald 6'3" | 295 lbs | OL Omaha Westside | 2023 State NE (2023 – OL) | Omaha Burke | 6’3″ 280 lbs
Payton is a player that I came across after the season, and I have been really impressed since then. McDonald’s tape shows a very physical guard with great size that wastes no time shooting out of his stance to get his hands on someone. He is powerful, and you can see him stand the defenders up and run them off the field or into the ground on several plays. McDonald is also pretty quick on his feet and can move laterally very well on pull plays. I also got another glimpse of Payton at the NE/IA Stock Up Showcase, where he was one of the top OL performers. He matched up well against some of the top D-linemen at the showcase and turned several heads. Payton could be a fast-rising lineman in the 2023 class.
Eli Barner (2023 – RB/LB) | Wayne | 5’11″ 140 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
One of the reasons I love Twitter game tape responses is because you never know when you’ll find a new exciting player. Eli is a versatile defender for the Blue Devils who can play several defense roles. Barner can play the inside and outside linebacker role and rush the QB or stop the run. He may also move into a S/NIckel hybrid role in coverage in passing situations, where he uses his athleticism to clear out his assigned zone or man. Eli tallied 74 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and had a pass breakup during his junior year. Barner plays with a heart and has a non-stop motor that keeps him running until the clock hits zero. Eli could also see an uptick in rushing production after rushing for 221 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns on 42 carries. Barner is an exciting player to watch for in 2022.
Kyrell Jordan Kyrell Jordan 5'8" | 160 lbs | WR Bellevue West | 2023 State NE (2023 – WR/DB) | Bellevue West | 5’8″ 160 lbs
I fully predict Kyrell to break out in a HUGE way in 2022. Kyrell is an electric player that could produce big plays on offense, defense, and special teams. As a receiver, Jordan hauled in 27 receptions for 476 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. He is super fast coming in and out of his breaks and does an exceptional job creating separation for himself. Jordan has excellent concentration and strong hands, which helped him come down with some insane catches, including a crazy toe-tap catch at the beginning of his clIp. He showed the flashes of being a top-tier corner and displayed excellent ball skills on defense. Jordan snagged two interceptions and broke up four while playing sticky coverage against some notable receivers. If all that doesn’t convince you, you should see what Kyrell can do on special teams. Jordan averages 20.8 yards per kick return and 27.8 yards per pun return, making it look effortless with his speed and field vision.
Feel free to tag me @GalindoOsc12 or Prep Redzone Nebraska @ PrepRedzoneNE in your game tapes, camp invites, offers, etc. So that we can share and add exposure!