2023s Stepping Into Bigger Roles

The Class of 2022 was one of the best, if not the best, recruiting class to come out of WI. With that class moving on there are some massive voids and production left behind that the Class of 2023 will have to step into and fill if they want to be competitive in 2022! Today, I want to dive into which ’23s I expect to see capitalize on the big opportunities waiting for them this fall.These opportunities are going to give many athlete the chance to climb the rankings, and grab the attention of the next level. Let’s get it started! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31394" first="Seth" last="Miron"], QB- Kimberly</strong> The last few seasons saw Kimberly led by new Carroll University commit [player_tooltip player_id="118359" first="Caden" last="Pendleton"]. With his graduation they will be looking for a new signal caller. I believe the next man up is the soon to be senior [player_tooltip player_id="31394" first="Seth" last="Miron"]. The 6’5" 180 lbs QB has been waiting in the wings and biding his time for this opportunity. Seth saw the field in several clean up spots where he finished the season with 209 passing yards, and 3 TDs, on the back of a 66.7% completion percentage. He also carried it 7 times for 38 yards. I’m excited to see Seth step into the role, and see how he leads the Papermakers. Seth will have a lot of pieces to work with. A talented OL, and a skilled RB will give him something solid to rely on as he builds experience and rapport with new starting WRs. This is one that college coaches will want to keep an eye on. The QB has a great frame, some dual threat aspect to his game, and has the control over the ball to pinpoint it into tight windows. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="304385" first="Noah" last="Gehin"], TE- De Pere</strong> We have the potential for a big breakout here by the De Pere TE. Noah is the only one of the top four leading receivers returning for 2022. He finished the year with the second most receptions (12), yards (183), and third in TDs (2). The 6’4" 220 lbs TE is a well rounded weapon. Gehin can be relied on to make a big impact on the ground game with his blocking abilities. He has the strength tow in in the trenches and the range to get to the second level. Where he will really break out is as a receiver. Noah lines up almost strictly inline where he is able to supply his QB with mismatches over inferior athletes at LB, and much smaller opponents at safety. That mismatch is going to give stud QB [player_tooltip player_id="131829" first="Gabe" last="Herman"] a reliable option, and then he will be able to use his strength to pile up yards after the catch. Gehin is used a lot on underneath routes, and once the defense sucks up he can beat them up the seam. TE2 in the Class of 2023 is in for a big year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31436" first="Isaiah" last="Nathaniel"], QB- Catholic Memorial</strong> Catholic Memorial is coming off a 15-0 State Championship, and will need to replace a ton of talent. One of those is QB, and Notre Dame baseball commit, Rory Fox, Fox leaves behind nearly 2,000 passing yards and 24 TDs. He also put up 600+ rushing yards and 9 TDs. CM will have a few options, but the one I want to focus on here is Isaiah. The 6’2" 200 lbs QB saw action in 7 games where he went 7/15, 102 yards, and 2 TDs. He also put up 80+ rushing yards, and 2 additional scores. The soon to be senior will be another dual threat option who isn’t afraid to run with power between the tackles. As a passer, Isaiah is raw, but the natural talent is evident in the small sample size. He can generate solid velocity even without his feet being perfectly in tune with his eyes. The natural arm will be highlighted this season if he wins the job. Keep an eye on this competition. The winner will be must watch. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="259144" first="Gabe" last="Egan"], WR- Cedar Grove- Belgium</strong> It isn’t often where a player who put up 1,600+ all purpose yards is looked at someone who could step into an even bigger role, but that is what we have here in the Cedar Grove- Belgium athlete. That is because the leading receiver from the 2021 season graduates leaving behind 96 receptions, 1,404 yards, and 15 TDs. Gabe is going to slide right into the go to option position. That will be key as they also look to bring in a new QB. Gabe is going to be seeing the ball a ton in every facet. Receiving, returning, and defense will see Egan making plays. Gabe could put up some insane numbers as he looks to dip into some of that massive void left behind by [player_tooltip player_id="118314" first="Sam" last="Peiffer"]. If I had to predict who will be one of the most productive receivers in the state I would include Gabe in the list. One to watch! <strong>Collin Conzemius, WR- Aquinas</strong> Aquinas returns one of their Top 6 receivers for their State Championship 2022 season. The only returner is Collin who finished with 32 receptions, 397 yards, and 5 TDs. The track star is going to be the go to guy for standout QB [player_tooltip player_id="31399" first="Jackson" last="Flottmeyer"]. Over 100 receptions from last season are up for grabs, so those numbers could be just a small fraction of what is to come. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">The two could pair up for a special statistical season. Collin is going to be the leader of a very new receiving corps. I’m excited to watch him step into the big role of WR1 for Flottmeyer. With the size of this workload, and the talent at QB you can expect big things this year out of Collin.</span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="245949" first="Trevor" last="Boucher"], WR- Mukwonago</strong> The 5’11" 170 lbs playmaker is set up for a big year for Mukwonago. Trevor is an exciting athlete with 4.62 speed. He posted 29 receptions, 358 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 KO return TD. I was in attendance for that return TD where he flashed that straight line speed as he simply outran every defender and pursuit angle. The receiving numbers are where the big void is available for him to make a jump this season. Mukwonago loses their leading receiver, Jake Timmers. He leaves behind 57 receptions, 663 yards, and 5 TDs. Those 663 yards make up nearly half of the passing yards from 2021 for Mukwonago. So, QB [player_tooltip player_id="119282" first="Evan" last="Herbig"] will be needing a new #1 option. Boucher looks poised to be that dude. He has the speed, sharp route running, and vision to be a productive athlete for a team that has high expectations for their season. Look for Trevor to take the next step. <strong style="font-size: 1rem;">David Olson, QB- Cumberland</strong> Cumberland is losing one of the state’s most productive QBs from the past few seasons in [player_tooltip player_id="118379" first="Maddux" last="Allen"]. Not only did he put up huge numbers, he also protected he ball better than anyone. Maddux leaves behind 2,000+ passing yards, 21 passing TDs, 66 rushing yards, and 5 rushing TDs. The next man up could be a competition, but I believe they will turn to 2023 QB/WR David Olson. David spent 2021 at WR while also doing clean up duties at QB. In those small snap amounts David was able to put up 262 yards, 5 TDs, and no INTs on 23 pass attempts. Those signs of being very safe with the ball has me excited for the future of Cumberland football. They love to spread it around, so a signal caller who can protect the ball, make the right reads, and put the ball where it has to be is in high demand. If David can prove he can to that week in and week out then he will be putting up big numbers in a few months.