5 Underrated Talents from the Prospect Showcase

Ideas are constantly bumping through my head like pinballs on how to best write about the showcase, and listing a few underrated talents was a no-brainer. The following 5 athletes don’t get enough attention, straight up. All from different position groups, I expect these athletes to step up this next season, propelling them to much-deserved attention. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="251945" first="Ty" last="Hudkins"] - DB - Forest Hills Central</strong></span> The MVP from the entire showcase, [player_tooltip player_id="251945" first="Ty" last="Hudkins"] proved himself in a major way. Ty was incredibly fast-twitched and overall sported amazing DB results. I’ve written a ton on his fundelemental prowess, speed, etc, so I won’t do that too much here, but one thing I’d like to note is his 2022 opponents. East Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Christian stand out as two teams with more pass-heavy offenses, but in general, Forcest Hills Central’s opponents are majority run-heavy. If Hudkins wants to gain real attention from colleges, he’ll need to perform well week after week, but especially against pass-heavy teams as well as the postseason. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="216997" first="Alex" last="Bueno"] - QB - Rochester</strong></span> I see Alex gaining some more attention, but in general, I’ve seen few publications mentioning him other than here and The D Zone. It’s notable that Bueno tested EXTREMELY well at the showcase, placing 1st in every QB category except the Shuttle, where he was beaten by 0.02 seconds. Bueno is a QB that’s extremely experienced heading into his senior season, though the completion of the OAA Blue of years past isn’t particularly top-tier. Rochester has a tougher schedule this coming season without a doubt, and Bueno will need to perform well during the season for the best offers. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="305339" first="Connor" last="ORourke"] - WR - Mattawan</strong></span> The young WR from Mattawan showed out last Saturday, sporting incredible route-running prowess. Though I didn’t see much of him, I heard glowing reviews from coaches and scouts. He’s competitive, has great hands, and he’s only a freshman. Excited to see what ORourke is able to do in the future <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Cornelius Young Jr - DT - Virtual Home School</strong></span> The intriguing defensive line prospect showed up and performed decently at the showcase. Undecided on where to play next season, Corneelius Young Jr. is a powerful interior defensive lineman who constantly went up against the best talent in the state. I’d love to see what he can do in a varsity program, but he does have quite a bit to work on, especially with his hands. Soon we should see Young perform against great linemen week in and week out, but until then, I’ll consider him under the radar. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="253291" first="Sean" last="Emerson"] - RB/SB - Birmingham Seaholm</strong></span> I was impressed by Sean’s testing numbers, as he consistently placed in the top half of the RBs. Emerson was fast, had good change of direction, and overall had a good day. Knowing how talented Seaholm’s 2024 class is, it’s exciting seeing one of those guys show out. It’s not easy running a pure Veer offense, but it sure is easier when you have a guy like [player_tooltip player_id="253291" first="Sean" last="Emerson"].